— G — Mean annual rainfall will determine the latitude of larger agriculturiil provinces, within which further subdivision should be based on considerations of soil, contour and natural drainage, labour supply, transport facilities, occurrence of timber and seasonal distribution of rainfall. The following notes embody preliminary observations made by the writer during tours of inspection in the Dongola, Berber, Khartoum, Blue Nile, White Nile, Upper Nile and Mongalla Provinces, and represent a provisional attempt to systematise the agricultural problem.

Eain-farming over areas with a normal precipitation of less than 300 milhmetres is of so speculative a character as to call for suppression rather than encouragement. The total or partial failure of crops with attendant losses of seed and labour at longer or shorter intervals, must necessarily discount any effcj-t to introduce improved methods of cultivation. The periodic starvation of hvestock dependent on a precarious rainfall for grazing, must similarly prohibit the introduction of improved types showing early maturity, fine carcase or better milk-producing qualities. Such characteristics can only be displayed where there is abundance of suitable food and proper conditions of management, including protection from extremes of climate.

Northern Province.—North and north-west of a hne drawn through Erkoweit, Kassala, Kamhn, Kawa, El Eahad and El Obeid, all our efforts and resources should be concentrated on the development of improved systems of agriculture based on garf, sakia, basin and pump irrigation respectively. It should be recognised at the outset that each system has its distinctive problems and difficulties caUing for individual examination. The staple crops in this province will probably continue to be Egyptian and American cotton, dura, wheat, beans and dates. Evidence is accumulating in support of the contention that dairying and the finishing of store cattle and sheep drawn from the southern districts, must play an important part in this area as a means of exploiting restorative crops, such as lubia and berseem, to the best advantage. The breeding of horses, ostriches and an improved type of milch goat should also figure largely in future developments.

Central Province.—South and south-east of the former area, a second agricultural province may be demarcated as characterised by a mean annual rainfall ranging between 300 and 600 milhmetres, with a southern boundary passing through Gedaref, Mafaza, Abu Naama, Melut and Telodi. The seasonal distribution of some 15 to 20 inches of rain within seven consecutive spring and summer months, renders possible satisfactory rain cultivation in many parts of the area. Supplementary irrigation is, however, a marked feature, and includes the control and distribution of delta floods at Tokar and Kassala. In the southern Gezira a rainfall of some 400 millimetres occurring during the