The following extracts from a letter written to me by Ibrahim Effendi Fahmy, originally a student of the Cairo Agricultural College and at the time of writing Government agriculturist at Khartoum and on leave in Cairo, will be found interesting.
“There are three seasons in the Sudan, which are different from those in Egypt. The seasons are:—1st the winter which extends from the 1st November to the end of February, in this season wheat, beans, barley, onions, Indian corn and millets are planted: 2nd, the summer which extends from 1st March to the 15th June, in this season, practically speaking, nothing is planted except a small quantity of millets, and in the middle of the season from the 1st May to the 15th June all agricultural work is stopped owing to the great heat and deficiency of water: and 3rd, the flood season or “Demera” from the 15 June to the end of October; in this season the rains fall, the Nile rises and the heat is decreased, two crops of millets can be taken and cotton, sesame and earthnuts are sown.
“Manures are the same as in Egypt.
“Cotton sown in March, April and May needs so much water through the summer that its cost is prohibitive. In the really hot weather it must be irrigated every three days. High winds and rain hurt the first open pods, and the pickings are on the 20th August, 20th September and 15th October. After 22 waterings a good field will give 41⁄2 cwt. per acre.
“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 sowing. | Time of ripening. | No of waterings | Produce | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Egyptian wheat | Nov. & Dec. | April | 3 | 5 | 1⁄2 | ardebs |
| Indian wheat | December | » | 3 | 5 | » | |
| Egyptian barley | » | March 31 | 2 | 11 | » | |
| Australian barley | » | » | 2 | 5 | » | |
| Beans | » | » | 3 | 5 | » | |
| Lentils | » | » | 3 | 3 | 1⁄2 | » |
| 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. | ||||||