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as Egyptian cotton on a proportionately large scale demands 
constant care, and the new Ministry of Agriculture fully 
realizes the importance and responsibility of the task it has in 
hand, not only as regards Egypt but also to all those large 
manufacturing centres that use Egyptian cotton. The successful 
development of this industry in Egypt depends on most serious 
attention being paid to the following points: (1) The renewal, 
by purer strains, of the cotton seed in the country, which is 
liable to deterioration every seven years; (2) the regulation and 
improvement of irrigation and drainage; (3) the proper cul- 
tivation and manuring of the land and the rotation of crops; 
and (4) an incessant war that has to be waged against insect 
pests. 
In a country like Egypt, scientific agricultural methods must, 
in order to be acceptable to the fellaheen, be suggested in 
simple form for assimilation by them. It is gratifying to note 
that the means at present adopted are having the desired 
effect. Prejudice and apathy in these matters are gradually 
being replaced by a more intelligent interest in the benefits 
attached to the observance of scientific principles. It may, 
I think, be of interest to some gentlemen present if I mention 
an example of what can be done by treating Egyptian soil in a 
scientific manner, and how the value of such methods may be 
brought home to the fellaheen by practical demonstration. 
Towards the end of 1912, about 800 acres of absolutely waste 
land at Biala were taken in hand. The land was so heavily 
impregnated with salt that for ages nothing had grown upon 
it. Before the experiment began, the distribution and per- 
centage of salt were carefully measured all over the area, and 
are shown on the diagram. A scientific system of irrigation 
and drainage was laid out on the land, at a cost of £10 an 
acre, and it was then handed over to the fellaheen in five-acre 
plots for cultivation. They had to clean and level their plots, 
which were made over to them on a special tenure, practically 
becoming their property after repayment of all expenditure 
and a very small rent. Last year the land was washed and a 
crop of rice was grown, giving a satisfactory yield. After the 
rice crop, the salt distribution was again taken, by the same 
system of measurement as before the work has begun, with the 
result shown in the next diagram. In this case, to the great 
astonishment of the fellaheen cultivators, a permanent result 
has been achieved in one year, which under the ordinary 
system prevailing in the country would have taken three to 
four years to accomplish, and even then, with inadequate 
drainage, the land would have been liable to go back to its 
original state. It would no doubt have been better to have 
