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3991. Gossypium barbadense. " Jannovitch " cotton. 



From Alexandria, Egypt. Received through Messrs. Lathrop and Fairchild 

 (No. 310), December 28, 1899. 

 " This new variety of Egyptian cotton, the ' Jannovitch,' was originated as a 

 sport from the ' Abbasi' variety and was first brought to notice in 1897. Seed 

 sold last year for $20 a bushel, later for §12. It is asserted to be by all means 

 the finest cotton of the white, long-staple class ever produced in Egypt. The 

 fiber is scarcely any shorter than the Sea Island staple and has the characteristic 

 twist. It is snow white and of a remarkably fine, silky texture. This season is 

 the first one in which this variety has been cultivated in commercial quantities. 

 The lint from this variety brought in Egypt, where a very small quantity was 

 sold last year, over 50 cents a pound. A rough guess was made by Mr. George 

 Foaden, secretary of the Khedivial Agricultural Society, that not more than 1,000 

 bales of this cotton will be sold this year in Egypt. For methods of culture in 

 Egypt see Bulletin No. 33 of the Department of Agriculture, Office of Experi- 

 ment Stations. For breeding purposes this cotton should be of decided value as 

 its origin can be traced with probability, according to Mr. Foaden, to crosses 

 between the Egyptian cottons and the introduced Sea Island varieties. The Egyp- 

 tian brown cottons may possible have sprung from Peruvian varieties which are 

 reported to have been introduced into Egypt early in this century. This ' Jan- 

 novitch ' variety has hence quite possibly strains of both Sea Island and Peruvian 

 stock. The average length of the Egypt cotton, ordinary varieties, is given in 

 Bulletin No. 33 as 35.79 millimeters in comparson with 40.87 for Sea Island. If 

 the fiber of the ' Jannovitch, ' as claimed, is longer than the ordinary varieties, 

 it will approach very closely that of the Sea Island. It is worthy serious tests 

 in all the cotton-growing districts of America. Its successful culture in the 

 uplands of the United States would increase the profits of cotton growing mater- 

 iallv, as the Egyptian cotton brings prices only inferior to those of the Sea 

 Island." 



3992. Gossypium barbadense. Cotton. 



From Cairo, Egypt. Received through Messrs. Lathrop and Fairchild (No. 

 No. 311), December 28, 1899. 

 "'Mitafifi', the most commonly known and grown variety of Egyptian cot- 

 ton, until the discovery of the 'Jannovitch,' (No. 2991). Discovered in 1883. 

 This yields the heaviest of all Egyptian cottons. It is a broicn fibered variety. 

 For experimental purposes only. It was introduced by the Department 3 or 4 

 years ago." 



3993. Gossypium barbadense. Cotton. 



From Cairo, Egypt. Received through Messrs. Lathrop and Fairchild (No. 

 312), December 28, 1899. 

 "A variety resembling No. 3992, from which it was derived. It has been cul- 

 tivated only 6 or 7 years. Succeeds better on loamy soils than on clays. It is 

 more susceptible to unfavorable climatic conditions and slightly earlier. It has 

 a fine, silky, very long, white staple. Gins with more difficulty than No. 3992. 

 For breeding purposes. " 



3994. Cucumis melo. Canteloupe. 



From Bassousa, island in the Nile. Received through Messrs. Lathrop and 



Fairchild (No. 313), December 28, 1899. 



' ' Canteloupes from Bassousa, where the most noted melons of Egypt are 



grown. The fruits are oblong, 8 to 10 inches long, many seeded, yellow to pale 



green in color, and thin skinned. The flesh is pale yellow. For experiments in 



the South." 



3995. Cucumis melo. Cantaloupe. 



From Abou-el-rate, Egypt. Received through Messrs. Lathrop and Fair- 

 child (No. 314), December 28, 1899. 

 ' ' Seed from excellent cantaloupes from the most noted melon-growing region 

 in Egypt, except Bassousa. Similar to fruits of No. 3994. A typical Egyptian 

 strain." 



