The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-12-10

better transportation. AS it is now the
people rely upon the rainfall. which
= not sure. In the future that conn
try can be irrigated by the two Miles
ana mat without diminishing the sun.
Ply OF water required for Egypt Then
the and viii have water all the wear
IouLo. Improved methods of cuIttva-
llon VIII enormously increase tba
crops. AT present, the native merely
walks over the ground after q rain
and stirs it up with a stick white nj
Wlfe or child comes behind dronning
the SEEDS and covering them with Their
1eet After planting nothing is done
uhul Two months later, when the cron
Is ready for reaping.
AS to TRANSPORTATION avary+hfnai.
brought to the river on donkava -
Gamers, which eat their heads off on
me way, n 1t has to come down the
Nlle on boats at high freight. we
nope TO soon build a railroad into the
1ezireh,. which will give it an outlet
10 the Red Sea; and there will he
other roads Branching off from that.
furnishing transportation facilities for
the who'll country"
But is the region between the
White and Blue Niles the only coun-
raised p
BY no means. We can raise grain
In nearly every province. There are
grain areas in the south and in the
west. The Bahrel Ghazal. an inn
mense country or the northern edge Of
the Congo watershed, will raise grain,
ana tnere are many regions along the
rivers in the north which will pro-
duce enormous crops when the water
is put upon them"
Where Cotton Ma. Be King.
How about cotton? ?"
&c COO no raa1a- 49, "
should not eventually be one Of the
chlef cotton countries Of the State. We
are experimenting With it in all the
provinces and are meeting with great
success. The land between the White
and Blue Niles might be made one
great cotton plantation. and the quail
1ty Of the crop would be excellent. AS
1T is. now we are raising excellent cot
ton on the Red Sea near Suakim.
There are about 10000 acres planted
there, and the crop is a profitable
one Plantations are being set out bv
near Khartum and the cot
ton raised is fully equal to the best
EGYPTIAN. One of your own country
men, Mr.. Leigh Hunt, is experimenting
on a large scale with different kinds
of American cotton, a little north of
mere. near the mouth of the Atbara
river. He says that the Sea Island
cotton will grow there. and that he has
no doubt of the future of that region
as a cotton producer. Indeed, see
no reason why cotton should not be
largely raised in all our southern
provinces.
The Question Of Labor.
But how about your labor, your ex-
cellency; have you the workmen nee
essary to cultivate such crops?"
That Is a problem which only the
future can solve replied the COVER
nor general of the Sudan. W have
all kinds of natives here, and that in
all the different stages of savagery and
standardization. There are hundreds
OF tribes whose people can be taught
to work n others ne members Of
which will need many years before
they can be made into such farmers
as we have in Egypt~ and India. We
nave some who will WORK only long
enough to get food and supplies for
their Immediate needs and who, when
a little ahead, will spend their time
in dancing and drinking the native
beer until they become poor again. We
have also a large admixture of Arabs
and other races which are of a far
higher character, and of these we ex-
pect much"
Would it be impossible to import
labor for the Sudan?" I asked.
NO. I think not. We may in time
import some outside abOr. althoug1
it is probable hat the Africans will
always do most of the work. We could
use East indians They live in about
the same latitude, and their climate is
somewhat similar. Besides they are
not averse to going away from home
to work.
"Can Caucasians live here?"
mot as day laborers to work out Of
doors summer and winter. They might
act as overseers and in positions where
they will not have to endure the heat
of the sun. There are some places
where they seem to thrive. Here in
Khartum we have had many Italians
any the worse for it. The Italians serve
as mechanics. The chief labor will
probably always be furnished by the
Africans"
The March of Civilization.
do you see many changes in the
condition of the natives since the Brit
ish occupation?'
than in the past. They wear more
clothing, they have more wants, and
are working to supply them. Former
~ many went naked and, as there
was no security of property and few
wants, they had no incentive to save.
When we came here the taxes were
levied at the will of the rulers, and
the rich native was sure to be perSe-
cuted. Now taxes are fairly levied,
and the natives are learning that their
| savings VIII DC ItSPS1Ieu' IHSS 8iC
coming to nave faith IN us. Our first
business was to make them realize
that we intended to treat them fairly
and honestly. and I believe we have
succeeded. We had also to organize
the country, 50 that it might be able
TO pay the expenses of its govern
ment. We are fast reaching that
stage"
A Great Baby Farm.
ats your native population increaS-
ing p"
VERY rapidly" replied the sirdar.
ST am surprised at the large number
of children who have been born since
we took charge of the Sudan. The
provinces fairly swarm with little ones
who are under seven years of age.
During my recent trip through kor-
dofan. 7 carried q lot of small coin
with me to give to the children The
news of this travelled ahead, and as
soon as we approached a village we
would be met by the babies in force.
Nearly every peasant woman came
forward with a half dozen or more 1T
tIe naked blacks and browns hanging
bout her, and the children ran out OF