COTTON GROWING IN THE SUDAN 89 



of the Sudan Plantation Syndicate at Zeidab in the 

 Berber Province, where in some years successful re- 

 sults have been obtained with both Egyptian and 

 American varieties. 



South of Khartoum and between the Blue and 

 White Niles is an extensive plain, known as the 

 Gezira, which has an area of about 4 million acres. 

 The soil of this region is well adapted for cotton 

 growing, but, owing to the low rainfall, irrigation is 

 necessary. An elaborate scheme has been devised 

 for effecting the irrigation of the Gezira and, as a 

 preliminary step, an experiment farm has been estab- 

 lished at Tayiba with a pumping installation to supply 

 the necessary water. The success obtained at this 

 farm has demonstrated the possibilities of cotton 

 growing in the region. The construction of a main 

 irrigation canal has been commenced, which is to leave 

 the Blue Nile at Sennar and run northwards parallel 

 to the course of the river. A pumping station has 

 also been erected at Barakat, a little south of Wad 

 Medani, and a large area was planted with cotton in 



1914. 



In Kassala, a considerable quantity of Mitafifi 

 cotton is grown under conditions similar to those 

 prevailing at Tokar, the land being watered by the 

 flood of the River Gash. 



Estimates of the quantities of seed-cotton produced 

 in the different districts of the Sudan in 1912-13 and 

 1913-14 are given in the following table. 



1912-13. 1913-14- 



Metric tons. Metric tons. 



Tokar (flood grown) . . . 5,140 2,983 

 Khartoum and Nile Valley North 



of Khartoum (pump irrigation) i , 209 1,523 



Tayiba (Gezira) (pump irrigation) 507 336 



Kassala (flood grown) . 248 322 



Gallabat (rain grown) . . 124 42 



The total exports of cotton (calculated as ginned 

 cotton) from the Sudan during 1901-1916 were 

 approximately as follows : 



