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  PROCEEDINGS 
  OF 
  THE 
  FOTTRTH 
  ENTOMOLOGICAL 
  MEETING 
  

  

  there 
  is 
  a 
  regular 
  system 
  of 
  canals 
  leading 
  water 
  from 
  the 
  rivers 
  to 
  the 
  

   cultivated 
  areas. 
  In 
  addition 
  to 
  these, 
  there 
  are 
  at 
  various 
  points 
  along 
  

   both 
  the 
  rivers 
  certain 
  canals 
  in 
  which 
  water 
  is 
  available 
  only 
  in 
  seasons 
  

   of 
  high 
  flood 
  which 
  occurs 
  regularly 
  in 
  April-May. 
  In 
  Sub-montane 
  

   tracts 
  springs 
  rising 
  in 
  mountain-sides 
  are 
  exploited 
  for 
  raising 
  various 
  

   crops. 
  The 
  most 
  usual 
  means 
  of 
  irrigation 
  is 
  however, 
  the 
  water-lift 
  — 
  

   either 
  the 
  Persian 
  Wheel 
  or 
  the 
  Mhote 
  driven 
  by 
  ponies 
  (Ar. 
  Cherid), 
  or 
  

   the 
  pumps 
  driven 
  by 
  Oil-engines. 
  Owing 
  to 
  its 
  dependence 
  on 
  river 
  

   water, 
  it 
  will 
  thus 
  be 
  seen 
  that, 
  except 
  in 
  the 
  case 
  of 
  the 
  regular 
  irrigation 
  

   canals, 
  cultivation 
  is 
  confined 
  mostly 
  to 
  the 
  riverbanks. 
  

  

  The 
  most 
  predominant 
  element 
  of 
  Mesopotamian 
  Agriculture 
  is 
  the 
  

   culture 
  of 
  the 
  Date 
  Palm. 
  The 
  Date 
  Palm 
  forms 
  the 
  wealth 
  of 
  the 
  

   Arab 
  and 
  is 
  a 
  dearly 
  cherished 
  object 
  regarded 
  almost 
  as 
  one 
  of 
  his 
  

   children. 
  The 
  continuous 
  belt 
  of 
  Date 
  forest 
  extending 
  from 
  the 
  

   mouth 
  of 
  the 
  Shatt-al-Arab 
  for 
  a 
  distance 
  of 
  nearly 
  90 
  miles 
  up 
  the 
  river 
  

   up 
  to 
  very 
  near 
  Kurnah, 
  is 
  unrivalled 
  in 
  the 
  world 
  both 
  in 
  extent 
  and 
  

   quality. 
  In 
  addition 
  to 
  the 
  Basrah 
  area, 
  there 
  are 
  numerous 
  patches 
  of 
  

   Date 
  cultivation 
  both 
  along 
  the 
  Euphrates 
  and 
  the 
  Tigris 
  and 
  in 
  numerous 
  

   isolated 
  localities 
  like 
  Mendali 
  and 
  Bedrah. 
  The 
  Date 
  Palm 
  does 
  not 
  

   flourish 
  further 
  than 
  50 
  or 
  60 
  miles 
  north 
  of 
  Baghdad 
  owing 
  to 
  the 
  

   occurrence 
  of 
  heavy 
  frosts. 
  Next 
  to 
  the 
  Date 
  is 
  wheat 
  and 
  barley 
  

   which 
  are 
  the 
  staple 
  grains 
  of 
  the 
  land. 
  Paddy 
  is 
  grown 
  under 
  canal 
  

   irrigation 
  and 
  in 
  marshy 
  situations 
  near 
  the 
  Basrah 
  area, 
  while 
  in 
  favour- 
  

   able 
  situations 
  like 
  B'aqubah 
  large 
  areas 
  of 
  fruit-trees 
  are 
  noticeable, 
  

   the 
  chief 
  fruits 
  being 
  Apricots, 
  Peaches, 
  Nectarines, 
  Pomegranates, 
  

   Figs 
  and 
  Grapes. 
  In 
  the 
  neighbourhood 
  of 
  large 
  towns 
  immense 
  quan- 
  

   tities 
  of 
  vegetables 
  are 
  grown 
  for 
  the 
  supply 
  of 
  the 
  local 
  markets, 
  the 
  

   chief 
  vegetables 
  being 
  turnips, 
  cabbages, 
  cauliflower 
  and 
  beet 
  in 
  winter 
  

   and 
  ladyfingers, 
  brinjals, 
  cucumbers, 
  radish 
  and 
  beans 
  in 
  summer. 
  Of 
  

   late 
  the 
  activities 
  of 
  the 
  Agricultural 
  Department 
  have 
  demonstrated 
  

   the 
  great 
  possibilities 
  of 
  cotton 
  as 
  an 
  industrial 
  crop 
  in 
  Mesopotamia. 
  

  

  Insects 
  in 
  Mesopotamia. 
  Contrary 
  to 
  the 
  generally 
  accepted 
  view, 
  

   insects 
  are 
  by 
  no 
  means 
  scarce 
  in 
  Mesopotamia. 
  In 
  summer, 
  however, 
  

   owing 
  to 
  the 
  extreme 
  heat, 
  several 
  of 
  the 
  insects 
  are 
  in 
  a 
  state 
  of 
  aestiva- 
  

   tion, 
  while 
  the 
  extreme 
  rigours 
  of 
  the 
  winter 
  frosts 
  compel 
  many 
  other 
  

   insects 
  to 
  undergo 
  a 
  state 
  of 
  hibernation. 
  The 
  advent 
  of 
  the 
  spring, 
  

   however, 
  is 
  an 
  occasion 
  for 
  a 
  very 
  remarkable 
  outburst 
  of 
  life. 
  Butter- 
  

   flies 
  are 
  seen 
  fluttering 
  in 
  the 
  emerald 
  green 
  fields, 
  varieties 
  of 
  rosechafers 
  

   are 
  noticeable 
  on 
  flowers, 
  and 
  the 
  hum 
  of 
  the 
  bees 
  is 
  everywhere 
  in 
  the 
  

   air, 
  while 
  the 
  abundance 
  of 
  nocturnal 
  insects 
  that 
  crowd 
  around 
  the 
  dinner 
  

   table 
  at 
  night 
  and 
  persist 
  in 
  committing 
  suicide 
  in 
  various 
  viands 
  makes 
  

   life 
  a 
  burden 
  in 
  the 
  spring 
  months. 
  The 
  general 
  character 
  of 
  the 
  insect 
  

  

  