81 



pletely dry. The grain is generally separated hy beating with sticks. 

 The produce chiefly depends on the amount of manure applied. 

 With a fair dressing of manure about 8 ardebs of seed are obtained 

 per feddan. 



VII : Maize is very largely consumed in Egypt in the form of 

 bread, generally mixed with a certain amount of Fenugreek seed. 

 As a food substance it is poor in Albuminoids, somewhat poorer than 

 Wheat or Barley. However, it is richer in fat than both, and on ac- 

 count of its high proportion of fat it is an excellent food for fattening 

 animals. Generally the grain is not used for feeding stock. Occasionally 

 it is employed in the case of hardly working camels and mules, as 

 well as for sheep. Largely used for poultry feeding, pigeon, etc. 



The plant is not turned into silage, and the stalks and cobs gene- 

 rally consumed as fuel, the former being largely used as hedge for 

 crops such as tomato, egg plant, cucurbits, etc. The cobs may 

 be crushed and when mixed with other feeding stuffs, used as food 

 for stock. The sheathes of the ears are made into a coarse kind of 

 paper; large quantities of starch are manufactured from the grain, 

 both for laundry purposes, making puddings, etc. and the dried styles 

 and stigmas are used as a diuretic, in medicine. 



VIII : No crop, perhaps, pays better to judicious manuring, than 

 Mai/o. It requires a heavy dressing of manure, the latter being in 

 the most available form. It is found that without manure t ie crop is 

 a poor one ; this is explained by the fact that t lie plant remains in the 

 soil for such a short period, besides, possessing shallow roots and being 

 a heavy cropper. The amount applied per feddan is sometimes as high 

 as ^."> or 30 cub. in. in the case of Coufri, but often as low as half of 

 this. The amount required much depends on t!:e crop preceding 

 rnai/e and in the case of a leguminous plant less manure is required 

 than after a cereal. In the case of Coufri, and under ordinary condi- 

 tions, from 15 20 cub.m. may be considered as a good dressing of ma- 

 nure. 



Mai/e does not thrive on stiff clays, a loam being best suited 

 to its growth. It does not require much care in preparing the land, 

 but careful thinning, surface stirring and watering. 



