'Military Report on Iraq (Area 6 Lower Euphrates)' [‎214r] (432/452)

IV. — Shipping.
Dates are shipped in boxes for America and Europe and in.
baskets to India and for Per ia.
V. — Characteristics.
Date trees live to 100 years but lose their vigour at 80. They
die if they are deprived of water, and drown if flooded too much.
The fertilisation which is done by human agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. , is called Ligah
and is carried out in April and May. Dates ripen in August but
are not fit for preservation till September. One male tree is suffi
cient for 50 female trees. An acre bears rather over 100 trees.
Date trees are grown from offshoots or suckers, which bear fruit
within five years. In Mesopotamia a date tree grown from a stone
will not bear fruit, but in America a tree grown from » similar
stone will do so. The exact reason of this has not as yet been
definitely ascertained.
VI.—Uses of the trees ana fruit.
(а) The ripe fruit is one of the principal articles of food in the
country.
(б) “ Windfalls ” are collected and used for human or animal
fodder.
(c) Arak is distilled from the Zehdi dates.
(d) The branches are used for fuel and as material for furniture
making, building and fencing.
(e) The trunks are used for bridging irrigation cuts and for house
building.
(/) The fruit stalks are made into brooms.
(gr) The fibre is made into rope.
(h) Matting is made from the leaves.
VII.—Methods of Irrigation.
Normally by “ lift ” or by “ flow ” but in the Basrah area the
method of irrigating date trees is out of the ordinary on account of
tidal action.
As the tide rises the river level also rises on account of the river
water being banked up several feet.
The date growers take advantage of this to establish subsoil
irrigation.