38 NOTES ON EGYPTIAN AGRICULTURE. 



$100 pel- ai'deb was paid for about 11 ardehs. The following year 

 seed was sold for from $20 to ^30 per ardeb. 



It maj^ be mentioned that Sea Island cotton when grown in Egypt 

 produces good quality tlie first year. The staple is longer even than 

 that grown, on an average, in America, but is more irregular in 

 length and not so strong. During the second and third years tliere 

 is a general deterioration. It ripens late and being in consequence 

 exposed to cold weather and fogs, both yield and quality suffer. The 

 yield in any case is inferior to native Egyi)tian varieties. The output 

 is only from 70 to 80 pounds of fibei- per cantar, according to the 

 quality of the lands. The best qualities are gi'own on salty lands. 

 On rich soils the quality deteriorates. 



SEED SELECTION. 



The question of the selection of seed for sowing is occupying con- 

 sideral)le attention in Egypt, as Aflft cotton, which is the mainstay 

 of the crop, is greatly deteriorating. Owing to the great similarity 

 not only of the plants of the different varieties grown in the countrj^ 

 but also of their seeds, the matter is a somewhat difficult one. At 

 the present time the question of seed is entirely in tlie hands of the 

 cotton merchants. When the best qualities of cotton of the first pick- 

 ing are being ginned, the factory owner places on one side the result- 

 ing seed for disposal to his clients the following season. This is 

 excellent as far as it goes, but where two or three varieties are being 

 dealt with in a factory, even though the proprietor may clean his gins, 

 his riddles, etc., aftei- each ginning a certain admixture must take 

 place. The seedsman class is quite wanting in Egj'pt, and until 

 recently most of the cultivators were not sufficiently alive to tlie 

 question of good seed. At the present time, however, the Khedivial 

 Agricultural Societ}' is paying special attention to this most important 

 subject, while individual cultivators appreciate more the necessity of 

 emiiloj'ing good and pure seed. 



Small cultivators in the past obtained their seed to a great extent 

 through the village money lender, who supplied them with ordinary 

 commercial seed quite unsuited for sowing purposes. The Khedivial 

 Agricultural Society now distributes seed of first-picking cotton to 

 small growers at cost jirice. The value of the seed, plus a moderate 

 rate of interest, is collected b^^the Government agents when theordi- 

 naiy taxes are collected. The seed is not j)aid for until the resulting 

 cotton crop is picked. The benefits are two-fold — not only is the fel- 

 lah provided Avitli better seed than he would obtain elsewhere, but he 

 is to a certain extent kept out of the hands of the usurer. 



Afifi seed at present is mixed and contains Hindi seed. This, as 

 already stated, is the old white variety, and its jn-esence greatly 

 detracts from the value of any sample. There are also a gi-eat many 

 seeds present in samples which, while differing in shape from good, 



