— 159 — water is almost exactly 397 milliemes per feddan per watering,* or again 400 railliemes in round figures.

Finally, mention may be made of the eagerness with which sakia owners accepted a suggested water rate of 250 milliemes per feddan for pumped water.

Comparative Costs of Pump Irrigation.—As compared with this figure of 400 milliemes, careful records maintained over an entire season of nine months furnish a cost for pumped water of 130 milliemes per 500m " (vide Report IV Table 2), the actual duty of water working out at 482m' per feddan, including all losses in distribution, at a cost of 125.7 milliemes.

The average capacity of the sakia is the irrigation of ten feddans, and the total area served by this means amounts to approximately 100,000 feddans.

If eight waterings are afforded annually, which is a very conservative estimate, at a cost, on the above basis, of £E. 320,000, the general substitution of modern pumping plant would reduce this figure to £E. 104,000 and effect a direct saving on costs of production amounting to £E. 2 16,000 per annum.

Such economy represents, however, only one of the advantages which would attach to such a system. As already indicated, the radius of the sakia is strictly limited, and much land lying within half a mile of the river bank in demarcated ownership, now lying fallow and carrying no population, can be included in any scheme of pump irrigation.

In the case of the experiment now reported, the area of cultivation on a river frontage of 1,500 metres has been extended from about 60 feddans previously under sakia irrigation to approximately 500 feddans under the pump. On a conservative estimate it should thus be possible to quadruple the area of irrigation and reduce the cost of production by at least a fifth.

Agricultural Development and Education,—Pending the completion of projected schemes for the irrigation of extensive areas of land by means of gravity water, involving the construction of barrages and the organisation of comprehensive canal systems, no more promising opportunity would appear to offer for agricultural development and education than is found in the demand for a cheaper water supply to the riverain sakia lands, and steps have been taken by practical experiment to determine how the substitution of the modern pumping station for the water-wheel can be most satisfactorily effected. Happily the work has been facilitated by the fact that the sakia cultivator represents the most skilful class of agriculturists found in the country. He has learnt by experience the value, or necessity, of preliminary cultivation, whether with hoe or primitive wooden plough ; he has appreciated the advantages * Davie : Report on the Gezira Agricultural Experiment Station.