Vol, X. No. 24S. 



THK AGRICULTUKAL NEWS. 



339 



oi' more precise scientific or administrative interest. 

 In another direction, the Annual Rei)orts of the several 

 Botanic and Experiment Stations are confined to state- 

 ments of the work accomplished during the periods under 

 review: there is liitle attempt in these to undtrtake the 

 function that has been termed Extension. 



In view of the general considerations above, 

 it should be evident that, as the work of agricul- 

 tural investigation must derive its scope from its par- 

 ticular object: in the same way, it is e.xpedient that 

 those who issue agricultural publications should make 

 their contents consistent with their purpose. If these 

 matters are kept well in mind on the part of the work- 

 ers in connexion with agricultural investigation, muih 

 of the misunderstanding that is evidenced from time to 

 time by those for whom they work will cease to exist 

 and there will be a corresponding increase of sympathy 

 between the adviser and the advised. 



SUGAR INDUSTRY. 



SUGAR-CANE GROWING IN EGYPT. 



The following account of the way in which the 

 sugar crop is produced in Egypt is taken from Vol. II 

 of the Tc.H-hool- of Egyptian Agriculture, issued by 

 the Ministry of Education, Egypt: — 



First } ear sugarcane follows either winter berseem 

 [Tiifolium alcrandrinuni] or bare fallow in ordinary rota- 

 tions, but in some cases the land i.s left fallow from the 

 preceding crop of wheat. 



A common rotation is: first year, sugar-cane: second 

 year, sugai-sar.e; third year, berseem followed by doura 

 [maize or .sorgliuni |: fourth year, wheat with or without 

 doura following. 



Another rotation practised which is le.'s severe on tlie 

 land is: first year, sugar-cane: second year, berseem with or 

 without doura: third year, liare fallow (or wheat). 



Cane may be left three years in the land, but in the 

 third year the yield is small and the profit much reduced 

 unless the plant.s are well tended and manured. 



Cane, like cotton is almost always followed by berseem, 

 to enable the land :o recover somewhat from the exhaustive 

 effect of the carie crop. 



The plant is invarialily propagated I'y cuttings in h'gypt, 

 the best for the purpose Weing the tops of .second year canes. 

 These are poorer in sugar and therefore less valuable for 

 sugar extraction, but give canes of greater vigour and with 

 a higher percentage of sugar than do the lower parts of the 

 stems. Generally, however, the whole of tlie stem is used. 

 This point is worthy of notice in the present position of 

 sugar cane cultivation. 



The land musr be ploughed to a good depth, two or 

 three times, zaahatfed [by dragging a balk of timber over it] 

 and ridged 70-90 cm. [\L feet 4 inches to ."> feet] apart. Very 

 deep ploughing to a depth of 60 cm. [2 feet| as practised in 



many sugar-cane growing countries does not seem necessary 

 or profitable in Egypt. 



The canes intended for seed purposes are stripped of their 

 leaves and cut into lengths containing three or lour nodes. 

 The amount necessary is about 80 kantars per feddan [about 

 7,550 B). per acre]. 



The commonest method of planting is then to place these 

 pieces end to end, in the bottom of the furrows A plough 

 is then run up the ridges, splitting them, so that the soil 

 from the ridges falls over and covers the pieces of cane in 

 the furrows. Water is at once applied, and again after twenty 

 to twenty-five days. 



Sowing usually takes place in February and March. The 

 earlier date is in Upper Egypt and the later in Lower Egypt. 

 In parts of Upper Egypt, however, particularly to the south, 

 sowing often takes place after the winter crop is off; but this 

 practice is not to be recommended, as it throws the harvest 

 late, and exposes the crop to damage by frosts. 



W'hen the shoots are about 30 cm. [1 foot] high, the 

 land is ridged again, so as to leave the shoots on the tops of 

 the ridges. This is done by ploughing between the row and 

 then fassing [hoeing]. 



Another method of sowing is to ridge as before, water, 

 and press the canes in the mud lengthwise, by the feet. Sub- 

 sequent fassing brings the cane to the middle of the ridges, 

 as in the case of the cotton plant. The after-management of 

 the cane crop consists in lightly fassing after each watering 

 when the land is dry, and keeping down weeds. The crop is 

 watered every twenty to twenty-five days luitil August, when 

 the plant begins to ripen. When the rise of the Nile occurs 

 two or three very heavy waterings are given with the red 

 water, and then water is applied sparingly, and for the last 

 month or six weeks none is applied. 



Too little water in the summer will result in a crop with 

 short nodes, and a conser^uent reduction in yield. Too much 

 water at high Nile, or near the ripening, results in a cane 

 poor in sugir. The eft'ect is particularly felt if water is given 

 less than a month before ripening. By it, ripening is retarded 

 and the sugar content much reduced. 



The yield of cane varies considerably. On poor .land, or 

 if the land is not heavily manured after the first year crop, 

 the second year crop or khilfa shows a great diminution and 

 a third year crop will rarely pay under these conditions. 



The crop is very exhausting. For this reason it is usual- 

 ly heavily manured where possible with farmyard manure. 

 A c'lnunon dressing is 20 cubic metres per feddan [l^^ acre]. 

 This is applied in two dressings, one on ridging and the other 

 fassed in at the last fassing. 



This is .sometimes omitted with first year canes but is 

 essential to success with second year canes, 



Talfa [a marl or clay containing nitrate of soda] and 

 koufri [njanurial matter from ancient villages] are commonly 

 applied to the crop where available, but the quantities vary 

 greatly. 



The efl'ect of artificial manures is a little uncertain at 

 present and their use seems not thoroughly understood. 

 Nitrate is recommended at the rate of about 100 kilogrammes 

 per feddan [210 B>. per acre]. 



Harvesting takes place in November till January accord- 

 ing to district, time of sowing and climatic conditions. The 

 canes are cut by a hook, and ten to twelve men will harvest 

 an average feddan in one day. The cane should be sent to 

 the factory as soon as possible after cutting as it begins to 

 deteriorate. 



Before sending to the factory the cai.cs are trashed, i.e. 

 the lower leaves are stripped off. Some cultivators do this 

 before they are ripe, to improve ripening. 



