34 NOTES ON EGYPTIAN AGRICULTURE. 



ASHMOUNI. 



Ashmouni cotton, although at first discovered in tlie Delta, where 

 its cultivation was at one time general, is now practically confined to 

 Upper Egypt, in the i>rovinces of Beni-Suef, Fayuni, and Minieh, 

 being watered by the Ibrahimia Canal. The area exceeds 100,000 

 acres, thongh, as already stated, the absence of a statistical department 

 renders any figures somewhat approximate. 



The jjrodiiction in the year 1001-2 was 432,000 cantars, made up 

 as follows: Beni-Suef, 174,000 cantars; Minieh, 128,000 cantars; 

 Fayum, 130,000 cantars; total, 432,000 cantars. 



The Egyptian bale is equivalent to about 750 pounds of cotton. 

 Expressed in American bales of 500 pounds, the j^roduction of Ash- 

 mouni cotton would be thns 80,400 bales. Assuming the acreage 

 given to be correct, the average yield is about 1,300 poiinds of seed 

 cotton per acre. 



This variety is now replaced in Lower Egypt by "Afifi." Practically 

 the whole of the Ashmouni cotton is ginned at various establishments 

 in Upper Egyi^t, and the fiber is sent to Alexandria for sale and ship- 

 ment. A small proportion is ginned in Lower Egypt, chiefly at Kafr 

 Zayat. Ashmouni plants are smaller in habit of growth than Afifi 

 and ripen early, owing to the hotter climate of Upper Egypt. When 

 grown under the same climatic conditions Ashmouni does not ripen 

 appreciably earlier than Afifi. The fiber of Ashmouni is brown, 

 though less so than Afifi, and is' shorter, being about Ig to l:f inches 

 in length. In strength it is fair, but it is neither so lustrous nor so 

 fine as lower Egj'pt cottons. Though inferioi'to Afifi, it seems to do 

 better in Upper Eg^i^t than the latter. Afifi not only gives a smaller 

 yield, but soon deteriorates. There seems to be no i-eason, however, 

 wh}' the latter should not be acclimatized there or a successful cross 

 obtained between the two varieties. 



The yield of Ashmouni in ginning is unsatisfactory, lieing until 

 quite recently only about 95 pounds of fiber per cantai-, or about 30 

 per cent. During the past few years the output has reached 98 to 104 

 pounds, i)robably owing to mixture with Afifi. Its value is about $1 

 per cautar le.ss than that of Afifi for classes up to "good," Ashmouni 

 gives no fine or extra-fine qualities like Afifi. The seed differs from 

 other Egyptian varieties in being "clean" — that is, possessing no 

 adhering fiber. It is very much mixed at the present time, but for 

 the season of 1903 it seemed a little cleaner than usual. The seed is 

 sold early in the season for the same jirice as Lower Egypt varieties. 



The general cultivation of this variety in Upper Egypt has not 

 received as much attention as the Lower Egypt cottons, and as a rule 

 it is not so well cultivated. Tlio fil)er is exported chiefiy to the Con- 

 tinent of Europe and to Russia, thougli (quantities are sent to England 

 and the United States. 



