The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-12-19
Nv AIER FOR EGYPT |
The Abou Kir Case in That Country
Is Cited as an Illustration of Our 4
Own Opportunities.
Fifteen Thousand Acres of Formerly
-, Worthless Land Reclaimed
and Made Fertile.

Washington, Dec. 19.-The = extraor-
binary commercial possibilities Of the
great irrigation projcctAin which the gov
ernment of the United States ,isSnow en-
gagged are well illustrated by data gath
cred in Egypt by Professor Thomas M
Means Of the department of agriculture,
who cites the case Of the Abou -Kir COM
panN of Alexandria,. a corporation which
obtained from the Egyptian government
the title to tract Of land regarded as
utterly worthless because of excess of
water and the presence Of great quanti-
ties of alkalf. which has reclaimed APP
proXima tely '15, 900 acres, and whose divi-
dends have gradually risen from per
cent to As per cent per annum within a.
period of a few years. The land cost the
company nothing to start with. but the
irrigation and underdrainage entailed an
expense of from $50 to $25 per acre. To-
day the land is renting for s25 per acre
per annum. and none can be bought out
right for less than $500 per acre, the fig
ure at which the last sales were made.
The tract now undergoing reclamation
by the Abou kir company contains 80 900
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 49,.
After the Arabian conquest it was per-
mitted to "go back" to use the local
term. and as a result became flooded with
swamp water. which left deposits Of allxali
double in strength those on the western
lands of the United States. which the
federal government hopes to reclaim.
Ihls case is not an isolated. one. accord
ing to Professor Means. A large portion
OF the territory of Egypt is now under
going reclama ton, and it was to study
the methods which have yielded such: re-
markable results that Professor Means
md
months Of the year inspecting the irriga-
ton and underdrainage systems. "
In the Land OF Goshen.
In the land of Goshen, lying between
the Nile and the Red sea, and famous in
BIBLICAL history as the region to which
the lSraelltes were assigned by Phara oh,
the' Egyptian government is now engaged
IN gigantic reclamation project. Profit
ing by the example of enterprising pri-
vate companies. the authorities have de-
termlned to reclaim an immense area
which has long suffered from lack of suf
nclent moisture and which was it was
supposed, rendered utterly worthless by
canal dug by the engineers construct
ing the Suez canal for the purpose of sup
plying fresh water to the large force OF
Workmen engaged in that undertaking
Inc canal was not carefully constructed
ana the seepage was. of unusual propor-
tlons: Reaching the alkaline deposits
which underlie the entire area the water
prought them to the surface in such uuan.
Titles as to make the soil absolutely arid
The government is now constructing
TWO canals at different attitudes. One
Will supply fresh water for irrigation, and
the other Will carry away the alkali drawn
on by the drains, which will be placed
ABOUT four feet below the surface and
loo feet apart. During the first year il
VIII be necessary to keep the surface sat
urated and no crop can be grown, but
immense quantities Of alkali will be
washed out and into the Red sea. The
second year a forage crop can be raised
and after that the usual crops of Egpvt--
corn. wheat and Tcotton-can be grown in
great abundance. In the course Of this
work the surveyors discovered the well
preserved remains of an irrigation canal
constructed by one of the Pharoahs q
! description Of which is, to be found n
Herodltus. The officers in charge are
now working on the problem of restoring
portions of the original aqueduct for
present use. g.. :