Agriculture -- Egypt; Egypt -- Description and travel
"Fachl" clover is stronger in the stem than that known as "Miscowy," and
grows as a tall, luxuriant crop. It is sown amongst the stalks of the
maize in the end of October, the land having previously been watered,
and by the time the maize is ready for cutting, the clover has attained
a height of five inches. The crop should be ready for cutting about the
middle of January. Generally it is disposed of by the acre--to be cut
and removed from the land, and sold in bunches to be fed to carriage
horses, precisely as the green tares and clover are brought into London
in bunches during the spring time of the year. The value of one cutting
is 5 pounds per acre. Unlike the "Miscowy" variety, the "Fachl" only
yields one crop, as the roots fail. The land is then broken up for the
crop of cotton. This finishes the three years' rotation.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.
It will be interesting to add a few remarks on a system of cultivation
which is practised on tracts adjoining the Desert. The land has been
purchased at a price of, say, 17 pounds per acre, and the next
proceeding has been to level it--by the free use of the Cassabia, or
scraper, which, in roughest preparation, is drawn over and over the sand
and guided something after the fashion of a plough--and then bringing it
into communication by canalising with the nearest distributor of the
Nile water, while in this country of exceedingly cheap labour the cost
of these preparations for cultivation may be set down at about 10 pounds
per acre.
This done, the purchaser has the option of carrying on the cultivation
himself, or letting it to the fellaheen, who will take it readily and
pay a rent of 4 pounds per acre or feddan.
The fellah now crops his land as follows, and the reader will notice the
variation in the products the native causes his fields to bring forth.
He begins with:
*Earth Nuts (_Arachidis_)*.--Sown from April 1st till July 1st.
Duration of crops, six months. Water every five days till high Nile,
when no water is required. Yield per acre, sixty bushels, value 10
pounds.
*Sesame*.--Yield, fifteen bushels; value, 7 pounds.
*Chick Peas*.--Sown from April 1st to July 1st. Duration of crop, six
months. Yield per acre, thirty bushels; value, 6 pounds.
*Maize (Oswego)*.--Sown March 15th till April 15th. Duration of crop,
seven months; value of crop, 9 pounds.
*Potatoes*.--First crop planted October. Duration, three and a half
months. Yield, three and a half tons; 17 pounds 10 shillings.
*Potatoes*.--Second crop planted February 15th. Duration, three months.
Yield, three and a half tons; 17 pounds 10 shillings.
*Lupins*.--Sown November 1st. Duration of crop, seven months. Average
yield, fifteen bushels; 2 pounds 8 shillings.
Clover, barley, beans, Syrian maize, and henna, a dye plant.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account