as Egyptian cotton on a proportionately large scale demands 

 constant care, and the new Ministry of Agriculture fully 

 realizes the importance and responsibility of the task it has in 

 hand, not only as regards Egypt but also to all those large 

 manufacturing centres that use Egyptian cotton. The successful 

 development of this industry in Egypt depends on most serious 

 attention being paid to the following points : (i) The renewal, 

 by purer strains, of the cotton seed in the country, which is 

 liable to deterioration every seven years; (2) the regulation and 

 improvement of irrigation and drainage; (3) the proper cul- 

 tivation and manuring of the land and the rotation of crops ; 

 and (4) an incessant war that has to be waged against insect 

 pests. 



In a country like Egypt, scientific agricultural methods must, 

 in order to be acceptable to the fellaheen, be suggested in 

 simple form for assimilation by them. It is gratifying to note 

 that the means at present adopted are having the desired 

 effect. Prejudice and apathy in these matters are gradually 

 being replaced by a more intelligent interest in the benefits 

 attached to the observance of scientific principles. It may, 

 I think, be of interest to some gentlemen present if I mention 

 an example of what can be done by treating Egyptian soil in a 

 scientific manner, and how the value of such methods may be 

 brought home to the fellaheen by practical demonstration. 

 Towards the end of 1912, about 800 acres of absolutely waste 

 land at Biala were taken in hand. The land was so heavily 

 impregnated with salt that for ages nothing had grown upon 

 it. Before the experiment began, the distribution and per- 

 centage of salt were carefully measured all over the area, and 

 are shown on the diagram. A scientific system of irrigation 

 and drainage was laid out on the land, at a cost of 10 an 

 acre, and it was then handed over to the fellaheen in five-acre 

 plots for cultivation. They had to clean and level their plots, 

 which were made over to them on a special tenure, practically 

 becoming their property after repayment of all expenditure 

 and a very small rent. Last year the land was washed and a 

 crop of rice was grown, giving a satisfactory yield. After the 

 rice crop, the salt distribution was again taken, by the same 

 system of measurement as before the work has begun, with the 

 result shown in the next diagram. In this case, to the great 

 astonishment of the fellaheen cultivators, a permanent result 

 has been achieved in one year, which under the ordinary 

 system prevailing in the country would have taken three to 

 four years to accomplish, and even then, with inadequate 

 drainage, the land would have been liable to go back to its 

 original state. It would no doubt have been better to have 



