DOI article:
Hume, William F.: The nitrate shales of Egypt
DOI Page / Citation link: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.11321#0167
— 147 —
In 1896, the subject was discussed by Dr. Mackenzie and Professor Foaden
in their «Manures in Egypt and Soil exhaustion^n, this being tbe first serious
attempt to obtain an idea as to the average value of the shales. They remark
(p. 36) : «It is said that some analyses of Upper Egypt beds show ho ojo of
ce Sodium Nitrate, but as tbe resuit of a great number of déterminations made
rrby one of us at the Agricultural Collège \ve find the average to be only 5 0/0,
«although one had as much as 2/1 0/01?.
The results of nine analyses of samples from Gebel el Tafl, a well-known
locality three bours east 6Ï Luxor, are given in Table n° 1, p. 1 68, thèse having
been obtained by Dr. Mackenzie, who also collected the spécimens, selecting
them from the lower, middle and upper thirds of the section respectively. As
vvill be seen, there is no regularity in the distribution, Ibe maximum being
9.29 0/0, minimum 0.28 0/0, and average 8.96 0/0 of Sodium Nitrate.
The relation of thèse trminerai manu tes n to cultivation in Upper Egypt was
the subject of the report by Mr. J. B. Fuller^ presented to the Ministry of
Finance. Me remarks that «in the absence of a survey, it is impossible to state
erwith précision the area which requires manure for ils cultivation », and adds
further «that the question of manure afïects the existence of more than a
tethird of the cultivation and is a serious considération in any scheme for
ceextending perennial irrigation ».
Numerous analyses are mentioned, seven samples collected by Mr. Wil-
liamson Wallace from the original beds at Qena and Luxor giving a maximum
of 4.9 ojo and a minimum of o.32 o^'o of Sodium Nitrate. Three of them laken
from places in the hills at some distance from the Nile gave the following
results :
Kom El Ahmar........................................... 4.9a 0/0
One day from Qena........................................ 5.3a 0/0
One day from Luxor....................................... 3.o3 0/0
The others were very poor.
Fifteen samples of small size were also forwarded by Mr. Floyer to Dr. Mack-
enzie, the analyses showing maximum 17.86 0/0, minimum 1.05 0/0, and
average 5.2 0/0 of Sodium Nitrate.
(1) Ministry of Public Instruction, Cairo, 189G.
(2) Report on the Manure question in Upper Egypt.
«9-
In 1896, the subject was discussed by Dr. Mackenzie and Professor Foaden
in their «Manures in Egypt and Soil exhaustion^n, this being tbe first serious
attempt to obtain an idea as to the average value of the shales. They remark
(p. 36) : «It is said that some analyses of Upper Egypt beds show ho ojo of
ce Sodium Nitrate, but as tbe resuit of a great number of déterminations made
rrby one of us at the Agricultural Collège \ve find the average to be only 5 0/0,
«although one had as much as 2/1 0/01?.
The results of nine analyses of samples from Gebel el Tafl, a well-known
locality three bours east 6Ï Luxor, are given in Table n° 1, p. 1 68, thèse having
been obtained by Dr. Mackenzie, who also collected the spécimens, selecting
them from the lower, middle and upper thirds of the section respectively. As
vvill be seen, there is no regularity in the distribution, Ibe maximum being
9.29 0/0, minimum 0.28 0/0, and average 8.96 0/0 of Sodium Nitrate.
The relation of thèse trminerai manu tes n to cultivation in Upper Egypt was
the subject of the report by Mr. J. B. Fuller^ presented to the Ministry of
Finance. Me remarks that «in the absence of a survey, it is impossible to state
erwith précision the area which requires manure for ils cultivation », and adds
further «that the question of manure afïects the existence of more than a
tethird of the cultivation and is a serious considération in any scheme for
ceextending perennial irrigation ».
Numerous analyses are mentioned, seven samples collected by Mr. Wil-
liamson Wallace from the original beds at Qena and Luxor giving a maximum
of 4.9 ojo and a minimum of o.32 o^'o of Sodium Nitrate. Three of them laken
from places in the hills at some distance from the Nile gave the following
results :
Kom El Ahmar........................................... 4.9a 0/0
One day from Qena........................................ 5.3a 0/0
One day from Luxor....................................... 3.o3 0/0
The others were very poor.
Fifteen samples of small size were also forwarded by Mr. Floyer to Dr. Mack-
enzie, the analyses showing maximum 17.86 0/0, minimum 1.05 0/0, and
average 5.2 0/0 of Sodium Nitrate.
(1) Ministry of Public Instruction, Cairo, 189G.
(2) Report on the Manure question in Upper Egypt.
«9-