COTTON IN EGYPT AND THE SUDAN. 29 



On good Delta soil, with a two years' rotation, the smallholder 

 in particular practises the following : 



In the first year ... Cotton followed partly by clover and partly 



by cereals. 

 In the second year Partly clover, partly cereals, and then 



cotton. 



For the large plantations and Domains, a three years' rotation of 

 the following order is advantageous : 



In the first year ... Clover or beans, then fallow or maize. 

 In the second year Wheat, barley, flax or potatoes, then 



maize. 

 In the third year ... Clover between the still standing maize, 



and then cotton. 



Or in a four year rotation : 



In the first year ... Clover, then fallow. 



In the second year Cotton. 



In the third year ... Clover, beans or cereals, then sesame or 



maize. 

 In the fourth year Wheat, then maize. 



Sugar cane, which is of great importance to Egyptian agricul- 

 ture, is planted very rarely in rotation with cotton. 



Cotton receives the best place in the rotation, after clover or 

 any leguminous crop ; great care is bestowed to its cultivation ; the 

 manuring, the irrigation, in short, everything is arranged and 

 planned with a special view for the cultivation of cotton. 



On recently reclaimed salt land, the first crop which is planted 

 is always rice or Samar, both of which require abundant and regular 

 irrigation, and are able to withstand the salt in the soil, then hen- 

 millet (Panicum crus gallum), a good forage, next clover, and only 

 in the third or fourth year can cotton be planted. 



The annual white flowering Alexandrian clover (in Arabic, Ber- 

 seem) ' Trifolium Alexandrinum " which gives in one period of 

 cultivation 5 to 10 cuttings, is the predominant catch crop with 

 cotton. This kind of clover is generally planted in autumn after 

 previously irrigating, and is mostly sown while the cotton is still 

 standing ; it affords during winter a valuable forage for all animals, 

 especially horses. One hardly ever sees a cab-driver in the streets 

 without a bundle of Berseem on the box. In the spring the clover 

 is ploughed into the soil to serve as a green manure, thus fulfilling 

 two duties, viz., as a forage plant, and as source of nitrogen. As the 

 fields during five months serve as pasture land, the soil becomes 

 particularly rich. According to Mr. Foaden, a better crop is pro- 

 duced on a naturally rich soil if cotton, after a dressing of manure, 

 is sown after maize or fallow, instead of cotton following directly 

 after berseem. In any case, berseem improves heavy soils mechani- 

 cally, as it opens up the earth, makes it lighter and porous, whilst 

 it gives organic matter to sandy soil and enriches both kinds with 

 nitrogen. 



Cotton as a " mixed cultivation," i.e., growing of cotton along 

 with other produce, is resorted to in other parts of Africa, and in 



