edge of the plough which goes into the soil has to be covered with sacking, etc., as the ordinary plough does not throw up soil. There is in use a ridging plough called "battana."

After the ridges have been made in this primitive manner, a number of men shape them properly by means of a "fass," an instrument in the shape of a Dutch hoe; these men also attend to the breaking up of clods (see illustration, page 165). It is estimated that the cost of one pair of bullocks and the labor is about 4s. per day; the extent of their work is about 21⁄2 feddans.

The native plough does not enter the soil deeper than five to six inches; cotton which has a deep tap root, two yards and even more in length, requires the soil well loosened. It is generally considered advisable to let the land lie fallow after ploughing for about one month. The soil before planting cotton should be quite dry, though a watering is given immediately afterwards. (See paragraph dealing with Rotation of Crops, page 212).

PLANTING.

I have already referred to the proper irrigation of the cotton field. Mr. GEORGE P. FOADEN, B. Sc., formerly SecretaryGeneral of the Khedival Agriculture Society, says in his Notes on Egyptian Agriculture: "It is very rare in Egypt to find even as great a distance as 35 inches between the rows, while on average land, producing 500 pounds of cotton, or even 750 pounds, 30 inches or even less may be looked upon as an average." In America we have seen that the distance from ridge to ridge is about three feet, six inches. The Department of Agriculture is doing its utmost to get the fellaheen to adopt larger distances from ridge to ridge and plant to plant. As regards the latter a great deal of variety exists in Egypt. I have seen plants less than ten inches apart in Upper Egypt, but as a rule, one may say 15 inches is adhered to. This close planting is also assisting in the breeding of insects, which prefer shady places, and under thick foliage they are not easily found

by the children seeking the eggs.

Mr. FOADEN estimates the number of cotton-seed holes per feddan is 13,000. In each hole from ten to twenty seeds are put, and as the soil is often not fine but in clods, the fellaheen frequently put a bean along with the cotton seed. The bean being of stronger growth removes any clod which may be resting over the cotton seed. The seed holes are made, not on the top of the ridge, but about three inches from the top on the sunny side of the ridge.

It is very important to notice that everywhere in Egypt two plants are grown in each hole, therefore the total number of plants is about 26,000 per feddan; in America and India only one plant is left.

The time of planting is generally March, in the north even April. Egypt knows no killing frosts, but there is frequently cold windy weather in early spring. The Department of Agriculture and all agricultural organizations make strong propaganda for early planting, as then the cotton does not suffer so much from the ravages of insects, which come in large numbers, generally in August, when early-planted cotton is almost ripe.

A watering is given to the field as soon as the seed is in the holes. Where seeds fail to come up, new seed, which has been soaked in water to accelerate germination, is put in. When the young plants are fairly well established, that is, in 16 to 201 days, a hoeing is given to clean the field of weeds and break up the clods. Three or four men will hoe an acre per day; sometimes a second hoeing is given within 35 days of planting, then another watering, but before the second watering the plants are thinned out; two plants, the strongest, are left. Too frequent watering prevents the plant from branching out at the bottom. The third watering is given about the end of May, generally followed by hoeing. Waterings are from now given more freely; during June, July, or August, the cotton gets a watering every 14 days or as often as the water rotations will allow. (See remarks under Irrigation, pages 178-183)

Mr. FOADEN says that each watering requires about 350 tons of water per acre, and as cotton receives nine or ten waterings,.