Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-28
Copyright, 1907. by Frank G. Carpenter)
KARTI-M

~HE British officials here tell me
that the day will come when
the Anglo Egyptian Sudan will
III be supplying a good share OF
the raw material needed for
the cotton mills of Manchester. II
so IT will be far in the future. The
total amount of cotton raised is but
few million pounds. ard the ex-
ports of last year were only four
thousand bales. There is no doubt but
that the Sudan has vast areas of good
cotton lands. but large irrigation works
will have to be constructed before they
can be brought intot cultivation. and
Egypt is kicking at e4kry attempt to rob
her of the waters of he Nile.
Native Cotton Everywhere.
At present cotton il raised in a small
way in every one of thu thirteen provinces
of this country 1t is grown to a consid-
cradle extent along the Nile between here
and Egypt. In Berber and Dongola, two
large provinces of lower Nubia, the most
of the crop is used by the local weavers,
who make 1t into rough white cloth
known as damar. which forms a large
part of the clothing of the Sudan.
Some is grown along the borders Of
Abyssnia. and there was formerly cot
ton factory in one of the towns of ka-
sal1a. Still further south, in the province
of Seminar. there are branches of the Blue
Nile whose valleys are famous for cotton.
The governor there had q cotton show
last year which attracted one hundred eN-
hibitors, and he has set up a few small
cotton gins which are now being worked.
That region has exported considerable
cotton to Abyssinia
In the Red Sea provinces there are sew
eral large plantations. and l am told that
a good crop is expected at Tokar. where
cotton growing Is an established industry.
The governor of the White Nile province
has recently reported that he is succeed
ing in raising Egyptian cotton. and that
two acres grown at Duem last year turn
ed out from three to four bales each, with
only three artificial waterings. The sir
dar tells me that the vast plain between
the White and the Blue Niles. known as
the GeZireh. could be made to produce
vast quantities of cotton. and it is believed
that ii can be raised in the Bahr ell Gael,
away up on the edge of the Congo water
shed. In the Blue Nile province the cot
ton acreage planted this year is twice as
large as it was last. and in the White
Nile province an increase of about 1900
acres is reported.
Cotton at Khartum.
considerable increase in the amount of
cotton planted, and the farmers tell me
that the crop pays. well. Angelo Capato,
one of the richest of the Khartum mer-
chants. who has 5000 acres of land, says
that he raised 100000 pounds of cotton
last wear, which he shipped to Alexandria
for sale. 1t was sent there unginned, and
1t brought 81 cents a pound, or one-half
cent more than the cotton of the lower
Nile valley. Mr. Capato says that he
that he has already been offered 1929 per
acre for 500 acres, but that he would
not take ii. Said he:
Il can make or . per cent net out of
my land by renting it at $50 per acre for
a money rent, and if / plant it to cot
ton, several times as much more. l am
now using steam pumps and am import
shall some time have a cotton factory and
ginning establishment right here
Leigh Hunts Great Plantation.
One of the most daring cotton Planting
enterprises to be found in the whole Nile
valley has been started by an American.
! refer to Mr.. Leigh Hunt. who, in
connection with Mr.. Sloat Fassett and
others. made big fortune in god mines
in Korea. Mr.. Hunt has a concession of
something like 10000 acres bordering the
Nile, just opposite where the river At
bara, or Black NNe. flows into the main
stream The Atbara brings down almost
all the mud which the Nile spreads over
Egypt, and these lands are so situated
that they can be easily irrigated.
Mr. Hunt has imported a number of
Steam pumps. and is gradually putting
wafstr-on to the land. He has built