26* EGYPTIAN AGRICULTURE. 



where it is sold and transported by boats to less favoured 

 districts. 



A company is at present engaged in transporting the 

 manure to the river bank by means of a light railway at 

 Sabaieh. 



As regards the nature of the manure it may be said 

 that it is entirely nitrogenous, and is in many respects 

 similar to coufri. It is, however, not in such a fine state 

 of division. 



Extending as it does over such a large area it is not 

 surprising that it varies very much in composition, some 

 samples being practically worthless, while others are corre- 

 spondingly rich. 



Many analyses were made some years ago, which showed 

 that the proportion of nitrate of soda present varied from 

 as little as \% to as much as 16%. The question is of 

 course largely one of transport, a poorer sample near being 

 perhaps of .greater value than a richer one very remote. 

 The material varies from a light grey or brown to a 

 slaty colour, shaly or crumbly in nature on the surface 

 and very compact. It is capable of being easily ground. 

 It may be said to vary from a clay to a marl or even in 

 cases to an argillaceous limestone, depending on the amount 

 of carbonate of lime present. As would naturally be 

 imagined, the richest material is found on the surface, 

 where the nitrate of soda has been brought up by capil- 

 larity, while that lower down is poorer. 



So much is this the case, that in some places the mate- 

 rial contains as much as 24% of nitrate at the surface, 

 while at a depth of 30 centimetres analyses show only 3%. 



