188 .KU YPTIA A' . 1 (JR.1CI 7, TL'KK. 



Boinet Bey, in his useful Dictionnaire Geographique de 

 T Egypt e* says the cultivated area of Egypt is 5,650,000 

 feddans and the population 9.734.405 and that this 

 represents 58 feddans per 100 inhabitants or 172 persons 

 per 100 feddans cultivated. This dense and increasing 

 population, which shows no tendency to emigrate to the 

 thinly populated Sudan, confines its attention, in the 

 absence of manufacturing industries, almost entirely to 

 agricultural pursuits, and to support it more land must be 

 put under cultivation. Eeclamation of all waste land 

 must go on, not only ultimately of the "Berea" in the 

 north Delta but of all uncultivated portions of the more 

 highly cultivated provinces. The marked increase of land 

 values in Egypt during recent years, the prosperity of the 

 people putting them in funds to buy and develop land, 

 fixed land-tax not exceeded in its collection, equitable and 

 more ample distribution of summer water, easier loans 

 provided by the Agricultural Bank of Egypt, are all 

 contributing factors leading to the extension of land 

 reclamation. Moreover the fellahin and even the wealthier 

 Egyptians know of no other investment for surplus money 

 except land. The payment for the cotton crop yearly 

 leads to the absorption into Egypt of a large amount of 

 money, averaging L.E. 2,000,000 per annum, hoarded in 

 some cases up to a certain amount, but destined ultimately 

 for investment in land. 



Reclamation will goon till Egypt reaches its final limits. 

 This extension must cease with reclamation of the sea- 

 board lakes and waste lands of the interior, in all probably 

 not exceeding 1,500,000 feddans, an addition of say 24 per 

 cent to the present cultivated area. The valley of the Nile 

 is bounded on both sides by high and even mountainous 



