(1817 URSUNUNUA ARTES SCIENTIA UIT LIBRARY VERITAST OF THE VERSITY OF MICHIGAN UNIVERSIT MARULAMASARLARARARATEHUMU A M CELURUUS UNUM TUEBOR SI-QURRIS-PENIJI PENINSULAM-AMO A MISLANSIT CIRCUMSPICE L 0 NTTI 1.0 WIMBOU100 M UMUNOMOULDHAMI..7 No. 88. June, 1925. SB To THE B86 COTTON BRITISH GROWING ASSOCIATION. [INCORPORATED BY ROYAL CHARTER.] TON GROW ISH CO7 WING ASS THE BRIT ASSOCIA CIATION INCORPORAIS ATED BY ROYAL CHARTER IRAQ (or MESOPOTAMIA) as a Source for Increasing Raw Cotton Supplies By W. H. HIMBURY (General Manager of the British Cotton Growing Association). Head Offices : 333 to 350 THE ROYAL EXCHANGE, MANCHESTER. PRICE ONE SHILLING 2 THE 386 BRITISH COTTON GROWING ASSOCIATION (INCORPORATED BY ROYAL CHARTER.] VIN COTTON CITISH CO GASSOCZ BOJNI THE TER NOW CORPORATED TED BY ROYAL AL CHARTER IRAQ (or MESOPOTAMIA) as a Source for Increasing Raw Cotton Supplies By W. H. HIMBURY (General Manager of the British Cotton Growing Association). Head Offices : 333 to 350 THE ROYAL EXCHANGE, MANCHESTER. THE “MAUDE” STATUE OUTSIDE THE RESIDENCY GATES AT BAGHDAD. 12-14-26 13994 . 3 The British Cotton Growing Association (Incorporated by Royal Charter.) 333 to 350 THE ROYAL EXCHANGE, MANCHESTER. President: THE RIGHT HON. THE EARL OF DERBY, K.G., G.C.B., G.C.V.O. Vice-Presidents : His GRACE THE DUKE OF MARLBOROUGH, K.G. SIR FRANK FORBES ADAM, BART., C.B., C.I.E. THE RIGHT Hon. LORD CAWLEY. JAMES ARTHUR HUTTON. SIR CHARLES W. MACARA, BART. MAJOR LORD STANLEY, M.P. THE PRESIDENT OF THE LIVERPOOL COTTON ASSOCIATION, LIMITED. -37 Ham. Members of the Council: ALGERNON EDWARD ASPINALL, C.M.G., West India Committee, London. *HENRY ASTLEY-BELL, Cotton Spinners and Manufacturers' Associa- tion. JOHN CHARLES ATKINS, Secretary Oldham Chamber of Commerce. SIR WM. BARTON. F. W. BIRCHENOUGH, Oldham Operative Cotton Spinners, etc., Pro- vincial Association. COLONEL ARTHUR BIRTWISTLE, C.B., C.M.G., D.S.O., Blackburn. H. BOOTHMAN, Amalgamated Association of Operative Cotton Spinners. ROBERT W. BROWN, Liverpool. A. BRYCE MUIR, Liverpool Cotton Association. SIR FREDERICK W. CHANCE, K.B.E., Ferguson Brothers, Ltd., Car- lisle. ROBERT J. CLEGG, Robert J. Clegg and Co. JAMES CRINION, Amalgamated Association of Card and Blowing Room Operatives. GERARD Powys DEWHURST, Geo. & R. Dewhurst (1920) Limited., 2-2 GUSTAV ECKHARD, Reiss Brothers. GEORGE CHESTER HAWORTH, Richard Haworth and Co., Limited. GEO. HAYHURST, Co-operative Wholesale Society, Ltd. WILLIAM HEAPS, Federation of Master Cotton Spinners' Associations, Limited. F. HODGKINSON, Blackburn. *WILLIAM HOWARTH, Fine Cotton Spinners' and Doublers' Association, Limited. JAMES SMALLPAGE HOYLE, Joshua Hoyle and Sons, Limited. *RICHARD H. JACKSON, Federation of Master Cotton Spinners' Associa- tions, Limited. J. PICKERING JONES, Lagos Stores, Ltd. EDWARD Judson, Chairman Amalgamated Association of Operative Cotton Spinners. WALTER S. KINCH, Lancashire County Council. LENNOX BERTRAM LEE, Calico Printers' Association, Limited. Sir THOMAS R. MARSDEN, C.B.E. CHARLES C. NEWTON, Lion Spinning Co., Limited. J. S. NUTTALL, Platt Bros. & Co., Ltd., Oldham. J. W. OGDEN, Amalgamated Weavers' Association. EDMUND LOMAS OLIVER, Fine Cotton Spinners' and Doublers' Asso- ciation, Limited. A. A. Paton, C.B., Liverpool Cotton Association, Limited. J. C. PARKER, Amalgamated Weavers' Association. Ev. PORRITT, Liverpool Cotton Association, Limited. LIEUT.-COLONEL N. SEDDON BROWN, Amalgamated Cotton Mills Trust, Limited. LIEUT.-COLONEL JOHN J. SHUTE, C.M.G., D.S.,O., Liverpool Cotton Association, Limited. THOMAS W;. Shaw, Greenhalgh and Shaw, Limited. J. W. SIMPSON, Bleachers' Association, Limited. JOHN BROWN TATTERSALL, Federation of Master Cotton Spinners' As- sociations, Limited. JAMES TAYLOR, Rochdale. *JAMES M. THOMAS, Federation of Master Cotton Spinners' Associa- tions, Limited. WILLIAM THOMASSON, Amalgamated Association of Card and Blowing Room Operatives. JESSE THORPE, Federation of Master Cotton Spinners' Associations, Limited. JOSEPH WATSON. SIR HERBERT WHITELEY, Bart., Blackburn. CHARLES MELLOR WOLSTENHOLME, Liverpool Cotton Association, Ltd. GEORGE H. WHITTAKER, Rush Bank Mills, Oldham. R. WORSWICK, Federation of Master Cotton Spinners' Associations, Limited. *GEORGE BASIL ZOCIIONIS, Paterson, Zochonis, and Co., Limited. *Executive Committee, CARAVAN OF CAMELS EN ROUTE FOR PERSIA. 