The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-05-21
PHARAOH'S CONTRIBUTION.
THE OLDEST OOUNTRY REPRE-
SCENTED At THE CENTENNIAL.

Products A Poor show Of Progress for .
Coantry which has Seen Many Centennisis.
PHILADELPHIA, May 1s.-The Egyptian
exhibition In the Main building en- braces wide
range OF natural and manufactured products.
a careful study OF this collection will convince
the intelligent observer that the nation has
advanced but little since the days Of the
Pharaohs, for though she has adopted few
modern inventions. she has forgotten some OF
the old ones.
The show OF manufactured goods embraces
woolen. cotton, and linen cloths, silks and
stufs interviewer with gold, and specimens OF
cotton In gorgeous Turkey red. These fancy
fabrics are not very fine, with the exception Of
some silks. which IRE really creditable tho
linen is comparable to crash towollng, aud the
carpotlne Ia Inferior A small piece OF sltinet,
or OF Cashmere, Is not remarkable for hneness
or finish. There are morocco shoes or slippers
which look neat because they are colored yell
low. but they do not compare favorably with tho
ladies' fancy shoes TO he seen In the Broadway
shop windows. Cotton. linen, and woOllen yarns
are ooarser than the sort m Anufactured In our
southern household, the cotton Of which Ia
known as 800" There are several specimens
OF tanned leather, probably sheep skin, OF the
quality used by our book binders. but withous
A large case Of silk cocoons ia really marpin-
cent, and probably the beat IN the Exhibinon,
showing the capabilities of Egypt for producing
SILK. IL Is to be noted here that silk culture has
likely Co fai for many years Tor the reason that
during the period OF the Matching OF the worms
vast amount OF painful care, and even OF al
supply. unless In connection wi h addition and
division, as practiscd here In Philadelphia, by
Bill Kemble.
IMPLEMENTS AND UTENSILS.
There are many samples OF extracts and tho
| lures, but the glass bottles are evidently Of
| European manufacture, and there Is n large
/ show of wine in bl .Ck. common looking bottles.
| The finish In the putting up IA by no means
cakes Of dark bread, from which IL h TO be
| inferred that their wheat flour Is not bolted 4.
| brass coffee pot, holding two or three quarts is
| to he seen, nd near by are earthen pipes and
bone articles. little boxes and notions, ana horn
and ivory combs. which are well made. 1nere
| Is also a collection Of silver, ornamented In
| various ways, Tut the metal Is dark. almost
black, showing that the tlces have been kept
as heirlooms, and evidently they are extremely
| old. ne form aud design OF these silver en-
sils show sumo taste, but this is not con.
A water filter, resting on marble stand or
stool, II in good shape. because 1t was formed
sided and Tout Of true" rnere "a no indie"
ton that the turning lathe is mucn In ..s,;s
| wooden bowl holding four or 1--WE ,,,.sas 80.
clipped out by hand. and ~. an an, I $500.
the eye swords spe"r. Knives. and ali such
implements were ,urged by h,nd Tne great ara
| OF cuttih" end forming metal utensils and i'm
pIeinents by means OF stamps and dies, which
has worked marvels In tue manufactures Of
civilized nations, seems to be unknown in
Egypt.
A complete collection of saddles, brides and
Ike equipments is made. IL Is interesting to
| like the saddles now In use West
ern plains, having suitable frame or tree COW
| cred with raw hide and fastened by cinch."
In the vicinity are found drums. tambourines,
ana other war-like musical instruments. There
are nice specimens OF books In Ar, bic, but there
IL suspicion that the binding Is French work,
and the large plate maps snd ensr.ylngs must
bes an amateurs outfit.
THE AGRICULTURAL DISPLAY.
find nne collection of thirty or forty differ
ent kinds OF forest trees including syc more pine
the sections that the trees were from ten inones
70 two feet 10 diameter, whie the appearance Of
| the bark and fibre indicates a slow and difncult
growth, always characteristic of mountain aud
desert countries.
tural prod ucts, which are In great variety. There
are seeds Of sqnashes, eourds, melons, hazel.
great many more OF strange vegetables, IN
Guiding seeds OF perhaps twenty grasses and 9
wheat, barley. millet, and flax but tho straw Is
short. though this does not always indicate a
low average Yield. The heads ofthe grain. how
ever. not remar Naby well ned out.
counted at least seventy-nve little glass cases
holding few quarts each, containing grain and
other seed, Including half dozen kinds Of
wheat, corresponding to our white winter, club,
hediterranean, winter red, spring, red and
white spring some samples OF wheat are plump
and full and IN aIcate that excellent bread might
be made from It,. Egypt has been wonderful
wheat country from the earliest ages ; and for
centuries 1t supplied the city OF Rome with
bread. In all countries where irrigation Is prao-
tised as In Egypt the yield Is heavy
Probably the most interesting exhibit to
Americans In this collection OF grain Il several
samples OF our great staple, corn or maize DO h
shelled aud on the cob. The ears are small aud
stinted, some OF them so diminutive and poor as
to resemble the "squaw corn grown by the In
dian women Of Dakota and the upper Missouri
country. The Yield could not nave been mucn
more than ten bushels to the acre. AT first
thought this will surprise but II must be re-
membered that In our country we have what IL
called a corn belt, embracing Central Illinois.
does best, and within which our surplus Is
grown and that on either side the yield RIadu-
ais dimintshes TIL almost ceases to he grown.
which explains why fifteen bushels to tho acre
IN the cotton states, corresponding TO that Of
Eeypt, Il "A full average crCp.
The Egyptian FAX looks extremely we'll; and
a seed that ressinbl les either sorgo or broom
corn Is plump and heavy Oats we sought for.
but discovered none.
Also Of great interest are seven boxes con-
taninS sapes h OF tne SAND ana Ell vi 1hal a
evidently from the plains IN the vicinity OF
the the pyrami,ds ana 1t seems InteItlsi Inc
Is OF II dark brown, almost Of that inulatto color
which on our prairies Is considered choice, aud
Ia thlckly strewn with what seems To he
coarse granite gravel IN site Of dislntegration.
II is Undoubtedly rich in all the elements Of
OF fertility.
EGYPTIAN COTTON AND SUGAR.
OF cotton there are several hundred little
packages weighing "a few ounces each, all II IL
ginned and also samples IN the seed. winch
have the appearance Of our Southern cotton
when the bolls have opened after trost-that 10
to say the staple Is short. As one looks al II he
understands why Egyptian cotton failed to COM
pete with American cotton after the war But
II Is not fair to say they cannot raise better cot
ton were they to cultivate with wisdom /; stiIl, 10
Is probably true that no country viii ever equal
ours in growing cotton. IL viii be Interesting
TO compare the Egyptian specimens with cotton
from India.
Fair samples OF white sugar are shown, both
in the loaf and III the Rranulated form. The
white has tinCe OF brown, showing that tho
Egyptians do not well understand the clarifying
process The Government OF Egypt las pad
great attention TO sugar growing, and eNte I've
sugar mills and retncries nave been estab -hed.
The business ought to prove hlghlY profitable.
II is a great ue0ciency in the Egyptian eXnh.
ton that there afe neither plOuRhs nor other ag-
ricultural implements. A full-gruwn crocodile
Is on exhibition, but not plough, hoe, %
| harrow.
DAMAGE on the East River.
| To THE EDITOR or IHE sun SIR: DO not the
Harlem and Morrsania line o. steamers VOL tie soma