264 EGYPTIAN AGRICULTURE. 



potash, which must take place in the soil through heavy 

 dressings of coufri is a fact worthy of notice. The 

 berseem crop, which often follows maize, makes very 

 considerable demand on these ingredients, especially 

 potash. 



The latter is particularly necessary for such crops, and 

 under the basin system of irrigation, the land receives 

 considerable quantities annually, and there can be no 

 question as to its sufficiency for all crops. In Lower 

 Egypt, however, the extensive growth of berseem, which 

 contains in four cuttings approximately 400 Ibs. of potash, 

 removes enormous quantities of this ingredient. Egyptian 

 soils are, as already mentioned, rich in potash. Farm -yard 

 manure also returns a great quantity of potash to the soil. 

 That these two fertilisers, farm-yard manure and coufri 

 together, provide the soil under ordinary conditions with 

 a sufficiency of potash, or that the soil is amply provided 

 with this necessary food, is to a great extent confirmed 

 by the small effect which potash manures exercise when 

 applied in artificial fertilisers. Phosphoric acid seems to 

 be present naturally in the soil in considerable quantities, 

 but great differences exist as regards its solubility in diffe- 

 rent districts. 



Summarising, we may say that the value of coufri 

 depends almost entirely on the nitrogen it contains. It 

 contains both phosphoric acid a:ii potash which the 

 average Egyptian soil does not, generally speaking, stand 

 in immediate need of. The additions of these ingredients, 

 however, cannot fail to have a beneficial effect. The 

 presence of salt in coufri is a great disadvantage to its 



