76 ITALIAN COLONIES - AGRICUXTURAI, ECONOMY EST GENERAI, 



gulated the esparto harvest, the purchase in the gross of this product and 

 trade in it. 



B. — Attempts at Colonization and Criteria on which they u-ere based. ■— 

 As things are at present little can be said on the subject of colonization. 

 We will merely advance some con.iiderations and reproduce some data of 

 a general character. 



The types of domain which may most profitably be chosen for the 

 future colonization of lyibya, according to the selection made by the Com- 

 mission for the Agroiogical Study of Tripoli, nominated by a ministerial 

 decree of ii February 1913, are the following : 



(a) Exploitation by irrigated crops, if a very intensive system of 

 agriculture leading to the production of plum-trees, fruit, vegetables and 

 various industrial plants, be adopted ; 



{h) Bxploitation by entirely dry or flooded crops, extending over a 

 very large area, say 200 to 300 hectares, the mixed culture of trees and gras- 

 ses being practi'-ed ; 



(c) Pastoral exploitation depending principally on sheep-farming, 

 on the principle of a central domain or nucleus and a greater or less extent 

 of steppe used as pasturage. 



In certain circumstances unirrigated, enclosed domains may also be 

 adopted for colonization, but this type of agriculture seems to be the least 

 profitable. 



The first experiments in colonization in Libya were made by the Royal 

 Agrarian Ofiice of Tripoli, formed by a royal decree of 2 March 1914, no. 1791 

 To this ofiice duties were entrusted which may be divided into two very 

 distinct groups : the first comprising those of an essentially administrative 

 nature, including investigations and measures tending to favour native 

 and colonial agriculture and to stimulate and encourage colonization by 

 Italian agriculturists; the second those of a technical and economically 

 agricultural nature which concern the whole programme of practical ex- 

 periment. 



In carrying out these first colonizing experiments the principle has 

 been adopted of associating the action of the State with private initiative, 

 in other words the government's action has been completed by that of in- 

 dividuals with a view to avoiding the danger of patchwork colonization in- 

 spired by no guiding idea. 



By the royal decree of 13 July 1914, no. 726, the governor of Tripoli 

 was empowered to make grants of the land? of the domain. He was in a 

 position to carry out, by means of the stafi of the Agrarian Ofiice of Tripoli, 

 an organic and scientific programme of colonization based on the general 

 criteria already established by the central administration. 



This measure was otherwise justified by the necessity of leaving to the 

 local government, in the initial period in which all the elements contribut- 

 ing to determine economic conditions in general and the agricultural con- 

 dition of the colonies in particular were not yet known, that freedom of 

 action which is quite indispensable if colonizing activity is not to be sub- 



