'Reports of administration for 1918 of divisions and districts of the occupied territories in Mesopotamia. Volume I' [‎24r] (52/470)

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The district is small, and at present suffering from lack of population.
Loans were given this year for cleaning out the canals and expense partly
debited to Government, as the increased supply of water was mainly required by
troops in the vicinity.
The distribution of water as between civil and military became a matter of
arrangement, and on the whole worked smoothly,
3. Agriculture. —The Division is a series of uplands and valleys from the
north down to Mandali, where it becomes a level plain. The valleys are intersected
by ranges of hills, rising as they approach the Persian border to the height of moun
tains. In the spring these ranges are covered with rich grass and afford excellent
grazing. This year, owing to the early rain and warmer weather, the grass has
already in December grown to an unprecedented height and thickness, and is
already being cut and brought into the towns for sale.
Water is supplied from various rivers and streams flowing from the hills, chief
of which are the Sirwan, with its main tributary the Alwand, whilst lower down in
Mandali there are the Naft, Gangir, Talkh, and Tursaq streams. In addition,
springs are frequently met with.
Rain is plentiful in the winter, and in Khaniqin district especially a large part
of the winter crops are daim, or rain crops.
In Mandali district the water supply in the summer is insufficient for any
considerable saifi sowing.
In the other parts of the Division the water supply is plentiful and practically
no difficulty arises in its distribution.
Owing to the unsettled state of the country in the beginning of the year, except
in Mandali district, practically no winter grain has been sown.
The First Revenue Officer visited Khaniqin in January, and arranged for
seed wheat and barley to be sent up to Khaniqin, to be exhanged for seed maize
locally if it arrived too late. With the exception of about six tons of barley, the
grain sent was too late to sow and was exchanged for seed maize.
Some of the best winter crops were obtained from land where the Russians
in the previous year had turned their horses into the standing crops.
Sowing for winter crops, wheat and barley, begins in October and finishes in
January.
There are two distinct sowings of summer crops, beginning February to
April and again in August. Maize is the chief summer crop and the seed obtained
from the first sowing is used for the August sowing.
First ploughing for either summer or winter crops takes place early in the
spring, and, in the case of irrigated land, the land is irrigated at the sowing season
and then re-ploughed and sown. In the case of daim land, first ploughing takes
place early in the spring; but, as the ground is more friable, sowing in the winter
season takes place before the rain and simultaneously with the second ploughing.
The other crops grown in the Division are hurtaman, millet (jawari), dukhn,
cotton, sesame, and rice, all in small quantities only.
Vegetables of every sort are grown, and do very well.
Mandali is justly famous for its dates, and has about 300,000 date-trees,
including some of the finest varieties. Oranges, limes and pomegranates are also to
be had in abundance, and in Mandali a particularly fine plum is grown. At Khaniqin
the fruit gardens were partially destroyed by the Russians and Turks, and cut down
for firewood.
There has been a big shortage of plough cattle in the Division. Some Indian
plough cattle have been purchased, and a number imported from the Hai district.
For the 1918-1919 winter crop, about 400 tons of wheat and barley have been
imported from the Karun.and from Shahraban, to issue to cultivators as advances.
Mandali district had sufficient grain from the previous revenue demand for
re-issue as advances.
In Khaniqin and the northern area of the Division, the daim crops, owing to
the regular rain, are considered an absolutely safe crop, and the areas open to such
cultivation are very large and far exceed the capabilities of the present sparse
population. Fine grazing lands are available everywhere, and serve both for the
local inhabitants and also for the nomadic Persian tribes, who bring their flocks
down from the hills in the winter season and spend several months every year in our
territory.