154 BRAZILIAN COTTON 



■with 50mm. to 55mm. and a very strong fibre. We thought that 

 this was the best cotton we had seen so far. The ginning outturn 

 was 28 per cent. {See scientific examination of this cotton at end of 

 this Chapter.) 



SOMBRIO : 



Mr. Fehnto Elysio has a farm here and we saw a magnificent 

 crop all along the valley of the Rio do Coite. The yield in the pre- 

 vious year had worked out at 4201b. per acre ; half the land was 

 taken up with Indian corn. For picking he pays 1 $000 per 16 kilos 

 for clean picked (no food to be provided for the picker) and makes a 

 reduction of 200 reis where the cotton is dirty. There is a gin with 

 35 saw blades on the farm. The price for ginning and baling on com- 

 mission is 20S000 to 22S000 per '• carga " of 128 kilos. {See end of 

 this Chapter.) 



Mr. Fehnto separates the cotton seed he intends to use for 

 sowing at once after ginning, 



Pa RE LH AS : 



Here again a reservoir is being constructed by the Government 

 at BuQUERAO DE Parelhas where the waters of the river 8erid6 are 

 to be collected. There is a catch basin of 18km. and 300,000,000 

 cubic metres of water are said to be available. The cost is estimated 

 to be 10,000 contos. The possibilities of irrigating the land imme- 

 diately behind the dam seemed again a very difficult, if not imjDossible, 

 task. 



At the Fazenda Velha situated at the bifurcation of the Serido 

 and Timbauba rivers we were able to obtain reliable information as to 

 tihe yields. The low-lands give at least 4501b. lint per acre. 



Moco Cotton Cultivation along the Rio do Coite 



