Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-11-24
WINNING THE WASTES
Commercial Possibilities of
Irrigation Projects.
RESULTS IN EGYPT
IMMENSE PROFITS OF THE ABoU
KIR COMPANY.
Has Reclaimed $1,000 Acres of Land
That Was Formerly Worthless
The Alkali Drained Off.

The extraordinary commercial POSSIBLE
tiles of the great irrigation project in which
the government of the United States is now
engaged are well illustrated by data gath
cred In Egypt by Prof Thos. NJ Means OF
the department of Agriculture. who cites
the case of the Abou Kir Company of Alex
andria, corporation which obtained from
the Egyptian government the title to
tract of land regarded as utterly worthless
because of excess of water and the pres
ence of great quantities of alkali which
mas reclaimed approximately 1900 acres
and whose dividends have gradually risen
from per cent to 40 per cent per annun
within a period of a few years. The land
cost the company nothing to start with but
the irrigation and undertakings entailed
an expense of from $40 to 800 per acre
Today the land is renting for s25 per acre
per annum, and none can be bought out
right for less than $500 per acre the figure
at which the last sales were made.
The tract now undergoing reclamation by
the Abou Kir Company contains 10000
acres. In the days of the Romans it was
noted for the excellent quality of the wines
MADE from its grapes and was one of the
most valuable regions in ancient Egypt
AFTER the Arabian conquest II was permit
ted to go back to use the local term and
as result became flooded with swami
water, which left deposits of alkali double
IN strength those on the western lands of
the United States which the federal gov
eminent hopes to reclaim This case is
not an Isolated one according to Prof
Means. A large portion of the Territory of
Egypt is now undergoing reclamation and
1t was to study the methods which have
yielded such remarkable results that Prof
Means journeyed to Egypt and spent the
hottest months of the year inspecting the
irrigation and undertakings systems.
In the Land of Goshen.
In the land of Goshen, lying between the
Nile and the Red sea, and famous in bibli-
cal history AS the region to which the
lsraelftes We're assigned by Pharaoh the
Egyptian government is now engaged in a
gigantic reclamation project. Profting by
the example of enterprising private COM
panles, the authorities have determined to
reclaim an immense area which has long
suffered from lack OF sufficient moisture
ana which was, it was supposed, rendered
utterly worthless by a canal dug by the en-
glneers constructing the Suez canal for the
purpose of supplying fresh water to the
large force of workmerl engaged in that
undertaking. The canal was not care
fully constructed and the seepage was of
unusual proportions. Reaching the alkaline
deposits which underlie the entire area
the water brought them to the surface in
such quantities as to make the soil abso-
lutey arid.
The government is now constructing two
canals at different attitudes. One will sup
ply fresh water for irriga ton, and the other
will carry away the alkali drawn off by the
Grams, which will be placed about four
feet below the surface and $50 feet apart
During the first year it will be necessary
TO keep the surface saturated and no crop
can be grown but immense quantities of
alkan Will be washed out and into the Red
sea- The second year forage crop can be
raised, and after that the usual crops of
Egypt-corn. wheat and cotton-can be
grown in great abundance In the course
OF this work the surveyors discovered the
well-preserved remains of an irriga ton
canal, constructed by one of the Pharoahs.
description of which is to be found in
Heroditus The officers in charge are now
working on the problem of restoring nor
tons of the original aqueluct for present
Irrigation in This Country.
The exceptional success with which the
efforts of the Egyptian hydrographic engf-
neers who, by the way, are mostly Eng
lishmen, have been crowned, is the result of
years of careful and expensive experimental
ton, and they cheerfully furnished to the
representative of the American government
every facility for profting by the knowledge
thus attained and avoiding the otheruISa
inevitable mistakes.
There are thousands of acres in the
United states where irrigation alone will
prove sufficient without the underdra;naga
necessary in Egypt. but some areas of the
greatest value because of their fertility
anu proximity TO large markets will require
the dual treatment.
The irrigation bill passed at the last ses
sion OF Congress provides for the establish
ment or reservoirs and the construction of
distributing bitches In sufficient number to
permit of the use of the water thus stored
but there is no provision made for the un,
derdrafnage of the more alkaline soils This
will have to be done by private capital AL
though the bureau of soils Of the Depart-
ment of Agriculture is already making
small demonstration experiments to prove
the efficacy of the system in various sec
tions Of the west. In one instance, in the
San Joaquin valley, single irrigation had
at last reports, removed fifty-five tons of
alkal from a single acre and the drains
were still running. There are hundreds of
thousands of acres in this valley which it
is reasonable to assume will yield to the
irrigation undertakings treatment and
which will double and treble In value as
soon the alkali has been removed
Will Increase Wealth Enormously.
The application of this system will add
materially to the area which will become
susceptible of cultivation as a result of the
Hansbrough- Newlands irrigation BILL and
every acre will add enormously to the ag-
gregate wealth of the country, for not only
is the land now saturated with alkali most
fertile in plant food, but the possibility Of
applying water to the growing crops as
needed, in itself greatly increases the yield.
Persons familiar with the ground and the
results winch nave diredQyi peeH accom-
plished by irrigation In the west. predict
that great fortunes will be made in many
instances in the area to be irrigated, and.
while under the law this land be sold
only in small tracts, many interested capt.
taIists are already scheming to get virtual
possession of considerable areas. The bene-
fit which the undertaking will confer on the
western states and incidentally the
whole country is incalculable.
Elephants Fight in Car.
disnatch from Philadelphia Yesterday