218 BRAZILIAN COTTON 



hand it allows this work to become nugatory through the action of 

 the ginning factories distributing mixed seeds. 



Just in the same way as it is the duty of every Government to 

 combat epidemics which threaten human life, and in this instance 

 Brazil occupies one of the first places in the world through the initiative 

 of its famous hygienist — Dr. Oswaldo Cruz — thus, also it behoves the 

 Government to protect the economic life of its people, and certainly 

 cotton constitutes for Brazil an essential part of its economic life. 



Various states, such as Maranhao, Parahyba and Sergipe, have 

 organised on special lines Cotton Legislation, based on a Federal 

 Decree of the same kind which should be followed by other cotton 

 producing states of Brazil. The Government of Rio Grande do Norte 

 has also passed legislation to prevent frauds as regards the exportation 

 of cotton. 



In the State of Pernambuco we saw in a ginning factory a certain 

 amount of linters being mixed openly with each bale and the pro- 

 prietor innocently explained that this practice brought him in 30 

 Contos every year (1 Conto — about £38 to-day). Evidently this man 

 did not know that he Avas committing a fraud, but nevertheless it is 

 necessary to put a stop to such practices. 



Varieties of Brazilian Cotton. — On our journey we found 

 several indigenous kinds of Brazilian cotton varieties, which, I feel 

 certain, will have a great future if the recommendations made with 

 regard to seed farms and supervision of the sale of seed by ginners 

 are adopted. 



Amongst these varieties I must mention in the first instance 

 Riqueza, which is also known under the following names : Verdao, 

 Verde, Azul, Rompe-Letras, etc. This cotton has a large green seed, 

 which is easily distinguished. We first saw it along the Sao Francisco 

 river and Me could trace it right up to the northern coast (Mossoro). 

 In most places when the seed was pure its fibre distinguished itself 

 by its special strength and its silky appearance — indeed I do not know 

 of a more silky fibre and its length was occasionally as much as 35 

 mm. From what we could learn from the planters, it is a good yielder 

 and resists insect plagues w'ell, though on this point opinions were 

 somewhat divided. Speaking generally, it seems to me that Riqueza 

 might be cultivated in a vast territory extending from Chique-Chique 

 on the Sao Francisco to the northern coast. Of course, there will be 

 districts where the soil and climate are not suitable and other varieties 

 will have to be planted. One of these zones is in the Serido, which 

 may be defined as that part of the country in which are situated the 

 following six municipalities : Caico, Jardim do Serido, Acary, Flores, 

 Curraes Novos and Serra Negra, all situated in the State of Rio Grande 

 do Norte, where the only variety to be cultivated should be Moco. 



Your Government would fail in its duty if it were not to establish 

 here a seed farm especially destined for the production of pure Moco 

 seed. The cultivators of the Serido, which district we inspected very 

 closely, travelling for the most part on horseback, complain of the 

 difficulty of procuring pure seed. The Federal Government have 

 already bought, in connection with the construction of a dam, most 

 suitable land for such a farm in the valley of Sao Jose, near Cruzeta. 



