Catoctin clarion., 1916-03-23
new LIFE FOR EGYPT
COUNTRY BECOMING A GRANARY
FOR THE NATIONS.
SkIllful Work Of IrrIgatlno Engineers
Has Done Wonders for Land That
Has Long Been Looked Upon
as a Desert Waste.

From forbidding, sun-glazed, pow
erty-sordid wasteland, farmed where
naturally fertile barely for a frugal
daily fare, into land Of numerous
farms and plantations, Of ever-extend-
ing irrigation nets and increasing pro-
fusions of green and gold and russet
vegetation, is the story Of Egypt's
progress under European leadership
during the past generation. Where
the fame of Egypt of old was for thug
gerry and revolution, the modern land
was earning renown as wonderful
winter Fairgrounds for tourists and as
Engands kitchen garden, says
statement given out by the National
Geographic society at Washington,
which discusses the Nile-land as the
granary, vegetable garden, orchard
and poultry yard to the great con-
gested centers to the Northwest.
The long, fruitful farm that follows
the Nile banks through hundreds OF
miles Of desert, and spreads out over
the wide delta today. with the people
Of the most productive countries In
the world in trenches and In training
camps, has come into first rank i'm
portance as source of foodstuffs.
For the past 30 years the progress OF
Nile control and Of great irrigation
projects has been preparing the coun-
try for strong competition in all of the
larger produce markets OF Europe.
The number Of farm holdings has
grown to about 100000 in land
with population Of 100000. These
holdings include 5500,O00 acres Of
land.
And there is labor a-plenty in the
country for the development Of every
square rod of area reclaimed; for
Egypt is one Of the most densely set
tied lands in the world It's habitable
area is given as 12,O26 square miles,
and its density of population at 939
persons per square mile. Belgium, be.
fore the war the most thickly settled
country in Europe, had a density Of
$50 per square mile. The enormous
growth in agricultural resources has
stimulated in Egypt an increase OF
population equaled by few other lands
in Old World areas besides Germany.
Cities, villages, roads, railways and
canals have sprung up out OF the
profits of the Nile bonanza farm.
At the time the war broke out irri-
cation projects were in prospect that
would have reclaimed nearly 1000, 900
acres more of land. The cost Of all
of these works had been estimated ae
something more than 100000 900. Cot.
with an apparently glowing future be.
fore It. Rice was the principal grain
export being sold abroad to value OF
about 81 l250,000. Fresh eggs on the
London breakfast tables were largely
Egyptians, the value of this product
taken each year by Great Britain av.
eraging around 100000. There were
also important quantities Of fancy
Egyptian vegetables sold in London
markets, and thriving cane-sugar in.
dustry was in the course Of upbuild'
ing.
Moreover, agricultural Egypt just
began to gather headway during the
past ten years It was just beginning
to realize fraction of the production
that proper development Of its lands
could be expected to bring about. Its
out-of-season vegetables, grown at q
time when the fields of Europes great
vegetable gardens still lie frost-bound.
had enjoyed scarce half decade Of
demand in northern markets, though
they compared in quality with the
fancy vegetables, the first aristocracy
of vegetable foods, grown on the little
garden plots in Northern France and
in Belgium, the coaxed and coddled
civilizations of jealous small garden.
ers. Egypt gave promise Of becoming
England's fairest farm.