and HorticuVture in Egypt. 64-9 



is given in detail, wheat, pulse, the mulberry for silk, the sugar- 

 cane for sugar, and the poppy and the olive for oil ; we come to 

 the culture of the rose for rose-water, a subject which, we trust, 

 will interest at least one portion of our readers. 



" Fayoum is the Land of Rose Trees. — In May the soil is twice turned up, 

 divided into squares, and slips are then planted in lioles at a distance of 2i ft. 

 The slips are covered with earth, which is kept constantly humid, till the trees 

 appear above ground, when the irrigation is lessened and the trees I'each their 

 natural height of about 2i ft. At the end of December the shoots are cut at 

 the surface of the ground, irrigation being recommenced for thirty to forty 

 days, being the time necessary for the budding and blowing of the flower. The 

 roses are gathered every morning before sunrise, while covered with dew ; 

 they are placed in an alembic ere they dry or heat, and the distillation lasts six 

 hours. The water is white when drawn from the alembic ; that offered for 

 sale is generally yellowed by a mixture of water from roses which have been 

 infused. A feddan gives from 6 to 7 quintals of roses. In 1832, 800 

 quintals were collected. By a reduction of 50 per cent from distillation, 

 these 800 quintals give 400, which produced 40,000 rottoli of rose-water. A 

 feddan planted with rose trees costs 60 piastres for culture and taxes, and 

 gives 3 quintals, which give 300 rottoli, which, at 3 piastres, produce 900 

 piastres net. But no person is allowed to distil roses for his own account, 

 and those who cultivate them are obliged to sell them to the government. 



" The manufacture of rose-water, for which the Fayoum was so dis- 

 tinguished, is reduced to very small results. There are a few acres of rose 

 garden in the neighbourhood of the capital (Medineh el Fayoum), but their 

 produce is trifling. The monopoly of rose leaves, for which so small a sum is 

 allowed to the cultivators, has rendered the cultivation by no means worth 

 the attention of the peasantry or landholders. It is seldom that any cultivator 

 has more than a single feddan dedicated to the production of rose trees. The 

 price paid for rose leaves is 23 piastres = 5s. per cantar. Of fine rose-water 

 a small quantity is made for the use of the government ; but that produced 

 for sale is of little value and of indifferent character. There are three qua- 

 lities of rose-water produced ; they sell for 3 piastres (S'h,d.^, 5 piastres 

 (1^. irf.), and 7 piastres (Is. 5^d.) per bottle. 



" Otto of roses is not manufactured in the Fayoum, though the free cultiva- 

 tion of rose trees would, I am assured, enable its inhabitants to compete with 

 any part of the East in its production. The consequence of the monopoly is 

 the gradual diminution of rose trees throughout the district, every person 

 being interested in producing as few as possible. 



" Dales. — One of the most productive and most extensively cultivated 

 objects of the vegetable kingdom is the date tree. It is spread over all Egvpt, 

 is a source of considerable revenue to the government (1 piastre per tree being 

 generally levied), and administers, both by its fruit, trunk, branches, leaves, 

 and fibres, to the comforts of the natives, far more than any other product of 

 the soil. As a source of landed revenue it is highly lucrative. One pro- 

 prietor told me that he had planted 5000 date trees, which, after eight years, 

 liad produced yearly fruit of the average value of from 40 to 80 piastres 

 (8*. to 165, sterling) per tree. Revenue is collected on about two millions of 

 date trees, 



" Madder. — Madder is produced in Middle Egypt to some extent for the 

 consumption of the country, principally for dyeing the tarbouche, or skull- 

 caps, which are universally worn. Madder cultivation was introduced in 

 1825. In 1833 there were 300 feddans in Upper Egypt, and 500 in the Delta 

 and the Kelyouh, devoted to madder roots. 



" Wines, — Egypt was never celebrated for its wines. Herodotus says it 

 produced no wines in his time, A few attempts have been made, principally 

 by Ibrahim Pacha, to introduce the cultivation of the vine; and some 



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