172 BRAZILIAN COTTON 



some of which the " Sociedade Algodoeira "' has even estabhshed a 

 cheap service of motor omnibuses : — 



Campina to Soledade, 60km. 



Soledade to Joazeiro. 26km. 



Joazeiro to Santa Luzia, 54km. 



Santa Luzia to Patos, 48km. 



Patos to Pombal, 80km. 



Parelhas to Santa Luzia, 44km. 



Jardim do Serido to Acary, 26km. 



Jardim do Serido to Parelhas, 20km. 



Caicc^ to Acary, 45km. 



Acary to Corraes Novos, 30km. 



Curraes Novos to Natal, 160km. 



Jardim do Serido to Campinas, 184km. 



A road has been started from Lages via Assu to Mossoro. 



In Pernambuco there is a good motor road from Barrao do Rio 

 Branco to Alagoa do Baixo, Alagoa do Monteiro ; part of this road 

 is being constructed by the " Sociedade Algodeira " for account of the 

 Government. In a few years this net of roadways will cover the 

 whole of the north. Motor lorries carry now from the ports heavy 

 goods used in the construction of the bridges, etc., and were it not 

 that petrol is so expensive, owing to Brazil's low rate of exchange, the 

 cotton bales would be sent by motor lorries to the termini of the rail- 

 ways. Considering that alcohol is being manufactured from sugar in 

 large quantities in Pernambuco, Alagoas and Sergipe, the time A^ill 

 not be far distant when this powerful fuel will be used in these parts 

 as a substitute for petrol in the driving of motor vehicles. Pvecent 

 development in Europe has proved that with little alteration of the 

 engine alcohol can be used to advantage. 



All these places in the heart of the fine cotton growing zones have 

 suddenly been brought into rapid contact with the outside world, 

 where formerly days and days of fatiguing mule travel were necessary. 

 In short, the roads are revolutionising social and commercial life and 

 some few firms have recognised this by establishing themselves 

 in the interior. The effect of this move will be far reaching. The 

 ginning factories being established on the basis of special Govern- 

 ment concessions must deliver for planting purposes pure seed without 

 charge to all the planters in the district. We can therefore hope that 

 the owners of these ginning factories will realise that by distributing 

 pure seed of one variety only, they will be placed in a position to sell 

 in the coming years uniform cotton. To my mind, the mistake made 

 is that all these modern factories are worked by saw gins, whilst in 

 this entire part nothing but roller-gins should be used. The 

 Brazilian as a rule is very keen on making money and employing 

 it in the extension of his business, but in the establishment of his 

 saw-ginning factories, he has been short-sighted, too eager to turn 

 out quantity and not paying sufficient regard to quality. One 

 requires on an average three and a half roller-gins to do the Avork of one 

 50 blade saw-gin, but the value of the fibre ginned by the rollers much 

 more than compensates for the smaller out-turn. Even if the roller- 

 gin saves onlj^ 2mm. in the length of the fibre, it would pay to employ 

 them, but the difference in length realised is much greater. {See 

 p. 60.) 



