Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-05-14
Irrigation In Egypt.

The Greeks were accustomed to say that
Egypt was the gift of the river" For
unknown ages the Nile has brought down
alluvium and, in its annual overflow de-
posted it along its banks and in the delta
until it has rescued the country from the
desert and the Sea. This rich sediment and
the irrigation from the river alone prevent
the valley from being as barren and desc
late rs the deserts on either side. The
deposits are deepest near the river so as to
raise the bed of the stream above the gen
eral level of the valley, while its banks
slope gradually towards the hills. On
either side of the stream, as far as its wa
tiers reach, the land is of extraordinary
fertility, but beyond sharply drawn line
there is nothing but drifting sands.
The annual overflow of the river is al
most as periodical as the ocean tides
usually beginning the last of June and
subsiding early in October. 1t is caused
by the equatorial rains in the highlands of
Abyssinia, and is always celebrated by
national rejoicing, since the very life of
Egyptian agriculture is dependent upon
the water supply. The rise Of water
varies from nineteen to twenty-nine feet,
the former being very low water and
known as a bad " Nile, while the latter
is dangerously high.
Inasmuch rs the population of Egypt
Is very great-greater per square mile
than any country of Europe-it be-
comes u matter of much Importance to
utilize the supply of water and distribute
il over the land. One means of effecting
this is by the use of certain rude con-
trivances such rs the water wheel and the
pole and bucket. These are very ancient,
especially the latter which, as indicated by
the sculptures on the tombs at Thebes,
must have been in use before the construc-
ton of the pyramids. They are worked
by hand and absorb great amount of Ia
Dor. They are supplemented by numerous
pumps worked by portable steam engines.
The principal irrigation of the country,
however, is effected through the numerous
reservoirs and canals. The reservoirs are,
for the most part. situated in Upper Egypt
and form continuous chain of basins,
which store the water, and afterwards dis
tribute it to smaller basins ut lower
level. Throughout Lower Egypt there
exists net work of canals which convey
the precious fluid to the fields. The larger
of these canals serve for both navigation
and irrigation, but the greater number
are intended for the latter purpose only.
In all there are more than eight thousand
miles of canals throughout Egypt.
In the means by which the water is con-
veyed through these canals, the great river
is subjected to a process very nearly the
reverse of that by which nature gathers
up its waters. The longer canals are
made to connect with the river at an ele-
walton above that for which the irrigation
is intended. These canals again connect
with smaller ones ut lower level, and
these in turn are divided and subdivided
almost at will. The primary canals are
made to connect with the river by means
of solid stone or brick works which can be
opened or closed at pleasure The secondary
canals also connect with the large ones in
the same manner. When the rise in the
river begins the dykes are opened and the
large canals are allowed to fill and over
flow until the Immediately adjoining coun-
try is flooded. Then the dykes lower
down are opened and the inundation is
extended to other portions of the country.