'File 35/5 Development of Grazing Grounds (Supplies from Persia)' [‎47v] (94/118)

49* $0 ol Vrn trees were also planted last year. They were obtained
in Iraq,: the variety is not known.
-2 v5, Amongst omajaental trees gold Jsohro, eucalyptus and ca.searizis.fs
aj'13 Dei n v: - gmwn sale. The gold ssohrs are produced frma looal • seed
and sell at Rs. 2 each. 200 nursery plants ar© available for sale/ as
also are 300 eucalyptus and 300 casuarinas. .
The future
5X This garden is the only depart&entally-run area on the island.
Its primary, functions should be exploratory B.n& experimental. If
cultivation in Bahrain is to be improved and if the beat use is to be
saade of the very ligated area for which irrigation supplies are sufficient,
much knowledge is still to be acquired and it can be obtained Qi&y by
trial and experiment.
fhe first function of tills garden, therefore, should be to try
ou<» as iauny x .vui and. vegetables as possible and to dot ermine whidfi
saosc successfully. Before this work is undertaken seriously
it a,/ ’os necessary to acquire the services of someone more expert in
that line than the present staff. In the growing of so-called English
veg etables those responsible for the crops now on the ground have much
to f.^am xx tae standard of these crops is a fair index of the state of
their own knowledge*
55* Whilst the garden appears to have contributed little, if anything
00 far, to the improvalient of the agriculture of the island, a distinct
step in the right direction was taken last year when a number of varieties
of fruit trees were planted. In planting new fruit trees it is of the utmost
importance that the best varieties of fruit should bo obtained. The
iu>.,!i and yield oi the produce wilr ultimately become knewn only after
the lapse of sense years when the tree reaches maturity. If either should
prove to b© bad these years will have been largely wasted.
- uon re search and cocperimcnt have provided the necessary
ini creation orv nhich to warrant the next stop, the second function of the
garden should be the production of reliable, healthy, and cheap fruit
nurfcesy P laiAto , tor sal ® local cultivators. A good citrus plant should
coa- more nearly Annas f* rather than Rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. 5. which are charged now for
plants uaported frem outside. Since the trees in the garden should provide
the oudwood with which to produce nursery plants for the cultivator, it is
to ' hoped that the-varieties obtained from Iraq last year are of high
-3* The supply of good vegetable seeds from the garden say be a
Matter of seconnary consideration so long as good seed not requiring
acoll'-ixtixxiticn* in available at reasonable cost fro^ outside countries,
as is said to be the case at present.
x: ; i ® Rowing in the garden of lucerne or any other leguminous
crop for sale as green fodder should be of secondary and very minor
importance, unless in so far as it can occupy a profitable pX&o© in a
suitable crop .rc nation whioh should be adopted,
4 7 ° ^ p any further expansion of th© area of the present garden
is contemplated it right bo desirable to consider whether it would not
bo preferable to seek another site elsewhere. The impression was obtained
^ astfjdy soil of th© garden may bo representative generally
ox the soil down the west co&at of the Island it may be less typical ©f
thav on the east coast. If, on closer examination such should prove to be
che case, any increase in departmental activities of this kind would be
°“ ; - i0re P ra ®txcai value if conducted under those different conditions.
29th March, 1949«
H.R. STEWART