COTTON ZONKS 133 



The country rises from the coast in four definefl steps towards 

 th(> interior, viz : — 



1. — Littoral or " Aoreste," extending from Pcrnambuco northwards 

 along the coast ; iirst it is sonu» 30 miles broad but on the northern 

 side its width may be 50 miles. It is more or less flat. The 

 climate is not as humid as on the southern coast, nor as hot but 

 it is much damper than up-country. 



Cotton is grown here to a very small extent ; on the east 

 side only the annual herbaceous cotton is cultivated. In the 

 market it is sold as " Matta." On the northern side, near Mossoro, 

 cottons of various kinds, as will be seen in the description of that 

 district, are produced. 

 2. — Matt.\ zone. — These are the Hrst hills. Various kinds of cacti 

 are the characteristic. In dry places " Quebradinho " cotton 

 grows, where it is damp the herbaceous mixture of hybrids will 

 be planted. This is also classed as "Matta" cotton. 

 3. — " Catingueira " ZONE is again higher and being drier, the quantity 

 of herbaceous cotton is less. " Quebradinho " predominates. 

 More cactus grow, rocks begin to show and a few boulders are 

 strewn about. A short kind of acacia tree grows here. Some of 

 the cotton from here is sold as " Sertao," if long, and the inferior 

 kind as Matta. 

 4. — " Sertao " begins where a grass known as " Capim panasco," a 

 coarse yellowish-brown grass, covers vast stretches ; this is the 

 upper part. «ild looking country, many boulders, one often balanced 

 on the top of a heap ; small brushwood ; triangular peaks of moun- 

 tains of blue tint surrounding a plateau ; the deep azure blue sky 

 and the air most invigorating ; cattle graze on the grass. There 

 are fewer cacti here. Here is the cotton land, which gives the 

 Sertao cotton, it grows along the valleys of the many rivers, or 

 on low plateaus. Wherever one sees a plant, locally known as 

 " Malva," which has a yellow flower, in formation similar to a 

 Michaelmas daisy, cotton grows well, according to the saying of 

 reputed farmers, and certainly we have travelled days through 

 stretches of this weed. The explanation of this saying is that 

 cotton and this plant belong to the same botanical family. In 

 this zone grow all kinds of cotton : " Verdao," " Inteiro,"' 

 " Quebradinho," and " Moco."' Annual kinds are rare and should 

 never be planted. This is tree cotton ground. 

 Unfortunately, owing to the high reputation which the genuine 

 Serido — Moco cotton enjoys in the market, efforts are made in all 

 parts of the north to grow it. but it seems that Moco seldom turns out 

 strong and long, except in the Serido district proj)er. of which more 

 will be said later. The cultivators would probably do much better 

 in most parts if they grew " Riqueza,"' (known in other parts as Verde). 

 It is, of course, human to aim at the best, viz : Moco. Riqueza is 

 certainly second best and wHh scientific seed treatment might beat, 

 in the lower Sertao, the Moei') ])lant. 



Commercial Cotton Classification.— Serido cotton and Sertao, 

 first grade (" primeiras"), are long staple cotton, grown on trees, they 

 are picked from July to January. '" Matta "' cotton is picked from 

 September to February. The cotton merchants divide each of these 