19 of only 150 lb. per acre, so far as can be judged from esti. mated measurements. “ When crops have been inspected the indications have been in all cases that the failure was due to salinity of the soil.” “ In order to confirm this a series of soil analyses are being made. Only by an expensive and well planned drainage scheme can pro- gressive deterioration be avoided. Although the whole of the soil in Iraq is more or less salted, the country to the north and north-west of Baghdad is more promising, particularly the land around Baqubah irrigated from the Diala river, which leaves the Hamrin Hills or, the Persian border. All this country is well irrigated and appears to be prosperous, whilst Baqubah, which is 30 miles from Baghdad, has a reputation for producing the best fruit in Iraq. At Baqubah I saw a very large block of land being cultivated by “ Fordson” tractors. The land was in some cases rather light and appeared not to have been “ cropped ” much, so that there was not much salt visible; a slight slope of the land pro- vided natural drainage. I believe that with a good system of irrigation and drainage there are quite good possibilities in this area. Whilst in this part of the country I also paid a visit to Balad Ruz and inspected the main canal, which is also taken off from the river Diala. There is a large estate here of 125,000 acres which belongs to a Greek family resident in Europe; it is man- aged by Mr. Sgouta and another young Greek. A fair amount of cotton is grown, although the chief crop is rice. The estate seemed to be well laid out and excellently managed. 23 “ The Adhaim river is a tributary of the Tigris and joins the latter to the north of Baghdad. The Dyala is another tributary of the Tigris and joins the latter down stream of Baghdad.” “ The Delta an Arid Region.—The Tigris-Euphrates Delta may be classed as an arid region of some 5,000,000 hectares. A part of this area is the Delta of the Dyala. This latter is well irrigated by the Khalis, Khorassan, and Beled Ruz canals and needs only good regulating heads, bridges, and drains to be an area of first class irrigated land. Another area of well irrigated land is the lower Euphrates from Nasria to Suk el Sheyook, and the Shaat el Arab along nearly its whole length. The swamps traversed by the Hindia branch of the Euphrates and the branches of the Tigris below Amara contain large areas of rice. A fair amount of irrigation is performed by “ Chareds ” worked by mules and oxen along the whole length of the Euphrates, and in scattered places on the Tigris. All these areas together form but a small fraction of the delta which is in need of irriga- tion on broad lines, if anything is ever to be made of it.” “ The crops of the winter season consisting principally of wheat, barley, beans and roots, need irrigation from November to May; the summer crops of millets, lubia beans, sesame, melons and inferior rice need irrigation from April to the middle of July. Superior rice needs irrigation from April to September. During September and October water would be needed for gar- dens and possibly for cotton of superior grades, when this crop came to assume a higher place in the agriculture of the country than it does to-day.” “Whole Delta Incapable of Being Irrigated Simultaneously. - It will be evident that the whole of the area of 5,000,000 hectares in the Delta is not capable of being irrigated at the same time; and in a comprehensive scheme for the whole Delta the first point is to decide where the available water can be utilised to the best advantage. For it must be borne in mind that never in the history of Mesopotamia has the whole of the country UN THE HINDIYAH BARRAGE. 30 There are three main factors or objects in Iraqian policy upon which I cannot lay too strong an emphasis. Firstly, the establishment and maintenance of a strong Government with a sound financial policy. Secondly, to inaugurate a definitely settled policy of drain- age and irrigation. Thirdly, a steady increase in the agricultural population, which result, I feel almost certain, would follow the accomplishment of the first two factors. The need for all these is dealt with at some length in the Preliminary Report to the Council, and with regard to this, cotton growing would largely benefit the country by bringing prosperity to the cultivators and in encouraging others to settle on the land; but there are of course at the moment very great difficulties in its cultivation. What is wanted (and this is per- haps the most essential) is for the Government to take up a scheme of drainage of land already irrigated, otherwise I am afraid it will gradually become of little value. I have no doubt the effect of drainage will be to put a very much larger area of land under cotton and other crops than there has been in the past. The cultivation of cotton will continue to increase under present conditions, but a rapid result cannot be expected. Efforts, however, for solving the various problems are being made in many directions; both Government Departments and private individuals are carefully considering the situation. As a rough estimate, with a full irrigation and drainage scheme, the total area that can be used for cotton cultivation is two million acres, but I am afraid it will be many years before there is a sufficiency of labour to cultivate anything like this area. CRANES AT THE WHARVES AT BASRA,