112 BRAZILIAN COTTON 



" Quebradinho " is also cultivated but the American kinds are 

 preferred. We were told that the second year gives the best yield. 

 In this district the cultivators have again given up cotton on account 

 of the low price. At present 3 $000 per 16 kilos seed cotton is paid 

 and as the yield per acre in mixed fields is only 1201b., cotton is no 

 more a paying crop ; for picking wages alone half the above price, 

 namely 1 $500 has to be paid. Land is very cheap. For 36 sq. km. 

 three contos were recently paid. The picking in this part of the 

 country is disgracefully performed. The people shake the cotton 

 from the trees and let it fall to the ground, then scoop it up, along 

 with sand and dirt. Cotton from this district has always been classed 

 by the Bahia people as seconds and thirds on account of the dirty 

 condition. The nearest gin is 60km. away and another one is situated 

 120km. distant. Generally, the agricultural conditions of Chique- 

 Chique seem very neglected. One farmer had bought a plough and 

 an American inter-cultivator, but he could not get anyone to use them. 

 The wages for day labour are 1 $500 per day. The cotton seed is 

 thrown to the animals, as it does not pay to transjDort it to any oil 

 mill. The goats especially are fond of cotton seed. 



The reason why agriculture is neglected is probably due to the 

 fact that Chique-Chique is an excellent fishing place and fish sells at 

 10 $000 per 15 kilos against cotton at 3 $000. Fishing is an occupation 

 which does not call for continuous labour and consequently suits the 

 people better than agriculture. 



The supply of fish is very plentiful and the fishing season is from 

 May until October ; on an average 8,000 " surubis " are caught, 

 weighing on an average 101b. but some of these are as heavy as 801b. 

 The fish is dried and sent to Bahia. 



Some 60km. away from Chique-Chique there are found tour- 

 malines, diamonds, white and black, lead, saltpetre and crystals for 

 lenses. The mines also take people away from agriculture. 

 PiLAO Arcado : 278km. from Joazeiro, 1,091km, from Pirapora, 



The only buyer of cotton is Col. Franklin Lins d 'Albuquerque. 

 The cotton from this place is classified by Bahia as second class. He 

 buys about 70,000 kilos every year and cultivates about 70 acres 

 himself. Three years ago he lost 80 per cent, of his cotton through 

 the pink boll-worm, the following year he exposed his seed before 

 planting for several months to the sun, with the result that he lost 

 only 10 per cent, of his crop through pink boll-worm. He had 

 received information, .through Pernambuco, of this remedy. We 

 had heard of the same remedy in Sao Paulo. 



The yield per acre is 2201bs. of lint. This farmer pulls up the 

 plants every year, burns the stalks and selects his seeds. The seeds 

 from the first bolls are taken for planting. The ginning percentage 

 is 33 per cent, of his own cotton, but that bought from other farmers 

 yields only 27 per cent. The cotton he buys is mixed with " Quebra- 

 dinho." He considers that land is worth about 3 to 5 contos per 

 36 sq. km. 



Wages : 1 $500 per day ; plenty of workpeople. 



Picking : 700 reis per 15 kilos. 



Price of cotton to-day : 3 $000 per 15 kilos. 



