6o6 



Chemical Manure Trade of Egypt. [Jan., 



Apart from the influence of the Assouan Dam and other irriga- 

 tion works in largely increasing the area of cultivable land, and 

 so causing a bigger demand for manures, the main reason for the 

 recent rapid growth in the trade is the fact that the native is now 

 endeavouring to grow cotton once every two years instead of 

 once in three, and, consequently, finds that he must return 

 something to the land which will replace the nourishment 

 taken out of it by the cotton. 



Prior to the introduction of artificial fertilisers, the credit 

 for which is due almost entirely to the Khedivial Agricultural 

 Society, the native mainly depended upon " sabakh," that is to 

 say, the remains of old buildings, villages and cemeteries for his 

 manure. Such remains — generally in the form of small hills — 

 were found all over the Delta, but they are gradually becoming 

 appreciably scarcer, or too far away from the centres of cultiva- 

 tion. Other native manures are river and canal mud and stable 

 refuse, but these, together with " sabakh," are totally insuffi- 

 cient to meet the requiiTments of the country, and it is 

 considered, therefore, that chemical manure imports are likely 

 to develop still further. 



Owing to the very small Egyptian demand prior to last 

 year, it was found cheaper and more convenient to bring the 

 nitrate of soda from Chili to Belgium and then tranship to 

 Alexandria according to requirements. This largely accounts 

 for the fact that in 1905 Belgium had practically the whole 

 of the Egyptian trade. In 1906, the sales having increased 

 so enormously, the Khedivial Agricultural Society of Cairo 

 chartered two vessels and brought full cargoes (besides having 

 part cargoes on other ships) direct from Chili to Alexandria, 

 and the same process is being repeated this year. Belgium 

 is the principal source of supply for superphosphate, the 

 manure being actually prepared in that country. Glasgow 

 also ships a small quantity of superphosphate, but Antwerp 

 does nearly the whole of the trade. In the case of sulphate 

 of ammonia, the main port of shipment is Glasgow, after which 

 comes Antwerp. Practically the only manures manufactured 

 in Egypt are those turned out by a Cairo company, such as 

 " poudrette " and other sewage products. 



The Khedivial Agricultural Society has interested itself in 

 the distribution of chemical manures during the past six or 



