American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1913-02-06
METHOD EMPLOYED IN EGYPT
pu'vertzatlon Of Soil Enables Moisture
OF Lower Levels to Rise Toward
the Surface. ?

<Et tn0 oUr1aC0s
fs y O. ns e; puDaEoN. D,reeto. Genera,
'H Egypt.)
M Dry farming. considered in the wide
sense. is prominently associated with
the agriculture Of Egypt from the ear
nest recorded times. During the cen.
Huries While the country has been with.
Out a significant rainfall and has beer
qepende upon the annual flood sup
Ply from the River Nile, the valley OF
me same has been under continuous
uitlvatio and has always been looked
p as extremely productive in com.
81parison even with those regions where
frequent rain has rendered cultivation
more easy and less precarious.
u Is interesting to note that just
IEprevious to the adoption of a system
controlling and regulating the river
pupply. that by careful treatment Of
atne land. most of the crops, for which
frequent waterings are now consid.
red necessary during the whole period
sor their growth, were successfully pro.
Quced. while only receiving a heavy
soil saturation for two months pre-
svl0us to sowing and no more water
subsequently. According to this meth.
90 the cotton fields were not watered
sfor from 127 to 1877 days. It may be
remarked in passing that the yield per
sfadden under these conditions is said
% have beer considerably higher than
q average of that obtained under the
present perennial system.
The essential principles which are
recommended for dry farming at the
present time are practically identical
with those which were employed for
cotton In the early days of the intro
auction of commercial cotton growing
m Egypt. The soil in the first instance
was thoroughly plowed and aerated,
2 was then titled SO that the part.
icles were finely and loosely separated.
pulverization Of the soil enables
the water Of the lower levels to rise
towards the surface by capillarity at
= much slower rate than it would do
we're the particles more closely com.
pressed. The slower the progress of
the soil water towards the surface. the
lower also becomes the evaporation.
\ 1t was, without doubt, owing to the
enreful system Of cultivation followed,
mat cotton was enabled to subsist for
me very long period mentioned above !
without the application of water. The
basin system of cultivation is still
largely practiced in Upper Egypt, but
cotton Is not grown as a basin crop.
The system is doubtless Of the great.
antiquity, and has only been i'm.
proved recently by the adjustment OF
the water supply by the irrigation de.
partment to insure that as little as
possible of the basin land should be
left unwatered.
The red water of the Nile is run
into the basins, which vary in size,
md the silt is permitted to be deposit.
IA upon the land, while the water it.
gelf drains away. The short flood
years the water which has drained
thrOugh one basin is now permitted to
zach the Nile before being used to
IoOd another; and 1t ia better to give
Woter without silt to these lands than
y give no water at all.
BY recently adopted methods the
basins are filled as early as possible
Ind are permitted to drain away in
Ifom 80 to 40 days, SO that the cultiva-
~ may have plenty of time to plant
hfD winter crops. AS the water re-
s9des the seed is usually b~roadcasted
~ the wet soil; if sown later upon a
1rier surface, the pillow or the hoe Is
ned to cover the seed. No further at
Is given to the crops until the
season, and the land dries
D. to a considerable extent, often
,racking to a depth of two meters.
rhe effect upon the crop is usually
IHown by the shriveled state Of the
yrAin in the case Of wheat and barley.
llthough on account Of the richness Of
ne silt deposited upon the land. the
Held Is generally fair. The modern
,asin cultivation in Egypt is in oppo-
lftion to the principles recommended
land in similar conditions