EECEIPTS and Expenditure (ordinary receipts only).

Year Ending-March 31, 1915 „ 31, 1916 „ 31,1917 „ 81, 1918 „ 31, 1919 „ 31, 1920* Gross Receipts.

£E. 368,005 810,847 866,585 1,033,845 989,288 1,248,255 Expenditure.

£E. 281,834 227,164 235,813 288,011 286,166 366,650 Kot Receipts.

£E. 86,171 583,683 630,772 760,834 703,122 845,986 EXTRAORDINARY Eeceipts (principally sales of land).

Year ending March 31,1915 „ „ 81, 1916 „ „ 31, 1917 ,. „ 81, 1918 „ „ 31, 1919 „ 31, 1920* £E, 122,518 98,437 129,147 212,809 412,206 710,844 * Tlieso figures are approximate and may be slightly increased when final figurc-s come in.

Large areas had always been farmed by the Domains Commissioners, and on the reversion of the estates to the Government advantage was taken of this systeni for the propagation of good quality cotton seed on a commercial scale. Ten thousand leddans of cotton per annum was adopted as a convenient area for the purpose. To provide this area the observance of a suitable rotation necessitates keeping some 27,000 feddans under direct culture, as well as devoting a considerable additional area to estate labourers allotments. The maintenance of such extensive State farms has roused some oritici.sm; but, though much may be said on both sides, it is of undoubted importance to possess a controlled area on which good strains of cotton may be grown on a commercial scale under effective supervision. It would not be advisable to abandon lightly a system capable of giving beneficial results, and one which, when once abandoned, could not easily be re-established.

The following table gives the areas, qualities, and yield of Domains cotton for the years under review :— Crop.

Year— 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 Area Grown in Cotton.

Mit Afifi and Assill.

9,399 8,500 8,632 6,252 10,019 8,436 3,366 Sakeliaridis.

Other Varieties.

Total .‘\rea.

1,806 1,100 1,916 4,614 804J 3,578 3,711 221 730 576 286 61 391 476 Yield of Domains.

Average Yield per Feddan.

10,926 10,329 6,124§' 11,151 10,884 7,4051, 7,553/' Mean Price obtained by Auction at Alexandria.

Kantars.

4-64 8-92 3-8-38 4-3-40 8-82 £B. 3,875 3.680* 3,633t 7,381 7,937 8,203 15,756 Yield of whole Country.

Average Yield per Feddan.

Kantars.

4-44 67 02 06 75 66 Mean Price £E. 3,803 2,402 8,857 7,562 7,703 7,440 * Owing to a glut in the market the sale of the 1914 crop was held over fill September 1915. t 4,669 kantars of first picking 1916 crop was burnt at Sakha on the 16th October, 1915. Only 16,670 kantars of lower grade cotton was thus available for sale. This accounts for the poor price realised. I The area of Sake! was reduced to 804 feds in 1917 on the special request of the Ministry of Agriculture, § The area under cotton in 1915 was reduced iu accordance with the decree restricting cultivation of cotton.

I In 1918 and 1919 anticipated food shortage necessitated increasing the area under food crops and consequent reduction in the cotton area.

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