Arizona republican., 1921-01-23

It was my good fortune some months ! ago to go to the Oasis of Siwa, 400 | miles west of Cairo, passing en route l through the coastal dry farming and grazing belt along the Mediterranean sea. Two entirely distinct types of agriculture exist here, the oasis irri- gated from a scanty supply of arte- sian water and the coast region wa tered only by a scant winter rainfall. Tn the course of many centuries of occupation, the Swans descendants of the ancient Lbyans) have reclaimed the salt saturated oasis with wonder ful ingenuity, and the Arabs, equally skillful as stockmen, have made the most of the range country. My jour ney lay north through the rich delta and then west by a coasting vessel some 400 miles, then straight south for 200 miles inland to my destination, where 1 remained for a month among the natives in as interesting a corner of the world as 1 have ever seen.
 The Oasis of Siwa is situated in depression below sea level, which is watered only by artesian springs of 1 somewhat salty water. The floor of the oasis Is saturated with salt so that the reclamation of the land has been most difficult, but enforced, no doubt, upon these desert dwellers by absolute necessity. It was quite interesting to trace out the probable genesis of this development The artesian supply is without doubt derived from the coastal rainfall 200 miles away, accommodating head as 1t percolates- southward. It l is then liberated through earthquake | cracks which may be observed in ex- posed situations. Surface springs thus | formed started a growth of vegeta- ton which accumulated wind blown dust until considerable mounds of 1 material were formed. The men in tervened. The mounds were leveled, the springs were excavated and walled up, drains were dug and crops were found resistant to heat, frost and salty soils. Much of this work was l done in ancient times There are old | Egyptian ruins in the oasis and many | of the springs and drains are walled up with Roman masonry to which the less civilized inhabitants of today have fallen heir. From an agricultural point of view it is most interesting to foi- I low out the details by which these people, after centuries of adjustment are making their utmost out of the scanty water supply, for the effective use of water is the key to an under standing of their scheme.
 Since their soil is very salty it must be drained but as their water sup ply is scanty they reduce drainage operations to a minimum by dividing their gardens into higher and lower levels The basins are flooded and the soil sweetened so that the more ten : der vegetables may be grown On the borders are planted salt resistant plants such as pomegranates and date palms which later shade and protec tender plants from frost, wind ant sum- By this division of the land into ] sweet and salty soil no more drainage than necessary is done, and the wa ter supply is made to serve a greate 3 area than if the reclamation of all O the ground were attempted. Again !, water is too valuable to be used in t growing forages, animals therefore be ing scarce and the people are in par r ticular need ce fats. Therefore the, s grow olive trees for oil which is tn 3 main source of frying and cooking fai d Dates are the main and almost onE d export crop, by means of which tn o breadstuffs and manufactured article e are secured through the Bedouin trad 3 CTS that traverse the desert from tn coast DonlScys are kept for ridin . and local transport, being fed chiefl = on waste dates. Dogs. requiring fles for food ,are very rare, and puppie e are eaten by the Siwans, being es lCCBlc0 very All OA NAAN' AS y Iates to the most effective use of V limited water supply, as, indeed, doe the whole economic life of this peo pie. Never, anywhere, have I see IS so much accomplished with so littl l. water.
 'r The coastal belt. about 50 miles wid d receiving about six inches of winte
 rainfall, is not at all like the inlan oasis This amount of rain support a considerable growth of desert veg
 citation upon which graze herds o
 camels, sheep. goats. horses and don
 keys. During favorable seasons dr,
 farmed crops of wheat and barley ar
 grown but hardly enough to feed th
 drifting population of Bedouin stock
 men who, like Joseph's brethren, fire
 quently find themselves obliged to g
 down to Egypt after corn, for whic
 they pay with camels, sheep, wool an
 beautiful Arab horses. can scarcel
 refrain from eloquence in speaking {
 these Bedouins, for they are wor
 derful people. I used to say that tk
 Papago Indians were the best stock
 men in the southwest. but I believ
 the Arabs are the finest on the fat
 of the earth. In the course of mar
 centuries of close association wit
 animals upon which they depend f'
 a livelihood, they have developed q
 understanding of livestock and of ti
 management of animals under desc
 conditions that is marvellous. Her
 again, water Is the limiting factor fl
 the very scanty rainfall occurs on
 from October to March, with none du,
 ing the long. hot summer The prol
 lem, therefore, is to provide stock VI
 ter in a country where there are
 wells and springs and where six inch
 of rain occurs in winter only.
 Arabia deep wells have existed sin
 ancient times, but along the nor
 African coast these are replaced
 immense cisterns dug out of the sol
 limestone country rock by the Roman
 who thus provided water along the
 military roads and trading rout,
 Some of these cisterns will hold ID
 lion gallons of water and are still
 good repair They usually have SC
 era1 openings into which storm V
 ters ore directed by diversion dan
 In these cisterns the water remain
 cool and sweet and undiminished
 evaporation. The Bedouins, followi
 the Romans in possession, have ut
 ized these cisterns for storage of sto
 water which they draw up as need
 with ropes and buckets of skin. No
 the utmost use of this limited wa
 supply is secured by means of droug
 resistant animals camels, donke
 goats and fat tailed sheep. Horses
 a luxury. Of the camel am not co
 petent to speak, except to say that
 is a most unlOvely combination