“Cotton sown in June and July has an even, regular growth. The rains and moisture in the air encourage the growth of the plant. The height of the flood permits of easy irrigation even when it is lift. The plants grow to a great size but have many bolls. The following table will show the growth of the plants. =================+===============+==============+============= Date of planting.|No of waterings|First picking.|Last picking. -----------------+---------------+--------------+------------- 25 June | 16 | 1st January | March 15 3 July | 16 | 15th January | March 31 30 July | 15 | 15th February| April 15 =================+===============+==============+============= “The yield of a good field is 5¹⁄₂ cwt. per acre. The fibre is better than that of the cotton sown in March and April. “I consider that June and July are the best months for sowing, and that cotton sown from well-selected seed and well cultivated will prove itself a cotton of superior quality, ranking with Egyptian cottons. “The following table gives the kinds of crops, other than cotton which can be profitably grown in the Sudan:-- =================+===========+==========+=========+================= Crop | Time of | Time of | N^{o} of| Produce | sowing. |ripening. |waterings| -----------------+-----------+----------+---------+----------------- Egyptian wheat |Nov. & Dec.| April | 3 | 5¹⁄₂ ardebs Indian wheat | December | » | 3 | 5 » Egyptian barley | » | March 31 | 2 | 11 » Australian barley| » | » | 2 | 5 » Beans | » | » | 3 | 5 » Lentils | » | » | 3 | 3¹⁄₂ » Earthnuts | July | January | 9 | 9 » Indian corn | » |September | 4 | 6 » American maize | » | October | 7 | 4 » Potatoes | November | March | 3 | 150 kantars Lucerne | March |March year| 12 | 1800 » | | | |in 12 cuttings of | | | |150 kantars each. =================+===========+==========+=========+================= “Fodder crops such as birseem and vetches (gilban) when well watered are satisfactory. “If the land is not well tilled, manured and looked after, wheat will require 6 waterings and barley 4 waterings. “If water can be obtained in the Sudan, the agricultural problem is very easy.” I cannot do better than close this chapter with this thoroughly Egyptian remark of Ibrahim Effendi Fehmy. CHAPTER V. _The Oases and the Geology of the Nile valley, by Mr. H. J. L. Beadnell, F. G. S., F. R. G. S._