Page 109 - PERSIAN 9 1941_1947

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area to be eventually embraced by the scheme has so Tar been
brought under Irrigation. It has now been found that the
porous nature of the soil will probably necessitate the lining

of the main distributaries before the whole of the 12,000
hectares can be irrigated and, unless special arrangements
are made to obtain the cement required or some alternative
method of lining the canals is employed, expansion of the scheme

may, for the time being, cease altogether, During the year
crops of cotton, rice, maize, vegetables and melons were
produced in this area.
(d) Seed Wheat. Bushire*s share of the seed wheat
supplied by the Government of India amounted to 350 tons, or

less than half the quantity which was originally considered to
represent the minimum requirements of the Shahristan. In
accordance with instructions, 100 tons of this seed were allocated
to the canal irrigated area at Shabankareh (together with 75
tons of barley received from Iraq), and a committee consisting

of the Governor, the Heads of the Agricultural and Finance
Departments and prominent land owners, and attended by a
representative of H.LTs Consulate General, was established at
Bushire to arrange for the distribution of the remaining 250

tons. In October the main centres in the Shahristan were
visited b7 the Governor, accompanied by H.U!s Vice-Consul, in
order to set up subordinate committees to deal with distribution
to cultivators under the general direction of the central

committee. At a later stage, a second series of tours were
made by the Governor, accompanied by the Under Secretary to the
Political Resident, in order to examine progress, On the
whole distribution was fairly satisfactorily carried out and, as

up to the end of the year rains had been unusually heavy, the
r
prospects of a good yield seemed bright.
(e) The bread situation gave grave anxiety throughout the

year; and the town's ration was estimated at an average of 6
ounces per head per day. The bakers' shops were dally besieged
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