AGEICULTURAL SURVEY OF SOUTH AMEEICA 81 
times that of the next highest year, 1922-23, when only 9,790 acres 
were under cultivation. In 1916-17 only 120 acres were in cotton. 
The principal advantages possessed by Paraguay for the produc- 
tion of cotton are favorable climate and soil, and cheap and plentiful 
land and labor. It can be grown anywhere in the country except 
on the mountains and wet areas along rivers and streams. 
The principal disadvantages are distance from markets and in- 
adequate transportation facilities and high freight rates; lack of 
modern agricultural equipment; lack of gins; lack of an organized 
market; lack of selected varieties of cotton with a uniform length 
of staple; promiscuous intermixture of varieties with a consequent 
deterioration in the quality of the staple produced; low cost of 
living, which affords small incentive for work; competition with 
other crops, such as yerba mate, tobacco, sugar, and rice, the first 
two particularly commanding a steady market at remunerative 
prices; mountains and woods east of the Paraguay River, and 
swamps, woods, deficient rainfall, and lack of potable water in some 
regions west of the river. Insects are numerous and seem to thrive 
in the country. It appears to be only a question of time before the 
boll weevil and pink bollworm will be widespread. 
Cotton planting in Paraguay generally begins the latter part of 
August or early September and continues until December, although 
the best time for upland cotton is said to be between October 15 
and November 15. The picking season begins in January and ends 
in May. Generally there are three pickings, the first in January, 
the second in March, and the third ending in May. 
Very little native cotton is cultivated. The only cotton grown on 
a commercial scale is a number of varieties of the upland type, about 
98 per cent of the total, but these are badly mixed. They are derived 
from seed of the Petertin, Hawkins, Allen, and Georgia varieties 
introduced many years ago. The staple is said to have been classi- 
fied by a cotton firm in Barcelona as Good Middling and Fully Good 
Middling. In 1920 samples were sent to the Paraguayan consul in 
London and were classified in Liverpool as u more or less equal to 
Good Middling." There is great diversity in the length of staple 
even in a single field, and the only attempt at grading is by degree of 
maturity, color, and freedom from trash and discoloration. 
One of the major difficulties in the development of the cotton grow- 
ing industry in Paraguay at present is the lack of homogeneity in the 
product grown as a result of the promiscuous intermixture of varieties 
and the lack of proper attention to the selection of seed. More than 
34 varieties of cotton, mostly American and Egyptian, have been 
planted during the past 25 years. 
The promiscuous planting of different varieties has led to a rapid 
intermixture through the medium of insects and other factors until 
there is no such thing as a named variety or grading by length of 
staple. There are no clearly defined sections in which certain varie- 
ties are grown. The same mongrel variety is grown wherever cotton 
is produced. 
Modern farming implements are little used, the common tools being 
crude plows, harrows, and hoes. It should be distinctly under- 
stood that the areas cultivated in cotton are very small, usually 
little more than garden patches. Producing cotton is conducted as 
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