'Reports of administration for 1918 of divisions and districts of the occupied territories in Mesopotamia. Volume I' [‎45v] (95/470)

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The Shamiyah date does not appear to suffer much from disease. Sometimes
the tree overgrows its strength and produces a greater weight of fruit than it can stand,
when part of the yield is cut away before it ripens. Were this not done, the tree
would never yield again.
The enormous profits from date-growing to the agriculturist may be seen at a
glance. In Shamiyah alone the sale proceeds from the total crop in one year would
approximate Rs. 2,74,00,000. The expenses are practically nil.
Included in the garden cultivation is the vegetable and fruit produce. These
include carrots, radishes, pumpkins, beetroot, tomatoes, cucumber, ladies’-fingers,
French beans, baqalah, turnips, onions, and other kinds.
Among the fruits the most common are dates and oranges, peaches, apricots,
lemons, limes, sweet limes, figs, grapes, pomegranates, melons and water-melons.
The revenue from the vegetable and fruit cultivation is estimated annually
at about Rs. 70,000/-, which represents a net value of vegetables sold in the
Division as 3,50,000. Probably a greater amount is exported than imported, and,
including the amount consumed by garden owners, four lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees would probably
more nearly represent the annual sale.
Winter Crops .—These comprise wheat, barley and dukhn. Shamiyah was
never a great winter crop area, the majority of cultivators devoting all their
energies to rice.
Since our administration, however, wheat and barley cultivation has been
encouraged, and it is calculated that this year 35,000 masharahs are under culti
vation.
The main shitwi area lies north of a line drawn between Abu Sukhair and Umm
al Bahur, and on the left bank of the Shamiyah Channel from Naqah to Umm
al Ba‘rur.
In the southern part of this area the irrigation is by flow, and in the northern
by lift.
In the year under review 3,209 masharas of wheat were sown, and 22,500
masharas barley. Of dukhn, the only other winter grain, about 1,300 masharahs
were sown. This represents a total sown area of 27,000 masharahs.
A good deal of encouragement has been given to the Arabs, and it is hoped
that this year, as stated above, at least 35,000 masharahs will be put under shitwi
cultivation.
Four kinds of wheat are grown in Shamiyah, known respectively as ShafTah,
Jodhariyah, Muahairimah and Suboqalan. Of these, the first is the best and is the
most largely sown.
There is about an 8 per cent, difference in price between the three.
The fourth is a curious type, known as Suboqalan wheat, which is in reality
half wheat seed and half barley seed, but is always classed as wheat.
It is very much cheaper than the other types of wheat referred to.
Only one kind of barley is sown in any quantity, known as Rawi, a white thick
seed. There is a little sown of what is known as Aswad, as its name implies a
black seed, but which is considered by the Arabs as infinitely superior.
However, in Shamiyah the shitwi crop is a mere side show compared to the
summer crops. Of these the most important is rice, though sesame, millet and mash
are also sown to some extent.
Dealing with the latter first, the masharas sown from which the revenue was
taken during this year were as under :—
Sesame -
Mash
Millet
An assurance of a proper water supply will certainly
by 200 per cent, in the case of the above.
741 masharahs.
3,000
1,300
increase the area sown
-The staple product of Shamiyah, and the main source
Summer Crops : Rice.-
of land revenue.
There are three kinds of rice sown, known as Ambar, Na‘imah and Hawazawi
They are named m order of quality. Ambar is a small white grain with Jed
paddy. It is only used by the Arab for important guests and is highly valued
IVaWo—-The principal food of the population. The grain and the paddj
are white, the former coarse and large. & pauay