26 Amongst the “other varieties ” grown are the four pure varieties isolated by Dr. Lawrence Balls, known as numbers 77, 96, 111 and 310. A suitable area of each of these varieties has been grown each year with a view to maintaining the variety and enabling its properties to be observed over a series of years. Many other varieties have been grown for purposes of comparative observation amongst which may be mentioned Mclouki, Lathy, Britannia, &c. The results of the comparative tests of all varieties have been placed at the disposal of the Cotton Eesearch Board for study and possible eventual publication.

The main varieties, Sakellaridis and Assili, have been submitted to a process of selection from bulk. This consists of selecting by hand, by special pickers, at the time of the first picking, of cotton from typical plants, having early maturing characteristics and prolificacy. The cotton is picked over, a.nd all locks not true as regards colour and general appearance are taken out. The quantity of selected seed obtained by this means has been about 100 to 150 ardebs of each variety every year. This seed is sovn in selected areas and the resulting crop used as stock seed. The same operation is repeated on the selected area year after year.

Selection of Assili comenced in 1910 and that of Sakellaridis in 1913. Regularity in growth, uniformity in essential characteristics, and freedom from admixture of other varieties have resulted from this system of selection, whose great value lies not so much in the improvement of the actual strains as in prevention of the deterioration due to admixture of varieties and consequent cross-fertilisation, which is to-day so marked a feature of the ordinary commercial strains.

The following figures show the quantities of good quality cotton seed delivered from the Administration’s ginning factory for distribution to cultivators. (One ardeb of cotton seed is amply sufficient to sow three feddans):— COTTON Seed Distribution, from 1913 to 1919.

Crop.

1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 Supplied to Ministry of Agriculture for Distribution.

Distributed Diroot to Tenants. Prifate Individuals and Estate bnbourers.

Ardebs.

16.517 4,039 398 3,276 6,118 2,063 7,654 (anticipated) Ardebs.

2,246 3,745 4,528 7,836 3,101 5.469 110 Grand Total.

Ardebs.

18,763 7,784 4,926 11,112 9,219 7,532 7,764 Farming in other branches wms carried on as usual, special efforts being made to increase the production of foodstuffs. Practically all surplus produce over and above the requirements of the estates was placed at tne disposal of Egyptian Government departments, the British army and the Supplies Control Board.

During 1914 and 1915 progress was made with the work of land improvement which had been begun under the Domains Commission. Particular interest attaches to the work done on 1,658 feddans in Kafr-el-Wekala Farm, Beloas Estate, owing to tlie careful records kept of the volume of irrigation water used, the volume of drainage water discliarged, the salt content of both, and the salt content of the soil before and after improvement. The situation of this farm lying on a natural slope between the Bahr Bessendila, an ancienti branch of the Nile, and No. 1 Drain, the natural permeability of the soil, and its comparatively even surface combined to render its reclamation straightforward and easy. An expenditure of £E. 13 per feddan covered the cost of levelling, earthwork, installation of irrigation and drainage pumps, and their running costs during the progress of the work. It was estimated that an additional £E. 7 per feddan was required for stores, sheds, ezhas and staff quarters, the erection of which had unfortunately to be postponed owing to forced economy due to war conditions.

The land responded readily to treatment and has since yielded excellent crops. The only serious difficulty proved to be lack of population. This is perhaps the greatest obstacle to the rapid and successful reclamation of the waste lands in the northern delta, and constitutes the heaviest risk to those engaging large capital in reclamation works.

House of Commons Parliamentary Papers Online. Copyright (c) 2006 ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights reserved.