Printed papers on the political situation and military policy in Egypt [‎55r] (109/176)

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291. Bananas imported from the Canary Islands were found infected with a
scale insect (Aspidiotus destructor?) and a mealy bug not recorded in this country.
Measures were taken to protect the Egyptian banana plantations from both these
pests.
44. Agronomic Service.
292. In August 1921 a nucleus Agronomic Service, the need of which has long
been felt, was constituted by the transfer of trained staff from other Departments of
the Ministry. Its more important functions are to undertake the cultural
programme, tests and experiments approved by the Cotton Research Board, to
organise the propagation of pure strains of seed, to study mechanical developments
in connection with agriculture, and the establishment of new crops, and to foster
the livestock industry.
293. Since the formation of this service, an extensive programme of experiments
on the more important crops has been drawn up. Part of this, in so far as the wheat
and cotton crops are concerned, has already been put into execution. In addition to
the Government farm at Gemmeiza, it is hoped to secure two seed farms, one in
Upper Egypt and the other in the middle of the delta, for the propagation in bulk
of strains of seed selected by the Botanical and Plant-Breeding Services. Meanwhile,
this work is being carried on on a fairly large scale on farms belonging to well-known
cultivators, under the control of the service. As regards the breeding section of the
service, the Government farm at Gemmeiza is, in the meantime, being used as a
station for the herd, while several observation stations on farms belonging to
private individuals are under the supervision of the livestock officer.
45. Veterinary Service.
294. Owing to the difficulty of importing animals for food, and to the dearth
and high cost of fodder, the number of domestic animals in Egypt seriously decreased
during the war and the immediately following years. A recovery has now begun,
and the 1921 census shows an increase of 34,000Vattle, 60,000 buffaloes, and 56,000
sheep, as compared with that of 1920, in spite of an increase in the number of
Egyptian animals slaughtered, and the temporary prohibition of import from the
Soudan, where there were severe outbreaks of disease.
295. The veterinary laboratories continued with success their diagnostic and
research work upon the diseases of animals. The Serum Institute, where 150 serum-
producing bulls fiom Cyprus are maintained, supplied the Egyptian requirements
of anti-cattle-plague serum, and also provided considerable quantities for Palestine
and the Soudan. 7,000 Egyptian cattle were inoculated. There was comparatively
little cattle-plague in the country, only 131 deaths having been recorded.
296. Two thousand five hunderd animals were treated by preventive serum
against haemorrhagic septicaemia, of which ninety-three cases were detected as
compared with thirteen in 1920. There were only twenty-seven cases of glanders.
297. Rabies continues to spread, and is not likely to be satisfactorily combated
unless the existing regulations can be enforced and dog-licences made obligatory
throughout the country; 117 cases were reported during 1921. At the end of the
year a serious outbreak occurred among jackals in the Favoum, one of which attacked
k group of people asleep on a threshing-floor and bit eleven of them before it was
killed.
298. The important fowl-breeding industry suffered from severe outbreaks of
fowl cholera and fowl plague, the latter a very fatal and highly contagious disease.
Measures of control were taken in the infected areas and over the import and export
of fowls into and from those areas, and the spread of the diseases has hitherto been
successfully checked.
46. Botanical Service.
299. Cotton .—-Progress has been made during the year in the direction of the
establishment of pure lines of various types and races of cotton, by the method of
breeding from single plants. Strains which appear to be satisfactory have, in this
way, been isolated from the principal varieties now grown in Egypt, and, in addition,
a number of new types with distinct characteristics are receiving attention. The
work of bulk selection, which aims at the improvement of the existing races of cotton
by a vigorous elimination of inferior plants, has been proceeded with at Giza,
and at four different localities in the provinces. Comparative field-tests of the
improved strains produced in this manner have been carried out at Giza in
conjunction with this work. An experiment has been made at Giza on the degree of