'Reports of administration for 1918 of divisions and districts of the occupied territories in Mesopotamia. Volume I' [‎125r] (254/470)

proper authorities, but, so far, no very definite promises have been made. Every
effort should be made to get up the cuttings and it is to be hoped that we shall
not be without them when the season arrives for planting (spring).
The main crops grown are barley, wheat, dukhn, lucerne, rice, adds, hartaman,
sesame (or simsim). Dates appear to thrive and large quantities are exported
into places both inside and outside the Dulaim area. At the last date count the
following figures were obtained :—
Bearing trees - - - - - - 35,584
Fruitless, but of a bearing age - - - -10,014
But many have since been planted. The vegetable crops have not come up to
expectation, and it has been difficult to supply the needs of the troops, even though
every inducement was offered to the landowners.
An interesting experiment is being made at the time of writing with the
co-operation of the 15th Division. Two professional gardeners have been lent for
a week or two to give the land-owner some idea of how his fruit trees should be
pruned and looked after. A majlis of .all the land-owners in the district was assembled,
pamphlets on the diseases of the dates were read out, and other advice given. A
practical demonstration was then given. A Hitawi, who appeared especially keen,
allowed his garden to be divided into two portions, of which one was given over
to the care of the two gardeners. ‘ They are now working hard at pruning and
trimming the trees, and it is hoped that next season the difference in the crops
(both quantity and quality) will be evident to all.
In places, stretching out from the bank to the middle of the river, may be seen
the ruins of old mills which were used in times past to grind the corn for the
Baladiyah. These might be rebuilt, but it is hoped that more modern methods
will be introduced in a short time.
One or two attempts have been made to get the cultivators to manure their
land and to remove the litter from the camps in the neighbourhood for this purpose.
At Hit the suggestion has not been too eagerly carried out, owing to the distance
of the camps from the gardens and the consequent cost of transport, though at
Sahiliyah, where troops were nearer, the plan met with more success.
Before and since our occupation there was a considerable shortage of plough
cattle, and this deficiency was made up to some extent by bullocks purchased from
Government in Baghdad. . . . „
For further notes under this heading vide “ Agricultural Report—Hit District,
forwarded to Revenue, Baghdad, under my No. 1643 of 26th September 1918.
5. Baladiyah. —On our entry into Hit the town was perhaps one of the
filthiest in the province of ‘Iraq. It was, therefore, difficult in the first place to make
a beginning. So many schemes seemed of prime importance. But the matter
upon which attention was immediately concentrated was the provision of suitable
latrines for the use of the population. After plans had been made and estimates
drawn up, it was decided that the best form of latrines would be a series of square
brick-built enclosures. These were accordingly constructed and contracts were
made for the removal of the fsscal matter. This has been, on the whole, faiily
well carried out. A butchery was then constructed and butchery tax collected,
the number of sweepers employed formerly by the Turks for tne Baladiyah were
added to, and during the last month sanction has been obtained for a further increase.
The streets in Hit are exceptionally narrow owing to the large number of houses
and the smallness of the baladiyah site. It has been, and still is, a matter of con
siderable difficulty to keep filth from accumulating and stenches from appearing.
One great advantage, however, is that the streets are paved throughout with bitumen,
and this most effectively prevents the accumulation of stagnant and dirty water.
A sanitary orderly was lent by the 50th Brigade in May, and, although this orderly
has been changed several times, most of them have done good work in assisting
in the abolition of insanitary conditions. But a lot remains still to be done, and
sanitation schemes are more difficult of accomplishment than in most towns as a
result of the narrowness of the streets, the reeking bituminous atmosphere from the
neighbouring bitumen kilns, and the general state of decay manifest throughout
the town It is, in fact, an almost hopeless task, and the only real remedy appears
to be the razing of the present site of the town to the ground and the erection of a
larger and cleaner one outside. T .
Lamps have been provided for all the streets. Houses have been numbered
and the streets named.