Agriculture -- Egypt; Egypt -- Description and travel
Scotch Chevalier barley gave the best results. A sample from the crop
of 1895, grown from seed raised in the country, was awarded the first
prize for barley grown out of England at the Brewers' Exhibition,
London.
The yield was not so heavy as with native barley, being as eight is to
twelve; but it furnished more straw. The money value in England was
Chevalier, 1 pound 9 shillings, as compared to 17 shillings for native
barley; but the European barleys are more difficult to grow, and if not
reaped before becoming dead ripe the heads break off and fall to the
ground.
Barley is grown on the Libyan Desert (Mariout), west from Alexandria,
and is entirely dependent on the rains in winter. It is sown by the
Bedouins in October--to await the rains which may fall in November or
December--and also after a rainfall. As the Bedouin is not an
agriculturist, he scatters one and a quarter bushels per acre, and
scratches the ground by the aid of a small plough, to which is yoked a
camel or donkey.
This soil is of a rich yellow colour, sandy loam, fine level tracts of
it extending to a thousand acres or more. To obtain a good supply of
water, wells are dug to a depth of forty feet or so, and the supply is
fairly good. Perennial irrigation can be resorted to by means of these
wells.
If the rains are propitious, the Bedouin may reap crops of barley, with
extremely varied returns, running, as they do, from two and a half to
twenty bushels per acre, the price received on the spot being 15
shillings per five bushels. Ninety per cent, of the barley goes to
England for malting.
Next come, in the rotation,
*Maize (Nileh)*.--Main crop on land after cereal crops. Sown end of
July. Seed, about one bushel per acre, dropped in the furrow by a boy
immediately behind the plough. First watering, twenty-five days after
sowing; second fifteen days after; third twelve days, fourth twelve
days, fifth ten days, sixth eight days, and seventh eight days, seven
irrigations being necessary in this dry and thirsty land for the
production of the crop. One cultivation is given by hand hoe after the
first watering. The maize grows quickly, attaining to a height of seven
feet, and occupies the ground one hundred days. Cost of raising, two
pounds 6 shillings. Yield per acre, fifty bushels; value, 8 pounds 10
shillings.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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