2 



Apart from the above introductions of new seed, a systematic and 

 careful study of the existing types of wheat has been commenced in 

 the Botanical Section with a view to elimination of useless or inferior 

 kinds and the establishment of pure strains of those which gave promise 

 of local or exterior commercial value. 



The consideration of Egyptian wheat as a possibly marketable 

 product in European countries had to be carefully examined in view 

 of the warnings received from the recurrence of maladies on cotton, 

 against which the peculiar constitution of Egypt rendered it difficult 

 to obtain timely protective legislation. It was necessary to prepare 

 the markets of Europe for the reception of other Egyptian products 

 in case the introduction of a new pest, or the inefficient control of an 

 existing one, should make it impossible to continue to cultivate cotton 

 remuneratively. The European markets knew little of any Egyptian 

 agricultural product except cotton, all others, with the exception of a 

 little rice, which went to Turkey, and beans, which found an occasional 

 demand in Italy and France, being consumed in the country. 



With the outbreak of the European War, and the prospect of a 

 reduced demand for cotton at a satisfactory price, the country was 

 recommended to diminish the cotton area and to extend that under 

 cereals, especially wheat. The opportunity of testing the inferences 

 in connection with the value of Egyptian cereals for export made by 

 the writer in 1913, in a paper read before the Congress of the Inter- 

 national Association of Tropical Agriculture, had now arrived. 



In spite of the fact that it had become a common practice to 

 regard Egyptian wheat as worthless for export, and to refer to the lack 

 of " strength " exhibited in Egyptian flour, actual tests have shown 

 that the contrary is the case. Following the information supplied 

 and the valuations obtained by the Bureau of Commercial Intelligence, 

 directed by the writer in the Ministry of Agriculture, trial consignments 

 were sent to England, which showed that remunerative prices could be 

 readily obtained there. A large amount of assistance in this connection 

 was given by the Imperial Institute, London, whence quotations in 

 British markets and particulars of the various methods of marketing in 

 different British ports were furnished. The Bureau of Commercial 

 Intelligence also obtained opinions concerning Egyptian wheat by 

 direct communication with official and mercantile correspondents in 

 France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Algeria, and Tunis, and in a short time 



