THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



EGYPTIAN IRRIGATION.* 



While comparing irrigation in the United States 

 and in Egypt it should be borne in mind that the con- 

 trast between political and social life in the two coun- 

 tries is necessarily great. Until within the last half 

 century the khedive of Egypt has been considered the 

 owner of all the land and water. The people were re- 

 garded as slaves and until quite recently they were at 

 the command of the political leaders for all kinds of 

 public and private work. Farmers have been tenants 

 rather than proprietors. Land titles have only recently 

 been recognized. The tax gatherer has taken everything 

 from the farmer each year, leaving only enough to keep 

 soul and body together. The farmer has been compelled 

 to borrow money at ruinous rates of interest and be- 

 fore his crops were harvested the lender has secured all 

 the surplus of the farm profits. The English are re- 

 forming many of these evils, but the peasant has been 

 accustomed to corruption in all branches of the govern- 

 ment for so long that he can not understand the new 

 administration and consequently does not appreciate 

 much that has been done for his benefit. English engi- 



. PROF. CLARENCE T. JOHNSTON. 



Chief Assistant Irrigation Investigations, U. S. Department of Agriculture, 

 Cheyenne, Wyo. 



neers in the Egyptian service fully understand the con- 

 dition of the farmer, and are well enough acquainted 

 with other irrigated countries to appreciate the diffi- 

 culties which confront them in the administration of 

 irrigation law and regulations. 



Among the engineers with whom I have had the 

 pleasure of talking was Mr. W. Willcocks. He has had 

 20 years' experience in Egyptian irrigation and held 

 a similar position for 15 years in northern India. He 

 has written and traveled much and has had opportunity 

 to study irrigation law and practice throughout the 

 world. I visited him at Cairo to learn of Egyptian 

 irrigation, but found myself compelled to discuss our 

 own shortcomings during our conversation. Mr. Will- 

 cocks and others who have given the matter study realize 

 our mistake. He felt reasonably sure of his ground 

 when he undertook a criticism of the way we have per- 

 mitted the water to be bought and sold. He regards 



* Portion of an illustrated address delivered at the Irriga- 

 tion Congress, at Colorado Springs by Clarence T. Johnston, 

 Assistant Chief of Irrigation Investigations, U. S. Department of 

 Agriculture. 



many of our states as having failed altogether to meet 

 their obligations when it comes to protecting the irri- 

 gator. The Nile is one of the most important rivers 

 in the world as far as navigation is concerned, yet dur- 

 ing May and June of each year both branches of the 

 river in the delta are practically dry. It is plain, 

 therefore, that Egypt does not recognize the doctrine 



WATER CARRIER. 



of riparian rights when the supply of water is needed for 

 irrigation. Our greatest blunder, according to foreign 

 critics, is in permitting private parties to buy and sell 

 water which is placed temporarily in their hands as a 

 trust. The doctrine of priority of rights was unknown 

 to the foreign engineers I met. They can understand 

 how such a doctrine should come to be recognized, and 

 agree with us that it is a just basis for establishing 

 rights to the use of water. 



Egypt excels us in the administration of such law 

 as it possesses. The principal strength of the adminis- 

 tration, however, lies in the efficiency of the irrigation 



ASSUAN DAM. 

 From West Bank of Nile Lower Face of Dam January 7, 1902. 



engineers. Why they should be successful may be made 

 more evident as one appreciates the size of the country 

 and the primitive condition of the farmer. 



Egypt has to-day but 5,000,000 acres of agricultural 

 land. Over half of this is in the delta. The delta is 

 triangular in shape and about 120 miles on each side. 

 The vallev above becomes narrower as one ascends the 



