The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1854-07-14
GRICULTU u r A l..
FARMING IN PALESTINE.

y. w. Jones, Esq, OF fllishe'u, Mass''
who is laboring 10 amelioraie the CONDITION
Of the Jews, has written home 10 d.. Reeds
Culiurist and Gazette an interesting letter,
descriptive OF the geology and agriculture
Of that part Of the eastern coas, OF the Med
iierranean. He says ,ha, its surface rocks
belong 10 the chalk formation and that the
soil is naturally fertile, but wieichedly cul-
tiva,ed. The plains Of Sharon appear 10 be
elevated ,able.land, having an abundance Of
lime, in the form, primarily, Of minute
characteristic OF chalk-and valua-
BILE for raising grain. Mr.. Jones letter
bears date January 81, 1854, in which he
gives the following interesting informa'
lion:
The plains are chiefly used 10 raise grain
upon, aud to pasture fiocks and herds upon.
The appearance now Is much as our Iiver
lands and plains re about the fore rar, oil
June. The wheat is from six 10 twelve
inches high; barley is sown before a.d after
wheat, and is Of different ages. Dhura and
sem sem is no, yet sown. Sem So "a bears
n seed OF nature somewhat ike haxseed,
and looks a good deal like red pepper
seed, ouly larger, and is used TO make
iamp-oil. There is nothing like fence oI
hedge around the gTain fields, and all ;he
land not occupied for iilla.e Is one CON-
mon pasture; but, as in the days Of old, nc
creature Of any kind is allowed 10 run al
larye-all are under the care Of the shep.
herds, and nj niaht ;hey are driven home
into the fold. The first persons iha, we
see stirring in the morning are the cattle
tenders '.goiny forth with their fiocks," aud
all day long they can be seen scattered in
every direction over The plans, "iending
their Aocks," precisely rs we read OF in the
DAYS OF the pairiarchs. The wheat is ripe
in May, and before this time the rains are
over, aud there is no need OF barns; SO the
grain is cut and piled up till they take a
notion TO thrash il, when place is smoolhed
off on the ground, and the grain ihIown on
and oxen driven over il Till il Is pounded up
fine, and then is thrown against the wind,
put into sacks and carried TO market, full OF
every thing that can make il foul; and then
people whose business IL is, take IL and sif
It on the ground in the street, when il is
ready for grinding. II this land was no, as
rich rs the garden Of Eden, they would not,
in the way they cultivate il, get their seed
Their plows do not make a larger iurrow
than our cuitivaiors; and what is more
they only "cui and cover" they 20 round
a land, or back and forth on the same, JUS
aa il happens = rs their plow turns a iur
row both ways, il makes no difference
Their yokes are simply a stIaigh, stick
with two pins for bow, with a s'ring ,iet
across the ends under the neck and j
looks, at litle distance, just like long
low saw horse, or saw-bench. They use
the same yoke .or an OK, mule, or donkey
and they are no, AT all particular abou
working two animals OF the same kind TO-
gelheI-an OK and an ass, or an OK, mule
or a COW is Jus, rs well as any way the
same gear hts all.
In the neighborhood Of Jaffa are some o
the best gardens for oranges, lemons, pom
egranaics, melons, dates, bananas, etc.
that can re found in the county -perhap'
in any country. These gardens have 10 b,
waiered during the dry season, and all the
water Is raised from the wells. The wei
10 d,g on the highest place in the gaiden
and the waier raised Into pool by Graz,
apparatus, turned by n mule hi,ched to
sweep, where il stands till Il becomes warn
enough TO use, when il is let on to the gar
den by channels made for the purpose. BY
watering in the dry season, vegetables al
be grown all the year round, and two, three
or tOur crops can be produced on the same
ground in year. All things grow very
quick. Early Indian corn has been raised
nj iof ealing IN seven weeks from planning
and wheat has ripened in sixty days from
sowing. The orange trees, and also the
rlemen and Pomecrana,es, require 10 be
watcrod through the summer months. in
order to have them produce any good fruit,
Figs, grapes, aud olives are moi much raised
in these gardens--,hey do bes, on the noun
tains and rocky places - precisely the op
posite of what the products Of these garden,
want A dry, stony soil, wi'hou, wa,el