28 COTTON IN EGYPT AND THE SUDAN. 



of this kind of cultivation require a longer period of growth, often 

 until autumn and even part of the winter. Cotton is one of these, it 

 ripens as late as November and December. Moreover, cotton is en- 

 tirely grown during the summer, and it increases in area at the ex- 

 pense of the cultivation of wheat. The real autumn or " Nili " crop, 

 i.e., flood cultivation, is of a secondary consideration, it falls between 

 the months of July and October, and comprises almost exclusively 

 maize, in Upper Egypt a little rice, " durra," barley, and sesame. 



The three cultivations are not completely distinct, but one culti- 

 vation overlaps frequently the next. 



The same soil cannot grow the three cultivations in one year; 

 only about 40 per cent, of the arable land is planted more than once 

 in one year. Nevertheless, some portion of the fields is always culti- 

 vated at any season, except that it lies purposely fallow. 



Of the 5,285,000 feddans culturable land in the year 1911/12 

 2,395,000 feddans were repeatedly planted, consequently the total 

 cultivated area amounted to 7,681,000 feddans, and was sub-divided 

 as follows : 



Winter crops 3,737,000 feddans. 



Summer crops 2,181,000 



Autumn crops 1,763,000 



7,681,000 feddans. 



In the Delta, where sufficient irrigation is possible outside the 

 flood time, the soil is sometimes cultivated four times in the three 

 years, in Upper Egypt about seven times in six years ; summer 

 cultivation has only lately been made possible there through irriga- 

 tion. As the period of growth of cotton is exactly the time of the 

 flood, it is only possible to grow cotton in Upper Egypt, where 

 favourable water distribution and drainage exists. 



Generally, the fellah is inclined to grow the well-paying cotton in 

 succession at the expense of the soil, and too many crops in one year 

 on the same soil impoverish it ; only the fact that he must also grow 

 his own food crops and his forage causes him to rotate his crops and 

 to grow mixed crops. The fellah must grow a lot of clover in order 

 to have forage for his cattle, and beans for the summer months, 

 when there is no pasture to provide forage. 



The individual sections of the land change, therefore, every 

 year their aspect, as the crops grown on them change, in order that 

 the soil may have time to recover before the same crop is planted 

 again two or three years hence. Cotton planted on the same ground 

 two or three years running gives a low and unprofitable return. 



The rotation of crops on salt lands are, of course, different from 

 those on the best Delta land, and different in Lower Egypt from those 

 in Upper Egypt. 



In salt lands, where rice must be grown, the rotations are some- 

 thing on the following lines : 



In the first year . . Cotton and then clover. 



In the second year Maize, then cereals or beans. 



In the third year ... Rice, then clover. 



