- - 48 -r 



occasionally used in dyeing cloth. However, much the most important 

 use of Henna in Egypt, as it has been all over the East for centuries, 

 is as an article of toilet. From the ground leaves a paste is compoun- 

 ded with which the hands, nails, feet and hair, are coloured. There is 

 an astringent quality in the drug which gently restrains perspiration, 

 producing an agreeable coolness and general relief. 



Henna is considered to promote the healthy growth of the hair giving 

 at the same time suppleness. Externally it is largely used as an 

 astringent, cooling, for curing rheumatism etc. 



VIII : Henna requires a light soil ; a deep, moist loamy or sandy 

 loam, provided it is rich in humus and thoroughly cultivated, best 

 suiting it. The soil ought to be kept clean and well stirred, during 

 the whole growth of the crop ; it. requires frequent waterings except 

 when in a dormant state and liberal manuring, both Sebach Coufri 

 and Baladi being used either separately or mixed together. 



9 ' ' ' 



Lens esculenta ; Ads; Lentil; Leguminosae ; Papilionaceae 



II : By seed which is broadcasted at the rate of about 4 kolas per 

 feddan. 



Ill : From end of October to about the end of November ; in the 

 Basins the date of sowing depending on the River while in Lower 

 Egypt, it generally takes place from the first to the 15 th of November. 



V : Harvesting takes place earlier in the Sa'kl than in the Delta, 

 about 5 5 1/2 months after sowing. The plants are pulled by hand. 

 The produce is on an average about 4 ardebs and 3 Hernias of Tibn. 



VII : Lentil is a weak, straggling annual, delicate and rarely 

 exceeding 2 ft. in height. It is grown for its seed which is very largely 

 consumed in the country both in a husked and unhusked state. Pot- 

 tage is the favourite mode of cooking the vegetable, constituting one 

 of the chief diets, particularly among the working classes of natives. 

 Although somewhat heating, it is highly nutritious especially when 

 husked, containing about 25 <>/ [ albuminoids and 58 /. of starch. 

 The crop is principally consumed locally, chiefly in a husked condi- 

 tion. The process of husking involves much labour and shortly consists 

 in moistening the seed, and when dry, bringing it under a rude hand- 

 mill made of stone. The husks or shells are then separated from the 



