The record-union., 1899-10-01
LAND OF THE NILE.
Facts That Are Not Generally
Known


Facts That Are Not Generally
Known.
WASHINGTON Cd. c.. Oct L.
Northern Africa is country which is
not all unknown to the traveller; it is
land of remarkable interest. There
is found there some of the most an
caent history of the world. In the val
leys of the Nile civilization sprang
forth and reached a mark which in
some features has hardly been sur
passed. Yet man has just returned
70 the United States who is probably
the hrst to thoroughly explore that
country along certain lines. He/ is
the botanical explorer of the Agricul
tural Department, W. T. Swingle. For
eighteen months Mr.. Swingle has been
travelling about the Mediterranean
countries looking for plants and trees
and for the, products of the agricultur-
lst or the horticulturist which might
De OF value to the farmers and fruit
growers of the United States.
Especially interesting said Mr..
SWlngle, IN talking of his work, did I
nnd the North African countries They
greatly resemble our own Southwest,
and like great portion of it, they are
arid Carrying the parallel still farth-
er, they We're, like it, once fertile
through irrigation. This great area
was once part of the Roman Empire
ana the Romans seem to have known
how to irrigate TO perfection. For
there is evidence that all of North At
r1ca was as fertile as is the present
valley Of the Nile. The waters Of the
rivers seem to have been stored for
irrigation in series of reservoirs, one
above the other. The ruins of Algeria
Indicate a wealthy and populous COM
munity. But long since, the land has
reverted to it's natural aridity, dams
have disappeared, and irrigation has
ceased; yet the ruins Of great cities rise
from out Of the hot, sandy wastes, we'll
preserved monuments, in the dry at
mosphere, to the former grandeur of
sthe Romans. Many of the buildings
In these cities are almost entire, show
ing clearly the style of architecture
the triumphal arches, and other types
of Roman work, and until one gets
into their midst, it seems hardly posi-
BILE that they have stood uninhabited
burning sand of the desert is swept
about by the hot winds, covering and
uncovering carved stone and pillars,
the green verdure, the swaying palms
and the luxuriant growths of the trop-
les once held sway under the magic
influence Of water, artificially distrib-
uted. The French Government is
now making some interesting exca va
tions in Algeria, but otherwise no des-
ecration of the wonderful ruins is al
lowed.
"One of the most interesting bits of
information which ! picked up was
that we as a nation are being delight
fully imposed upon in our use of Egyp-
tian tobacco Since the Chicago Ex-
position and it's Midway Plaisance,
which brought with it many Eastern
customs and an American demand for
Eastern products, we have been using
Egyptian tobacco and especially Egyp-
tian cigarettes in this country to a
considerable extent. These cigarettes
in fact. are considered the finest of
imported brands and cost accordingly.
Yet here We are paying two and three
cents smoke for gold papered cigar
cites which never saw the light or
Egypt. Strange as it may seem, not
withstanding the supposed fine climate
of Egypt for growing tobacco, and the
extensive irrigation systems of the
Nile, where agriculture reaches a high
state Of perfection, good tobacco can
not be grown in Egypt, and as a mat
ter of fact the Egyptian Government
has decreed against the growing of
any tobacco whatever within it's juris-
diction. All Egyptian tobacco is raised
in Turkey. The Turks are fine tobacco
growers and expert tobacconists. For
some reason they adopted the name of
Egyptian tobacco to sell their goods
The Egyptians on the other hand, being
able to raise only inferior grades, saw
that unless something was DONE these
fine Egyptian brands would soon be dis
credited, SO in order to keep up the high
standard of Egyptian tobacco, and to
retain the prestige and glory which
the Turkish tobacco had brought them
the Egyptian Government employed the
drastic measure of prohibiting any
growth of the plant in Egypt