14,775

EGYPT.

Report by Consul-General Pomeroy on the commerce, trade, and industries of Egypt for the year 1882-83.

AGRICULTURE.

Agriculture is unquestionably the principal, and I can well say the only true source of the inexhaustible fecundity of the Egyptian soil. By its climate and the regularity with which the waters of the Nile increase and rise above their usual level, Egypt can render its lands capable of producing three tillages, which draw their names from the seasons in which they are accomplished-a summer tillage, an autumn or rise-of-the-Nile tillage, and a winter tillage.

The cultivation of the land during the three seasons of the year above mentioned presents a variety of products, which are different in character, owing to the extreme difference in climate in the provinces of Upper and Lower Egypt.

The principal products of Egypt are the following, in an alphabetical list:

In addition to these products, there is a very large production of vegetables and fruit.

By collecting into one single table the products and their value in each moodirieh separately, we attain the results of the following table: Summer tillage and value of products in the towns and moodirichs.

Totals of products. 16, 380, 395 26, 504, 350 284, 450 4, 236, 697 1, 725

NOTE.-P. T. throughout this report means piasters tariff. The piaster is valued at 5 cents by the consul-general.

Summer tillage and value of products in the towns and moodiriehs—Continued.

Totals of products. 45, 420 352, 417, 20553, 316, 679 1, 623, 801 7,400 455, 700 7, 128 455, 926, 453

Piasters tariff.

If per contra we occupy ourselves with only the value of the products, and if we place the moodiriehs according to the importance of this value, we shall have the following table:

Classification of moodiriehs according to the ralue of summer products.

According to the date we have, the moodiriehs of Gharbieħ and of Dakahlieh which exceed the others in the cultivation of cereals. The products of Gharbieh amount to P. T. 14,074,340, and those of Dakahlieh to P.T. 8,838,605. The vegetable and farinaceous plants have given the largest corps in the moodiriehs of Ghiseh (P. T. 936,759) and of Menoufeh (P.T. 659,712). The tinctorial plants do not raise a large contingent during this season. Although indigo is of very good produce, we have only the moodirieh of Ghirga, of which the products amount to P. T. 45,900. The other five provinces which have cultivated this plant have only had a revenue of P. T. 50,400. Henna is found in small quantities in the moodiriehs of Calioubieh, of Sharkieh, and of Esna. The revenue does not exceed P. T. 60,300. The only oleaginous plant of this season is the sesamum, which is cultivated in eight moodiriehs, and more specially in the two moodiriehs of Gharbieh (P.T. 237,240) and of Minia (P. T. 103,750). The textile plants give the largest contingent during the summer season (or tillage); and on the amount of P.T. 455,926,453 total of 14708 C R, PT 2- -5

the products of that season, concur for a sum of P. T.352,462,625. The moodiriehs of Gharbieh (P. T. 117,316,810), of Dakahlieh (P.T.668,876,350), of Menoufieh (P. T. 63,715,200), of Charkieh (P. T. 54,885,935), and of Behera (P. T. 29,358,045) are those which have the largest harvests of cotton and flax.

Among the various plants of this season is the sugar cane, the culture of which is more widely spread in Minia (P.T. 26,116,961), in Assioot (P. T. 7,377,032), and in Esna (P. T. 5,414,760). Maize gives an average produce of P. T. 201 per feddan (the feddan is almost exactly equiva lent to the English acre). The maximum proved in the moodirieh of Assioot amounts to P. T. 363 and the minimum in that of Ghirga to P. T. 120 per feddan. Rice has given a more remunerative average produce because it has risen to P. T. 746 per feddan. Putting aside the governorships, the moodirieh of Assioot will have had the largest produce per feddan, viz, P. T. 902, and that of Calioubieh the smallest, viz, P. T. 377.

Vegetables are cultivated in all the moodiriehs and give an average produce of P. T. 627 per feddan. Naturally the lands of towns and governorships give a larger average of produce per feddan, viz, P. T. 6,166, owing to the great demand for articles, which keeps up the prices at a high rate. By keeping only to the moodiriehs it is to be seen that Ghiseh has obtained the largest produce per feddan, viz, P. T. 460, and Fayoum the smallest, viz, P. T. 94.

Indigo is cultivated only in the moodiriehs of Ghisel, of Tharkieh, of Fayoum, of Assioot, of Ghirga, and of Keneh; the average produce obtained is P. T. 550 per feddan. Keneh, however, has had a very high produce (P. T. 2,700 per feddan), which proves how profitable this plant would be to agriculturists if they were chiefly to look after its cultivation and follow the best system adopted nowadays for the extraction of its color.

The

Sesamum gives an average produce of P. T. 240 per feddan. moodirieh of Keneh (P. T. 486), and that of Menoufieh (P. T. 447 per feddan) give the most. The moodiriehs which give the least of sesamum are Sharkieh (190 P. T.) and Minia (P. T. 188 per feddan).

Cotton has given a produce of P. T. 711 per feddan. This average has been exceeded by four moodiriehs, viz, Menoufieh (P. T. 1,165), Kalioubieh (P. T. 891), Gharbieh (P. T. 761), and Beniooef (P. T. 732 per feddan). All the others have had a produce lower than the averThe least is in the two moodiriehs of Ghiseh and of Minia (P. T. 338 per feddan).

age.

The cultivation of sugar-cane presents the highest average of production, and at the same time the most uniform. This depends on what the moodiriehs have received on the revenue of sugar already pressed out of the sugar-cane, that is to say, an industrial product. The price of sugar-cane per feddan has averaged an amount of P. T. 1,157, thus showing that its cultivation, like that of indigo, ought to be increased in the general interest of the country.

Fruits present an average that is very dissimilar, but this difference will always exist. Several circumstances contribute to the fact that orchards offer an inconstant and variable production at one place and another. Those which are placed near the inhabited centers always give high averages, thus causing the average of the governorships for this produce to stand at P. T. 2,857, whilst the general average is only P. T. 503 per feddan.

Tobacco has given P. T. 493 per feddan, but is not widely cultivated. Esna is the moodirieh which has drawn the largest profit from this

plant, having had an average of P. T. 1,487 per feddan; Ghisel is, on the contrary, the moodirieh which has the least production, viz, P. T. 305 per feddan.

Autumn tillage and value of products in the moodirichs and governorships.

The following table shows the order in which the moodirieh are classified according to the importance of the value of their products:

It is to be perceived that the autumn or rise-of-the-Nile tillage is of less importance than the summer tillage; but it may be as well to add that the most abundant harvest which is obtained during the winter season, and of which I shall treat hereafter, is due principally to the irrigation which is accomplished in this season.

The largest production of cultivation is given by maize, viz: P. T. 84,558,650; next come rice, vegetables, and fruits.

It is the moodiriehs of the Delta which in this season have a cultivation of some importance: Menoufieh, P. T. 19,155,130; Gharbieh, P. T. 16,984,505, and others; whilst the moodiriehs of Upper Egypt have almost insignificant products: Beni Souef, P. T. 444,000; Minia, P. T. 760,215, &c.