216 BRAZILIAN COTTON 



and thus the seller would not be at the mercy of the sometimes im- 

 scrupulous buyer, who only too often takes advantage of the ignorance 

 of the small farmer. Each municipality would have to establish a 

 set of rules, one of which would have to be that each bag must bear the 

 correct weight and the name of the grower ; provision would also 

 have to be made that the party who sells damp cotton or otherwise 

 fraudulently adulterates cotton is punished. 



In Pernambuco we came across a typical case, where a small farmer 

 sold his cotton at the rate of two milreis (1/2) per 20 kilos (441b.) seed 

 cotton. The buyer Avas a rich man in the neighbouring town and 

 must have known that the ruling price was five milreis. Such cases could 

 not occur if the cotton were sold in the public market place. 



The establishment of Co-operative Societies amongst the farmers 

 is also advisable. They can be used in many ways, especially for the 

 facilitation of credit, avoiding the usurious rates of interest, as is the 

 case at present. In India such societies are also made use of for the 

 distribution of seed, for the purchase of agricultural machinery, etc. 

 It appears to me that the Prefects (Mayors) of the cotton districts 

 might undertake the formation of such societies, which have proved of 

 great benefit throughout India. 



Ginning. — One of the greatest evils to which Brazilian cotton is 

 subjected is ginning, which — in most cases — is carried out in a most 

 unsatisfactory manner. 



You all know that in this country only saw cotton gins are used. 

 These machines are perfectly right when dealing with short staple 

 cotton, i.e., with fibres up to, say, 28 mm., but when nature has given 

 you staple cotton of good length it is a gross error to employ saw gins 

 which cut and reduce the length from 5 to 7 mm., as I have proved to 

 be the case. These five mm. cause a great difference in price: they may 

 be the means of making a handsome profit instead of a loss. 



In the world's markets there is a shortage of long staple cotton 

 and for this reason its price is relatively higher than would otherwise 

 be the case. Long staple cotton must be ginned by a roller gin. such 

 as is in use everywhere in Egypt, India, and even in the Sea Island 

 and Arizona districts of the U.S.A. 



I have made a good deal of propaganda in the North of Brazil in 

 favour of this gin : it could also be used to advantage in many parts of 

 Sao Paulo. These machines are' called " roller " gins and are con- 

 structed by various machinists in England and Germany. The best 

 known make is " MacCarthy," of Piatt Brothers & Co. Ltd., Oldham. I 

 am not here to advertise this or that machine. A Rio newsjDaper stated 

 that I was representing an English machinist : this is untrue and I may 

 state here again that I have no personal profit from the sale of any 

 machines. I brought Avith me some catalogues of English and German 

 machines, which I handed immediately to the Superintendent of the 

 Cotton Department. 



In the North there have been established recently a few modern 

 ginning factories amongst which I mention those of Trajano de 

 Medeiros & Co., Sociedade Algodoeira do Nordeste Brasileiro, Com- 

 panhia de Beneficiamento & Prensagem do Algodao in Campina Grande. 

 These new factories work well and their owners have undertaken to 



