'File 35/5 Development of Grazing Grounds (Supplies from Persia)' [‎45r] (89/118)

' h ^ fulx ^ is available to a© f but I chance peraortally to
^ of Ms recamiends.tiona. In the light of a£ own visit
now, many of tnea can be f sally endorsed, though in i^y view somo of then
r^ctuicatlon, particularly bec/Misa of the greater knowledge of
^ aarg.,'ot ; m supplies which has baepsne available in the eeantiau,
^u»h suppliss of sweet water are not now considered to be ©o plentiful
s £ vpP^ars to have assumed and henoe development possibilities are*
im^rL^SC . 548 rishtly “’ 3 ^ ie
> Aot: !; on ba ® been taken already on some of the recosBaendations
in that report, more partioiaarly on
(a; the est ablx s’ieient of a Gc veriiment -run farm at B&daiyah*
(b) ahe appointment of an agricultural officer to take charge
io) control by G-overnment on the then unrestricted sinking
of artesian wells. .
' ^') - extension of the area under dates and vegetables.
Irrigation pos aiblliti 05
tl< f 8 air ®f d J' stated, water, and not land, is the limiting factor
in increasing agricultural production, and the prospecta of agiioulturiil
development^depend basically on the extent to which more water can be
mde available for irrigation j^a-poses. Possibilities appear to exist
(a) better use of existing irrigation supplies.
be possible 11 oonnsctlon th ^ e are in which improvements may
\l) A reduction in the volume of irrigation applied at
present to existing cultivation. It is common in
Middle Sast- countries for cultivators, when soils are
saline,^ to apply to their crops considerably more
water than is ordinarily required for the production
of crops on nonsal soils. This is eceaetimes considered
a necessary measure of self- protection for, unless the
gsut concentration in the soil is kept below the son©
of the plant roots a poor crop will result. Such a
practice, however, need not be continuous and never-
ending. If conditions arc such as to permit the
provision of an efficient drainage system, the heavy
irrigation will gradually leach out the salts which will
o<y carried off to the sea in these drains. Automatically
the volume of water necessary to produce an average crop
on the soli will be reduced and the water thus saved can
be applied to the cropping of additional areas, The tota
saving in tMs. connection may m relatively small, in vie
of the small area of cultivation.
(li; It was stated frequently that a very appreciable volume
ox existing water supplies is wasted through being allow©
fco flow to the sea unused and uncontrolled in drainage
ditches.
Ia such water is suitable for irrigation purposes and is
not drainage water with a salt content harmful to plant
life and to the soil, steps should be taken to ensure,