30 NOTES ON EGYPTIAN AGRICULTURE. 



of light soils. Tlie {lUuviHl soils of Egypt are as a rule very rich in 

 potash, and, lliougli ijotash manures may have a beneficial effect on 

 the quality of the fiber, as far as yield is concerned they exercise 

 practically no effect. Sulphate of j)otasli is the substance generally 

 emjiloyed. 



As a general rule a mixture of 4U0 pounds of superphospate, 125 

 Ijounds of nitrate of soda, 50 pounds of sulphate of ammonia, and, i)ro- 

 vided it is thought necessary, about 80 or 90 pounds of sulphate of 

 potash, gives the best results. This mixture is employed in addition 

 to stable manure. Discretion must be exercised as to tlie quantity of 

 soluble nitrogenous manures to emjiloy. On many soils which natur- 

 ally produce very strong growtli the anujunts given may be excessive, 

 but even with the relatively large growth of Egyptian plants there are 

 very few soils where nitrogenous manures may not be used with 

 advantage. 



Stable manure contains on an average about 0,25 per cent nitrogen, 

 0.2 i3er cent phosphoric acid, and 1.25 per cent i)otash, so that each ton 

 contains about 5^ j)ouuds of nitrogen, nearly 5 pounds of phosplioric 

 acid, and about 28 pounds of potash. If it is assumed that over the 

 cotton area 10 or 15 tons on an average are applied per acre, it is 

 equivalent to at least 55 pounds of nitrogen, 50 jiounds of phosphoric 

 acid, and 280 pounds of potash. A great part of these ingredients 

 is derived from the soil itself, which was used as litter, and the avail- 

 ability of the various elements must be very low. It is generally 

 thought that in addition to this about 30 jDOunds of nitrogen and GO 

 pounds of phosphoric acid in available forms are necessary to i)roduce 

 a good ci'op on land which grows from a bale to a l)ale and a quarter 

 of cotton per acre. Numerous experiments have sliown that these 

 quantities can be aj)plied with advantage to the great bulk of the 

 cotton area. 



As already mentioned, the barnyard manure is ajiplied broadcast 

 before the last x)lowing, and the phosi^horic acid is also generally 

 applied, before sowing. Tlie nitrate of soda and the sulphate of 

 ammonia, however, are mixed together and applied after tlie cotton lias 

 received its first watering. The plants, generally speaking, are thinned 

 before this watering, and after the second hoeing has been given the 

 nitrogenous manure, mixed Avith a little earth, is aijplied at the base 

 of the plants, hoed in, and the second watering given. This occurs 

 in the month of April, and the effects of the manure are seen almost 

 immediately after the watering. Spells of fresh weather often some- 

 what retard growth during the early months, and the advantages 

 to be obtained by tiding the plant over this period and keeping it 

 steadily growing are very marked. 



It may be of interest to give some of the results of experiments 

 which have been made in Egypt during the past three or four years 

 on the subject of cotton manuring. This question was first systemat- 

 ically investigated by the Khedivial Agricultural Society, and as the 



