COTTON IN EGYPT AND THE SUDAN. 73 



however, made its appearance in 1911, only at the end of the season, 

 when almost all the cotton had been picked ; this, no doubt, was 

 the result of steps taken in the previous year. 



In 1911, under the chairmanship of Prince Hussein, the Govern- 

 ment appointed a special commission, whose object was to find 

 means for combating the cotton pests. Meanwhile, the Government 

 has taken on its own initiative further steps : The people are taught 

 regularly in the mosques on Fridays, after prayer, and at the nightly 

 meetings in the house of the Omdah, all about the cotton-worm ; 

 a book with questions and answers about cotton pests has been 

 issued for the use of the Kuttabs (native schools), and with the 

 same object in view 10,000 coloured illustrations, showing the 

 different stages of the cotton-worm, have been disseminated by the 

 Government. The staff of inspectors and officials was further 

 increased in 1912, and although the boll-worm made its appearance 

 in some districts in large numbers it cannot be said that the crop 

 suffered severely. 



In order to prevent an introduction of foreign insects the impor- 

 tation of U.S.A. cotton seed has been prohibited since 1904, and 

 since 1909 this restriction has been extended to cotton seed from all 

 countries. 



A special Societe entomologique has been in existence in Cairo 

 since 1907. 



YIELD. 



The yields vary, of course, according to quality of soil, prepara- 

 tion of the land, irrigation, manure, weather, and insect pests. 



A good crop requires an abundant supply of water during the 

 growing period, mild weather during the time of flowering, which, 

 in Egypt, almost always exists during the dry summers and 

 autumns. Detrimental are an excessively high Nile, cool weather, 

 fog, and the presence of caterpillars ; the most critical time for the 

 crop in the field is between the middle of August and the middle of 

 October, when fog, as well as the boll-worm, may cause great 

 damage. 



Very important is warm weather in November; this means the 

 prolongation of second picking and a good third picking, there- 

 fore an increased yield. On the other hand, early rains and e,old 

 temperatures in November may cause the crop to come to a sudden 

 finish. 



The heavy black alluvial soil gives the best yields as regard 

 quality and quantity, whilst on light sandy soils a smaller crop is 

 obtained, although there may be plenty of growth. 



The average yield of the original Jumel came during the first 

 years *o 8 kantars per feddan, and in 1862 it was in some districts 

 still 7 kantars ; at the present day on large plantations 3, 4, and 

 5 kantars are picked ; on small holdings, with improved cultivation 

 and ample water, 6 to 7 kantars are obtained. Good soil in the 

 Delta produces up to 8 kantars, and in the Fayoum and other parts of 

 Central Egypt, where the soil has not yet been so much exhausted, 

 8, 10, and even 15 kantars have been picked. On the other hand 

 inferior soils show only from 2 to 4 kantars. The yield on the State 

 Domains went up from 2' 10 kantars in 1882 to 5*42 kantars in 1897, 

 then it fell again to 3'73 kantars in 1904, and 4*15 kantars in 1906. 



