The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-06-14
IRRIGATING IN EGYPT.

In this day and age of up-to-dateness
in this land OF ours one can
not realize how primitive some
other people are. This is
illustrated in a recent letter from J.
P. Fair, of Mankato, who is making
tour of the world Mr. Fair writes an
interesting letter to the Mankato Ad-
vocate of what he saw in Egypt, and
among other things he describes irri-
cation there.
It is a well-known fact that irriga-
ton has long been practiced in Egypt,
and one would suppose that by this
time it would have developed into
science. but Mr. Fairs description
shows that it is still primitive. He
says:
ION the way to Cairo the train passes
through one Of the most fertile coun-
tries Of the world. It seldom ever rains
here and all farming is done by irrigat-
ing. One large canal takes the water
from the Nile at Cairo and carries it to
Alexandria, a distance of 125 miles
From this large canal others lead out
in all directions through this country
and from these canals bitches carry the
water to and over the farms. The wa
to these bitches in some way. have
seen but two ways, one by means of the
shadouf, like our old-fashioned well
sweep with long pole. To the end OF the
pole they tie a bucket which looks like
our bushel basket. This machine they
work night and day The other kind is
called the sakkieth and is large wood
en- wheel with pins in it that turn an
other large wooden wheel which stands
perpendicularly above the water. An
other wheel is placed down in the water
and these two wheels turn a sort Of
rope band to which is tied water jars
about two feet apart and when the ma
chinery is turned the jars fill and empty
on the same plan as our chain pumps.
The nrst kind is worked by one poor
man at each shadouf. and the work is
very hard indeed. It often takes two
Of them, one above the other, to lift the
water the required height. The SAX
keith is run by donkeys, water buffalo,
bull or COW. They go around and
around like our corn and cob grinders.
Thousands Of both kinds Of these ma
chimes are constantly running.
1.-THE government has built three large
dams across the Nile, two Of them down
here to raise the water into these canals,
and one up the river as a storage.
When the water gets low here they
open up the upper dam and give them
more water. The crops are absolutely
sure.
THE country is divided up into very
small farms or patches, and am told
that one acre viii keep one average
sized family. They can raise any kind
of crop here anything that will grow
anywhere will grow here. The prin-
cipal crops are wheat, clover, cotton and
vegetables Of every kind and descrip-
ton. The principal crop for money is
cotton. Their clover looks like our al
falfa and can be cut FIVE times a year
They are sowing and harvesting some
thing all of the time, and are always
watering some part of the land
Land is worth $500 to $500 per acre.
The who at is now ripe and some are
cutting it, which is done with hand
sickles, about such an implement as
Dave Woods uses to cut the grass away
from his trees. While using this the
reaper is constantly on his knees. The
threshing is done on the ground by
sort of a roller drawn over the grain
pulled by two water buffalo or two bulls
and the grain is separated from the
char by throwing it into the air, the
wind blows the ehan away and the
wheat falls to the ground. They do not
have to rush the harvest as it seldom
ever rains and wheat will stand for
weeks after 1t is ripe and not damage"
Think of a western Kansas farmer frri-
eating and farming in that way. and
still land being worth from 5000 TO $500
an acre!