The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1906-01-12
NEED NOT FEAR.
The South Nust Furnish Cotton
for the World.
~ SAYS AN FXPhRT.
The Much Exploitedn Assouan Dam
Across the River Nile Will Have
Little Effect In Increasing the
Production of Cotton In
Egypt.

Production of Cotton In
Egypt.
That the much exploited Assouan
dam across the Nile will have little
or no effect in stimulating cotton pro.
cuction In Egypt, as has been claimed
for 1T, is tho assertion Of a gentleman
who probably knows more about Egypt
and e ytian conditions than any man
In the United States.
This gentleman Is Cope Whitehouse,
who is now in Washington In conneo
tiou with what Is known as the Lake
Morris projccG, in which he Is inter
ested, and which has attracted the at
tention Of the governments OF the
United States, Great Britain and
Egypt.
EGYPTIAN COTTON GROWING.
In 1894" said Mr.. Whitehonse, in
dihcu sing the matter a day or two
ago, American cotton growers we're
told that thoia vas an immense area
Of abandoned lnnd, admirably adopted
to cotton cultivation, lying between
tho cultivated section Of the delta and
Mediterranean. In 1887, the late John
Gard we'll, Of Houston, then cOpsu'
general at Cairo made an elaborate
report on the condition and prospects
Of the country, as q whole. La treat
Ing OF cotton, Mr.. Cardwel said that
little OF that staple was produced
prior to the time wien the trade of
ports in the cotton. growing states w,e
cut off by the blockade during ii,
civil war. Egyptians then began to
bend their energies to supply; so far
az lay In their power, some Of the re
sultant deficit. O1e dollar a pound
was a great incentive, aid the guilty.
alton Of cotton in the Nile valley be
came general. In 1886 1887, the total
cultivated area Of Egypt was estima
ted by him at 4 498, $40 acres, with
S26, IA acres OF cotton in lower ESypt,
aud less than SO 600 acres to the
south OF Carlo. Olly 2 IA per cent
OF the population was engaged In cot.
ton culture. The cotton crop was then
= 43To -Sf III pEl lluh - }'.s c.,:e ~al
agricultural operations, being grown
for export after abundant provision
mad boen made for q food supply OF
ice, Indian corn, barley, beans, wheat
to the value Of S13, 600, 600, etc. Sug
ar cane land In upper Egypt was
worth $50 an acre.
STIMULUS OF BRITISH INFLUENCE
The Egyptian cotton was used In
Fhn IInifn6 Stafou in tl,n n on,fo, ,,.n
OF cotton velvets or pushes, princi
pally. 1t could never compete with
American sea island COTTON at 80 or
30 cents for fine threads, Dol with the
average quality Of Texan growth, on
account Of the price. The quantity
was also obviously limited to the
neighborhood Of " mi ION acres, so
eng as there was no government in
reference with the food supply. But
when the British took possession Of
the ministry OF public works ard Of
finance, In ~1863-1884, the cotton crop
became the end and aim OF all their
administrative energies. They forced
the farmers to abandon rice so that
the water might be used for cotton,
and by practically abolishing the I'M
portation Of fresh seed and the substi
tuition OF a native seed, known as
NIT atili, 9 the quantity was increas
ed and the qualify lowered to a point
at which it could be used In the Gag
lish mills. At a later period, a reduo
tion was made In the area allotted to
sugar cane. Egyptian sugar, in beau.
titul yellow crystals, was sent to
France to be used with beet sugars,
being conveyed in French steamers,
while the cotton went In British yes
sells to English and Scotch mills.
GREAT PLAN FOR IRRIGATION.
IL was in 1887 that Nj. Card well
took coRn.ztuce OF Mr.. Wnitehouse's
work. In his report, he said that
the curious historical and scientific
researches Of a citizen OF the United
States had unfolded a huge plan Of IT.
rigatlon, known to the ancIents, and
The present Egyptian government,
after at first turning a deaf ear to
his propositions, seems at this Gine
disposed 30 profit by this mans phil
sophy." But. he added 81 warning
that benefits would not be realized
unless foreign power again establish.
ed decay" Under the head "a Grand
Scheme he then described Mr..
Warehouses; Lake Norris projected.
In the early part OF 1882, Mr..
Whitehousc visited Egypt and went
into the desert, where he found a val.
Icy corresponding in shape, depth and
position to that which he had found
depicted on a map copied nearly soc
years before from q more ancient map
drawn nor than / 200 years before
that time. IL was by the use OF this
valley, with a canal about 8 miles ii
length leading Of from the il)odtt
area Of the Nile about 70 miles up
stream from Cairo that 1t was expect
ed to double the available supply OF
water during the period known as lo9
Nile.
Although the great African rive
looms long and huge OH the map, (
more than three months every year Il
ceases to discharge any water into tn,
Mediterranean. Hence, before ther,
could be any increase In cotton Guilt
Vation 1t vas necessary to store Aoo(
water, and the amount proposed 4,
be stored by Mi. Whitehouse was 5,
600, 600, 900 cubic Yards. This coult
nave been obtained from the Raiya,
valley, with a depth OF 220 feet an,
a surface area OF $50 square miles, b
allowing the Nile to raise the level O
the proposed lake 10 that OF tho In
v IA, NtAl ta Ia -