The Ordway new era., 1913-01-31
METHOD EMPLOYED IN EGYPT
Puiver,zatIon Of Soil Enables Moisture
Of Lower Levels to Rise Toward
the Surface.
(By q. c. DUDGEON. Director Genera
OF Department OF Agriculture o

cBy O.; c. puDGEoN. D!reeto, General
Egypt)
Dry farming. considered in the wide
sense. Is prominently associated with
the agriculture of Egypt from the. ear.
Hest recorded times. During the cen
turtles while the country has been with.
out a significant rainfall and has been
dependent upon the annual flood sup
ply from the River Nile. the valley OF
the same has been under continuous
cultivation. and has always been looked
upon as extremely productive in com.
parison even with those regions where
frequent rain has rendered cultivation
more easy and less precarious.
1t Is interesting to note that Just
previous TO the adoption OF system
Of controlling and regulating the river
supply. that by careful treatment OF
the land. most Of the crops. for which
frequent waterings are now consid'
cred necessary during the whole period
of their growth, were successfully pro.
duced. while only receiving heavy
soil saturation for two months pre-
vious to sowing and no more water
subsequently. According to this meth
cd the cotton fields were not watered
for from 1877 to 1877 days. 1t may be
In passing that the yield per
fadden under these conditions Is said
to have been considerably higher than
the average of that obtained under the
present perennial system.
The essential principles which are
al 70 NJ he
present time are practically identical
with those which were employed for
cotton In the early days of the intro
duction OF commercial cotton growing
In Egypt. The soil in the first instance
was thoroughly plowed and aerated.
and was then titled SO that the part.
icles were finely and loosely separated.
The pulverization of the soil enables
the water of the lower levels to rise
towards the surface by capillarity at
q much slower rate than It would do
were the particles more closely COM
pressed. The slower the progress OF
slower also becomes the evaporation.
It was. without doubt. owing to the
careful system OF cultivation followed.
that cotton was enabled to subsist for
the very bng 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.
est 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
left unwatered.
The red water" of the Nile Is run
Into the basins. which vary in size.
and the silt is permitted to be deposit
I'd upon the land. while the water II.
self drains away. The short flood
years the water which has drained
through one basin is now permitted to
reach the Nile before being used to
food another; and It Is better to give
water without silt to these lands than
TO give no water at all.
By recently adopted methods the
basins are filled as early as possible
and are permitted to drain away in
from 80 to 40 days. so that the cultiva-
tor may have plenty Of time to plant
his winter crops. AS the water re-
cedes the seed is usually broadcasted
On the wet soil: II sown later upon
drier surface. the pillow or the hoe Is
used to cover the seed. No further at
tention is given to the CROPS until the
season. and the land dries
up to a considerable extent. often
cracking to a depth OF two meters.
The effect upon the crop is usually
shown by the shriveled state Of the
grain In the case of wheat and barley.
on account Of the richness OF
the silt deposited upon the land. the
yield is generally fair. The modern
basin cultivation in Egypt is in oppo-
zition to the principles recommended