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


| fioouCuUu vi NOttOu Ill
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 the assertion Of gentleman
who probably knows more about Egypt
and E ytian conditions than any man
In the United States.
This gentleman Is Cope Whltehouse,
who is now in Washington In connec
tion with what is known as the Lake
| Morris projecG, in which he Is inter
ested, and which has attracted the at
tention Of tho governments of the
Uoited States, Great Britain and
Egypt.
EGYPTIAN COTTON GROWING.
In 1894" said Mr.. Whitehonse, In
diacu 'sing the matter a day or two
ago, American cotton growers were
told that there was an immense area
Of abandoned land, admirably adopted
to cotton cultivation, lying between
the cultivated section Of the delta and
| Me edlterranean. In 1887, the late John
Cardwell, Of Houston, then cOpsu
general at Cairo made an elabora re
report on the condition and prospects
or The country, as q whole. In treat
Ing of cotton, Mr.. Cardwell said that
little OF that staple was produced
prior to the time when the trade of
ports in the cotton growing states W.
cut Off by the blockade during til,
civil war. Egyptians then began to
bend their energies to supply; SO far
as lay In their power, some Of the re-
sultant deficit. Oae dollar pound
was great incentive, aid the Guilty.
| alton OF cotton In the Milo valley be
came general. In 1886 1887, the total
cultivated area OF Egypt was estima
ted by him at 498, $40 acres, with
| 826, IA acres OF cotton in loWOr Egypt,
and less than SO 900 acres to the
south Of Carlo. Olly IA per cent
Of the population was engaged In cot.
! ton culture. The cotton crop was then
/ . s3Ta af IL. Tx; act. - rs ssaA
agricultural operations, being grown
for export after abundant provision
had been made for food supply Of
ice. lGd!dn corn, barley, beans, wheat
TO the value Of 8l3, 900, 600, etc. Sug.
ar cane land in upper Egypt was
worth $50 an acre.
sTIMULUs OF BRITISH INFLUENCE.
The Egyptian cotton was used in
the United States In the manufacture
OF cotton yelvets or pushes, princi
pallY. 1t could never compete with
American sea island cotton at 80 or
80 cents for fine threads, nor with the
average quality Of Texan growth, on
accoun5 OF the price. The quantity
was also obviously limited to the
neighbOrhood Of u mi on acres, so
lCng as there was no government In
terference with the food supply. But
when the British took possession OF
the ministry OF public works aud Of
finance, In 18o3-1884, 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 Inn
portation OF fresh seed and the su bsti
tuition OF native seed, known as
init aflf,s' the quantity was increas
ed and the qualify lowered to q point
at whioh 1t could be used In the Eng
lish mills At a later period a reduc
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
sels to English and Scotch mills.
GREAT PLAN FOR IRRIGATION.
1t was in 1887 that Mr.. Cardwell
took coRn.zance Of MIR. Whitehousos
work. In his report, he said that
the curious historical and scientific
researches Of citizen OF the United
States had unfolded huge plan of ir-
rigation, known to the ancents, and
the present Egyptian government,
after at first turning a deaf ear to
his propositions, seems at this time
disposed 80 profit by this mans phil
sophY." But he added q 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 Morris projected.
In the early part OF 1882. Mr.
Whitehouse visited Egypt and went
into the desert, where he found val.
Icy corresponding in shape, depth and
position to that which he had found
depicted on map copied nearly 5Ot
years before from more ancient mar
drawn more than 200 years before
that time. II was 10y the use Of this
valley, with q canal about miles II
length leading Off from the II l)ode(
area OF the Nile about 70 miles up
stream from Cairo that 1t was expect
ed TO double the available supply 0.
water during tie period known as Low
Nile.
Although the great African rive
looms long and huge on the map,
more than three months every year Il
ceases to discharge any water into tn,
Mediterranean. uonco, before tieT;
could be any increase In cotton oulti
. Vation 1t WAS necessary to store foo,
water, and the amount proposed Il,
: DO stored by Mr.. Whitehouse was 3,
0OC, ,GGG, GGG ouoic yards. This coui,
nave been obtained from the Raiya,
valley, with depth OF 220 feet an
. a surface area OF $50 square miles, b
= allowing the Nile to raise the leyel q
;. the proposed lake 10 that az the IN