New-York tribune., 1898-12-25
AGRICULTURE IN THE SAHlRA.

AGRICULTURE IN IHE oiH ihh.
RESULTS OF PLANTING AT OURIR. siDI-YAHiA
AND AYATA.
From The London Times.
The South Algerian Agricultural Society mas
created in the region OF the Oued KIT (Coh,
stantine Sahara) three oases and new centres o
colonization-Ou Sidi- Yahia and Ayata-
which form the subject Of an instructive com
munication by NJ. Georges ROLAND to the so
ciete Nationale dAgricuture de France The
cultivation of the date palm Is the object pri'
marily sought, the interculture with other crops
Of the land thus embraced anording the SUP
sidiary motive Hitherto the land around the
palms has been worked by the natives win
spades. but the introduction Of the plougl
drawn by mules has produced the same reSui'
at half the cost. The young palm shoots IN
tended for planting out are MIST ralSe1 I
nurseries and in pots. while the success OF the
plantations is dependent upon irrigation.
The basin Of the Oued Rir' is renowned foi
the abundance Of its Subterranean waters, pu'
1t is thought that these are now sufficiently en-
croached upon by the numerous wells that have
been sunk. Between the palms and penea'n
their foliage the crops most commonly grown
are barley and lucerne, which are utilized III
the feeding OF horses. mules. donkeys. ostriches
etc OF fruit trees. the fig. the apricot ana tne
pomegranate are cultivated though they yieiu
but little produce. The grapevine mas pee'
tried but the generous irrigation required by
the palms is found To be inmcal to It's welfare
In the oasis Of Ayata a meteoroiogical station
the best equipped in Southern Algeria. mas DeeI
estab ablished, and the observations there recofueu
are found TO be extremely useful in affordn6
indications as to the kinds Of plants iikeIy To DE
profitably acclimatized. Among all the efforts II
this direction the most successful is tna1 @ wy, M
asparagus beginning was made in lS92 WIFI
Argenteuil asparagus and in the following year
encouraging results were obtained poth "a
Ayata and at Sidi-Yahia. couch grass cohst
tuting the chief difficulty to be encountered 1T
later years IL has been possible to cut the crops
for O. period of from twenty TO thirty days III
each season. New plantations at each OF the
two Oases were added in the spring OF last year
and the first crops are expected TO be gathered
from them next year. The asparagus thuS
grown possesses. it is stated. excellent flavor
The difficulty of course. is to get the produce
TO market Transport from the South to Biskra
occupies two days, and from the latter place to
the Algerian towns another DAY or t"o' uie
same time being occupied from the port OF Phil-
ppeville to Marseilles. Hence from Ayata u
Paris the Journey extends over five or six days
which is a handicap in the case or prouuc'
like asparagus. WHICH requires to be eaten iresh
Various methods Of packing are therefore oe,ns
tested in the hope of overcoming this dl1iculty
Should they prove successful. ii is claimed that
the asparagus of the Oued Rir' Will be mar
keted upon large scale as the earliest III Eu-
rope. .
Far less success has attended the efforts to
establish other crops The deterrent causes IN
clude the too sandy and saline character OF tne
soil. the salinity OF the Irrigation waters ene
extreme dryness Of the atmosphere, the ex-
cessiye heat in summer and the inadequate te
manurial resources. Garden vegetables. frui'
and forest trees. forage and fibre plants nave
all been tried. Potatoes, peas and beans nave
not so far succeeded thus differing from as
paragus The same lack Of success has resulted
from the attempts to cultivate various fruits
Of hot and tropical countries. The banana. for
example. pined away in the absence OF the hu-
mdty of atmosphere which is indispensable "a
its growth OF forest trees an exception musi
he made in favor Of the eucalyptus. which VIII
thrive after being protected through its earlier
stages Some OF the forage crops might sue
ceed with proper manuring. but as much ma
nure as can be obtained Is needed for the date
palms. ,
This indeed, is the gravest obstacle to the
varied cultivation o: these oases-the lack oi
manure Trials have been made with artihca
fertilizers but so far with little success. The
necessary frequency Of irrigation may party
account for this though it must not he over
looked that in the absence OF railways, the COST
of transport of chemical fertilizers cannot ran
70 largely prohibit their employment Wha'
the enterprising FreT ch colonists are stu seek
ing and what IL pay be hoped they VIII ob-
tain is a forage crop which will grow naturally
or with little demand upon precise conditions
Of soil. water and climate. in the Oued KIT. ana
will permit them 10 rear enough live stock 10
furnish a sufiicency Of manure for all such
crops as might then be cultivated.