The development of the market class started in 1820, when Jumel's cotton entered commercial production. This was a type of cotton that had been growing in the region for some time, but a French engineer named Jumel recognized its potential as a source of fiber when he saw it growing as an ornamental in a garden in Cairo. Based on its description, it seems likely it was the recently developed long fiber kind of "G. barbadense" from the New World. Encouraged by the success of Jumel's cotton, Egyptians tested other seeds, including sea island. The next major cultivar in Egypt, "early Ashmouni," likely was a hybrid between Jumel and a sea island. Likewise, the following major cultivar, "Mit Afifi," likely was a hybrid between early Ashmouni and a sea island. Many more cultivars followed.