150 BRAZILIAN COTTON 



above sea level. Moco was mostly strong, 35mm., but there is also 

 Verdao, which is weak, though silky. This valley has 20 kilometres 

 by 220 to 250 metres under cotton. 



We cross the " Rio do Mundo Novo," the valley of which is 

 30km. in length, the whole of which is cultivated with cotton. 



The plants were grown 2-61 metres apart both ways (12 palmas, 

 each 22cm.). Besides Moco a smaller seed, but otherwise identical 

 with Moco was planted. This small seeded cotton is called " Moco- 

 zinho " or " Sedinha," being silky in appearance. 



Wages of labourers are 800 reis per day, but plain food to be 

 found by employer ; this is for picking. The farmer here had the 

 system that one nian was engaged to pick all the clean cotton and 

 another followed the first picker to collect the dirty cotton left. In 

 this way he got a premium of 1 $500 per 16 kilos on his clean cotton. 



The land is sold in all these parts according to the frontage on 

 the river or brook. At the time of our visit land changed hands at 

 50 mil reis per '' braca "' (=2-20 metres) river frontage with 7ikm. 

 depth. 



The fields in the Serido are frequently fenced in by stone walls. 



The yield was given us as : low land, two kilos per plant ; higher 

 land, one kilo per plant ; " taboleira " 200/300 grammes per plant. 



There is no need to clean " taboleiras " of grass ; indeed, when 

 the cotton sheds it falls on this " panasco " grass and does not become 

 dirty. Taboleiras " have generally 1| meter of a gravel soil layer 

 on rock. 



Fazenda Sao Nicolau is situated 240 metres above sea-level, 

 in the valley of the Sao Nicolau, where it joins that of the river 

 " Mundo Novo." The owner of the large fazenda was a very 

 intelligent gentleman who had taken great interest in cotton. 



He first showed us a specimen tree of the indigenous cotton grow- 

 ing wild in almost inaccessible parts on the heights of mountains 

 between rocks. This cotton, called " Algodao Sylvestre " or " Ganga," 

 was found there as long ago as 1807 at the time when the farm was 

 bought, and has probably existed there for centuries. The seed is 

 small and has a peculiar spike ; some seed is bluish-green. The fibre 

 is short and of little commercial value ; its length was 20mm. From 

 the historical, botanical point of view this plant is very interesting, as 

 it is probably the forerunner of the Moco or Verdao cottons found in 

 Brazil. 



The samples of " Moco " cotton of this farm we considered weak. 

 Of course, it must be taken into consideration that these samples are 

 from the first pickings of the new crop which, according to general 

 opinion in Brazil, is frequently weak, and latterly rains had been 

 falling. 



We rode for miles through the " Taboleira " portion of the 

 plantation. There was a great deal of cotton ready for picking and 

 beginning to shed. The owner was complaining of a shortage of 

 hands, especially this year, owing to the employment given through 

 the construction of roads. 



