MINAS GERAE8 95 



The plateau from the south of Brazil continues through Minas, 

 ranging in height from 400 to over 1,000 metres. Bello Horizokte 

 is the capital, which has been built by the Government as recenth^ 

 as 25 years ago. It is constructed on entirely modern lines with 

 parallel streets, wide open spaces and presents a beautiful appearance. 

 It was destined principally for the Government offices and the resi- 

 dence of the officials. The population is now 50,000, comprising 

 mostly officials and those who cater for their wants. The town itself 

 lies in a hollow, surrounded by mountains, has an excellent climate — 

 warm during the day but cool at night. The atmosphere is dry. 



The land of the south of the State is less fertile than the 

 neighbouring State of Sao Paulo, indeed pasture for cattle is all that 

 that vast portion up to the capital of Bello Horizonte and beyond seems 

 to yield. Indeed it was only on the way to Pirapora, the terminus 

 of the railway, on the Sao Francisco river, that cotton in anything 

 like commercial quantities came to our notice. 



The cotton zones of Minas are : 



1. Para — Pitanguy with Formiga, situated west of the- capital. 



2. Curvello, north of the capital on the railM^ay to Pirapora. 



3. Catoni — Montes Claros, in centre of the State. 



4. Arassuahy and Peganha in the east. 



5. Lengoes do Rio Verde, north-east. 



6. Araguary to Sao Pedro de Uberabinha, in the west. 



7. The margins of the Sao Francisco river. 



Besides in the above localities cotton is grown in almost every 

 village ; many out-of-the-way houses have their own cotton plot, the 

 product of which is ginned on a small roller-hand-gin, practically of 

 the same design as used in India ; it is then spun by hand and finally 

 woven on very primitive hand looms. In weaving the women push 

 the shuttle with the hands from one side to the other ; the fly-shuttle 

 would save about 40 jjer cent, of the time. 



The fact that cotton is grown so generally in many parts — 

 however small the quantity may be — is proof that Minas is a probable 

 field for the " future " supply of cotton for the world. I emphasize 

 the word " future," because for the present the means of transport 

 will hardly permit Minas cotton to compete freely with the cotton of 

 other States. The cotton grown in Minas is not all used by the mills 

 of the State, they buy a good deal of cotton from Bahia and further 

 north, on which the transport expenses are very heavy. The Govern- 

 ment and other interested parties should in the first instance aim at 

 making the State self-supporting as regards cotton. This can certainly 

 be achieved by seed distribution of one variety for each district for 

 which purpose seed farms must be introduced. Such a step would 

 save large sums to the mills in the form of freight economies. It is 

 strange that Minas cotton should, even now, be exported and that at 

 the same time the Minas mills should import more than half their 

 requirements. The total consumption of the Minas cotton mills is 

 estimated at 6,000,000 kilos. The export tax on cotton from Mina& 



