File 522/1922 Pt 6 'Persian Gulf: Bahrain: Financial Adviser: Budget' [‎46r] (102/382)

The
The prospect of tue next date Harvest is very good and
unless ttie crop is severely damaged by locusts ttiere stiould be
double ttie amount of dates in 1350 than tnere were in 1349*
The present local consumption of dates exceeds the amount
that are grown in Bahrain so the industry is one to be encour-
aged*
IftGa&daa Oi 1 aULTlVAllO^^ Since it has been possible to obtain
water by boring artesian wells, in certain parts of Bahrain,
the area under cultivation has increased. Several local mer
chants and some members ofjfche Buling family have acquired
ground or used ground which they previously owned and by sink
ing wells they have been able to increase their date gardens*
b*B* Shaikh named recently obtained a very large supply
of water by boring a well at Seddad, on the coast west of
&anamah. A considerable area^ or ground has been planted by
him with date trees and lucerne but a great deal of water is
still running to waste into the sea* About 4500 young date
trees, for planting, were £ imported into Bahrain luring the
first 9 months of 1349 and also a selection oi other fruit
trees which were purchased by private owners.
The government endeavoured to buy several hundred trees
from Bus turn farm, Baghdad, but unfortunately they no longer
supply them and so far none have been obtained.
SBHIAH GAA1CT n.E. Shaikh named has arranged for one Ox
Uis finest gardens, whicti contains over 2000 date trees and
which is conveniently situated close to the town of liananah,
to be managed by Mr* Said Abdul nour*
Experiment are teing carried out in pruning and manuring
on the lines followed in Iraq, and other countries.
The manuring of date trees is a thing unknown in Bahrain
and the local cultivators regard the experiment with much
suspicion. They are aggressively conservative and disl'
innovations which may entail in the future an increa
work