Page 50 - Bahrain Gov Annual Reports (III)_Neat

38

The date crop was good and no eases of date disease were reported. The Government restricted
the sale of fresh dates in order to increase supplies of dry dates and forbade the export of dates or
date juice.

In the Government garden at Budeya various crops were grown successfully on a small scale,
these included European vegetables, garlic, millet, maize and lucerne. The lucerne beds were levelled
and replanted with very good results. Lack of careful levelling in local gardens is one of the most
frequent cause of poor lucerne crops. Grape Vines have been cultivated for some years at Budeya
with successful results. About two hundred cuttings, taken during the previous year, were planted
out on the Espalier system along stretched wires. There seems no reasons why grape cultivation
should not be developed in Bahrain.

Lucerne crops suffered from the cotton worm (sihlah) which attacked various districts during
the summer. Villagers were taught by the Government agriculturist methods of dealing with this
pest. The agriculturist superintended the work in His Highness's estates and in the gardens of
many members of the ruling family and visited all the cultivated districts in Bahrain giving advice
to the people about such things as manure, water, drainage, crops, etc.
Small progress has been made in growing fruit trees. Most of the large numbers of trees which
were introduced into Bahrain during recent years have now died, the few species which flourish are
those which are said always to have grown in Bahrain such as citrus, catulpa, limes and kanar. Figs
used to be grown extensively but a disease swept off most of the trees some years ago and few now
remain. The following fruit trees exist but produce indifferent results : peaches, apricots, mulberries,
bananas, oranges, chiko, cocoanuts and guavas.
Gold Mohur trees were grown from seed at Budeya and have been planted along some of the
roads in Manamah.

The Government acquired from the military authorities some European vegetable seeds most
of which unfortunately arrived late for sowing. Some of the seed was sold to local gardeners who sent
their produce to the Manamah vegetable market where it was available for purchase by the contractors
who supply the military forces with vegetables. This seed produced good results though certain
species were sown too late in the year. Every year more small gardens cultivate beds of European
vegetables which they send to market but none of the growers eat these vegetables themselves.

PASSPORT DEPARTMENT.

Mr. Jclaluddin Ahmed who was for many years Passport Officer died in Calcutta while on leave
on 22nd April 1942. Mr. Jclaluddin was first employed in the Customs Department in 1924. When
Bahrain introduced passports in 1928 he was appointed Passport Officer. He was a loyal, discreet
and hardworking official and rendered valuable service to the State. The senior clerk in the
department, Ebrahim Ali Khalfan has been appointed Acting Passport Officer.
Revenue from passport fees was Rs. 10,122 a decrease of approximately Rs. 1.500 from last
year. During 1360 passport receipts amounted to Rs. 2,500 less than in the previous year and the
prospect for 1362 is not encouraging. Revenue from passports which used to amount to over
Rs. 20,000 a year is now insufficient to pay for the cost of the department.
The number of passengers who landed in Bahrain during the year was 13,743.

During the year only ten prosecutions were made by the department against persons unlawfully
entering Bahrain, the decrease in the number of prosecutions from 97 in year 1360 to 10 in year 1361
was due to the new arrangement by which destitute immigrants who were smuggled into Bahrain
were repatriated to their countries immediately without lengthy proceedings in the courts.
Owing to the state of famine on the Persian coast and a shortage of food in some parts of Qattar
Bahrain has become a magnet for indigent Persians who attempt to reach it by way of Qattar. A
number of Qattar nakhudas make a living by carrying Persians to the Bahrain coast and unloading