COTTON IN EGYPT AND THE SUDAN. 



79 



300 P.T. to 400 P.T. per feddan, we arrive for two years at a total 

 net profit of 1,300 P.T., or on an average 650 P.T. = ;E6| per year. 



This is for the small peasant, who, with his family, cultivates 

 the land, and who is often able to make a larger profit than the 

 above-mentioned, quite a nice remuneration, which, as experi- 

 ence has shown, enables him, especially in a good year or with 

 high prices for cotton, to save sufficient money to buy more cotton 

 land, if he feels inclined to invest his savings in that way. 



But an important factor which has not been taken into considera- 

 tion in the above calculation is the question of interest on the value 

 of the land. 



One feddan of good cotton land costs between ^E130 and 

 ;E160, and when let gives in rental 6 to 10 per cent, per year. 

 Consequently the fellah who does not own land, and cultivates cotton 

 as a tenant, is only in a favourable cotton year able to earn the ;E8 to 

 -E10 for rent, but when the year turns out to be unfavourable 

 for cotton he places himself in great danger of getting 

 heavily into debt. He tries to raise the profits of the intervening 

 year by a cultivation of vegetables, cabbages, egg-fruit, bamiah, 

 melons, colocasia, and so on ; but even then his position is not 

 enviable, and it is not a rare occasion that he sinks to the position of 

 a poor labourer. 



A second valuation, obtained from a bank, of the cost of culti- 

 vation and the profits from one feddan of cotton land, gives 

 the following figures : 



EXPENDITURE. 



First year: Cotton cultivation, then berseem, which is ploughed 

 under after the first cut. 



This statement refers to large plantations in own regie. 



