— 164 — of under-capitalisation, lack of exiierieiice on the part of cultivators, and the vicissitudes attendant on the introduction of new and untried machinery.

The irrigation of native lands was inaugurated during the season 1912-13 with a test crop of ]5() feddans of wheat grown on an area adjoining the Research Farm, and watered by the farm pumps. The average yield of grain amounted to 5-2 ardebs of iOO rotls worth at prices then ruling almost exactly £E.10. In addition, the " tibn," or chopped straw, rather more than covered the water rate of £E. 1.500, selling at 80 to 90 miUiemes per kantar of 100 rotls.

All liabilities vere promptly met by cultivators, including advances made to cover cost of canalisation. This result led to an immediate demand for an extension of the irrigated area, and provided encouragement for the purchase of additional pumping plant.

The following season saw some 350 feddans of native-owned land prepared for wheat and arrangements completed for the installation of the new pumps.

Unfortunately, the entire plant was sunk in transit by a gale in deep water, and could not be recovered until the river had fallen to its lowest level. To obviate loss of time and labour expended on the preparation of the land, an effort was made to irrigate the crop with a collection of condemned engines and pumps, whose inefficiency was reflected both by crop returns and running costs.

By the summer of 1914, however, the recovered plant—100 H.P. Robey engine and 18-inch centrifugal pump—was running, and the irrigation of 390 feddans of native land, as well as the Research Farm, was satisfactorily effected.

Of the native area, 115 feddans were planted with Afifi cotton, and the balance with Sorghum millet (dura) and Cowpea (lubia). To furnish the cultivators with an early food supply, permission was given to intersow the cotton with maize. The results of the latter operation were highly satisfactory, the grain crop giving a return worth from £E.3 to £E.4 a feddan after seven weeks, and during its growth acting as shade and wind-break to the young cotton plants throughout the most trying period of their development. The dura harvest, unfortunately, coincided with exceptionally heavy rain crops in the south and a resulting slump in prices. No pressure was consequently brought to bear on cultivators to realise on the crop, and they were rather encouraged to retain the grain as an additional food supply for the following seasons. Elsewhere, the economic position of this millet as an irrigation staple has been fully discussed, and its elimination from the local system has been determined. The actual yield was very satisfactory, ranging between five and six ardebs per feddan, but at a value of not more than 450 to 500 milliemes per ardeb, it should obviously give place to the more profitable wheat crop as the grain course in the rotation. Considerable quantities of the " gasab " (dried dura stalks) were sold in connection with the export trade in cattle at from 60 to 70 milliemes