'Reports of administration for 1918 of divisions and districts of the occupied territories in Mesopotamia. Volume I' [‎162r] (328/470)

belt of land along the river bank varying in depth from a few yards to f mile is
cultivated regularly, and behind this belt lies a wide plain which has not been
cultivated within the memory of living man, largely because there is difficulty in
obtaining sufficient water to grow crops there. This plain is liable to flood at the
high flood season, but the water comes and goes so quickly that cultivation is not
aided thereby. The soil was inspected by a member of the Agricultural Depart
ment and pronounced good, and the irrigation Department was then asked to
inspect the ground and see if its Irrigation was possible. The report was that,
though a gravity canal was not possible, yet pump irrigation was possible, and
plans were made to that end. One pump has been obtained and a considerable
part of the canal has been completed. As the ground has not been cultivated
for so many years, a question of escheat will arise, if ‘Adbul Karim’s tapu Sanad,
which has not yet been seen, shows that the land is miri land. Hence, for the present,
the irrigated land is to be run as a Government estate.
Another piece of land inspected by the Irrigation Department was the ground
running from the Snwaib River to Nahr Kutaiban. This piece, like Muzair‘ah, is
submerged for a short time at high flood season, but not for long enough to make
it of any use for cultivation. It was found here that the ground was so flat that
pump irrigation would be uneconomical and the idea of irrigating this tract has
been dropped for the present.
Levels were taken, too, on a piece of ground known as the Muhairah, lying
behind Bani Hutait. It was found, however, that the length and size of the bund
required in proportion to the amount to be reclaimed and irrigated was such as
to make the work unadvisable, and this too has been dropped.
Though nothing has been done in the matter yet, it is hoped shortly to have
levels taken in the marshes bordering on the Suwaib River with a view to making
these marshes a large rice-producing area.
The idea certainly sounds promising, and it is hoped that some move in the
matter will shortly be made.
There are several small schemes which might be worth while taking up, but
to go into which the presence of an irrigation officer for the Qurnah Division would
be necessary. At present for any work on the Euphrates reference has to be made
to the District Irrigation Officer, Nasiriyah and for any work on the Tigris or the
Shatt al Arab to the District Irrigation Officer, ‘Amarah, and it is often found
that, owing to the pressure of larger schemes nearer home, they are unable to spare
time to come and consider smaller schemes in this Division.
Until, however, the population of the country is considerably increased it
would appear to be more profitable to take up small schemes in which the whole
of the ground reclaimed or irrigated can be at once brought under cultivation than
to spend time even considering big schemes, the benefit of which cannot be felt
for at any rate a generation.
4. Agricultural. —Winter crops were grown in this Division in 1918 almost
for the first time since the British occupation of this country. This was so in the
Bani Malik district, where no winter crops at all had been grown prior to this year.
The winter crops in all parts of the nahiyah were a great success, as the rains were
frequent and well distributed. The success of last year s winter crops has greatly
encouraged the sowing of wheat and several areas are under cultivation this year
which have not been cultivated hitherto.
The summer crops were well up to the average ; but the influenza epidemic,
which attacked this Division very badly, caused delay in harvesting them, and the
heavy rain in the middle of November caused great damage, especially in the
Hammar nahiyah, where the damage from all causes is now estimated at over
60 per cent, of the whole crop.
The date crop was bad, the badness being entirely due to the ravages of the
hashaf disease, which caused immense damage. The bacteriologist who went to
examine the cause of the disease estimated the loss in this Division at 40 to 50 per
cent, of the whole crop.
In view of his opinion, that cultivation of the ground under the trees tends
to prevent the disease, it is interesting to note that in this Division the greatest
damage was caused in Madinah, where there is no cultivation under the trees, and
the least damage in Sharish, where there is heavy cultivation under the trees.
5. Municipalities. —There is little to report concerning the municipality of
Qurnah. The municipal council remains as before, and now meets regularly under