— U7 — 
In 189G, the subject was discussed by Dr. Mackenzie and Professor Foaden 
in their rr Manures in Egypt and Soil exhaustion (')r, this being the first serious 
attempt to obtain an idea as to the average value of the shales. They remark 
(p. 36) : rrit is said that some analyses of Upper Egypt beds show do ojo of 
rr Sodium Nitrate, but as the result of a great number of determinations made 
Tby one of us at the Agricultural College we find the average to be only 5 ojo, 
fc although one had as much as 'ih ojor. 
The results of nine analyses of samples from Gebcl el Tafl, a well-known 
locality three hours east of Luxor, are given in Table n" 1 , p. 168, these having 
been obtained by Dr. Mackenzie, who also collected the specimens, selecting 
them from the lower, middle and upper thirds of the section respectively. As 
will be seen, there is no regularity in the distribution, the maximum being 
9.29 0/0, minimum 0.28 0/0, and average 3.96 0/0 of Sodium Nitrate. 
The relation of these ff mineral manures^ to cultivation in Upper Egypt was 
the subject of the report by Mr. J. B. Fuller '-^ presented to the Ministry of 
Finance. He remarks that rein the absence of a survey, it is impossible to slate 
f-with precision the area which requires manure for its cultivation ii, and adds 
further crthat the question of manure aft"ects the existence of more than a 
cr third of the cultivation and is a serious consideration in any scheme for 
ff extending perennial irrigation ii. 
Numerous analyses are mentioned, seven samples collected by Mr. Wil- 
liamson Wallace from the original beds at Qena and Luxor giving a maximum 
of U.c) ojo and a minimum of o.32 o^'o of Sodium Nitrate. Three of them taken 
from places in the hills at some distance from the Nile gave the following 
results : 
Kom El Ahmar ^'-O^ 0/0 
One day from Qena 5.3a 0/0 
One day from Luxor 3.o3 0/0 
The others were very poor. 
Fifteen samples of small size were also forwarded by Mr. Floyer to Dr. Mack- 
enzie, the analyses showing maximum 17.36 0/0, minimum i.o5 0/0, and 
average 5.2 ojo of Sodium Nitrate. 
Ministry of Public Instriiclion , Cairo, 1896. 
Report on the Manure question in Upper Egypt. 
19- 
