The daily gazette., 1877-10-12
THE NILE HUMILIATION

Is known to be the yearly means of
irrigating the agricultural sections of
Egypt, and "bad Nile, /" that is, sea-
son Of low water, means a season of poor
crops. 1t is certain that Egypt Is this
year to suffer all the evils of very low
Nile, and it is worth while to consider
this remarkable phenomenon, and, to cal.
cnlate what loss to the country is inyoly-.
ed In a "bad Nile" The river is allowed
pretty much its own way above the First
CATARACT, but after its entrance into Egypt
proper the inundation is kept in check by
banks and dams and slnices. Where the
river has attained sufficient height. il il
allowed to flow on to the cultivated land
through openings in the banks of depth
varying from one foot to ten feet, accord
ing to the different levels of the ground.
After lying a short time on the lands it
is run off into artificial channels, known
as decersoirs, and SO back to the river,
1t is never allowed to lie long stagnant
on the land, The benefit to the soil is
OF two kinds. The Nile water Is highly
charged with ammonia and organic mat
ter, which is deposited as manure. The
land is also benefited by the thorough,
wetting of the soil and the consequent
9ration that follows, as the ground dries
up, contracts, and cracks in the burning
sun. No artificial means could effect this
end unless deep steam ploughing' was
generally introduced. 1t is obvious that
wherever this water does not reach, on
account of bad Nile, there will be great
loss Of crops, and in Upper Egypt, where
all depends on inundatlon, large pro-
portion Of the usual crops will be lost.
This loss has even been estimated by
competent persons at one-fifth of the
whole produce of the country. Canali-
zation, however, is now SO extensive that
a bad Nile can no longer produce fam
inc, as it did in 1885. The productive
ness of the soil no longer depends en-
tirely on the annual inundatIon. OF
course the Nile remains the only source
of supply, but it has been spread like a
great network all over the land. Dur
ing the reign of the Khedive alone over
one hundred new canals, both great and
small, have been opened. There are in
the country altogether seven hundred
and tfty-six non-navigable canals, used
solely for irrigation, and sixty-two ca
nails used both for irrigation and the r
transit of merchandise, There are two
methods of irrigation-1st, by high level
Cor sef) canals, and End by pumping.
or steam pumps there are five hundred
in the country; of sakeeyahs 1.-THE ancient
water wheel, turned by bullocksl there
are over thirty thousand, and of shadoufs
Ia hand contrivance of recent date1
there are seventy thousand. The whole
cultivated area Of Egypt from Assonan to
the sea is about four and half million
acres. There are nine hundred thousand
acres provided for and beyond the reach
of bad Niles, and one million acres left
above Cairo for which water must be
found. Below Cairo about one million
five hundred thousand acres are depend
ent upon water raised by mechanical
means. The most certain facts are that
the lessened inundation will cause a
large deficiency, say one-fifth of the
whole products of the land. and that,
roughly speaking, 100000 is the cost
of raising water for irrigation for each
cubit of deficiency as marked on the Nj
lometer at Rhoda. Thus the loss will
probably be counted by millions. This
Is Of course serious state of affairs, but
the "bad Nile" of 1877 may still prove
blessing in disguise if Egypt will proper
ly read its lesson Recent experience
has taught that the river at present is
bad master as well as good servant.
Three years ago the country was in
alarm lest the mighty food should break
its banks, and crops, houses, villages and
even towns should be swept away in one
universal deluge. These caprices of the
liver should be mastered. The erection
If steam pumps all over the country,
wherever canal is to be found, would
make irrigation at once easy and cheap.
the construction and continue
ion of high level or set canals cut from
he river high up the country and below
ow Nile level will almost do away with
he necessity of artificial irrigation alto
ether.