, 1855-01-06
The Agriculture of Palestine.

country about Jerusalem. The city i
: largely inhabited hy jews, many of whom
| are pensioners of their brethren in all III,
rest Of the world. They are miscrabl,
poor, indOlen', and without employment
The country round about is in possession
Of the Arabs, who hate the CHRIS ian!
much and the Jews mo e. Tie Arabs ar,
the worst farmers in the world. Their in
plements of huSbandry are 20 rude anC
primitive that a sample Of them would sur
prise even cotton-planter of South Caro-
lima.
1t is supposed by many that The lands o.
Palestine are generally of the poorest char
acter for the purpose of the husbandman
Nothing conld be further from the truth
Tie cou iiry possesses a great diversity oi
climate, owing to the variation in elevation
The valley Of the Jordon, at the level Of
the Dead Sea, is 1912 feet below The Med
:terranean, while the mountain of Lebanon
rises above the line Of rpe'ull snow,
which is ut $500 feet above the level OF
the sea, so that here is eternal winter,
while the valley Of the Jordan is perpe'.
ual tropical climate, aud between these
variations of altitude there are oil the Va
rieties of productions of temperate zones.
The soil is Centrally calrareous, light.
co!ored loan in the interior, particularly
near Jerusalem. and near the sea shore il
is OF dark red loan, and on the plains
of Sharon very productive, yielding three
crops year Of such things as will ripen
within that space. The SOL produces good
wheat aud corn. oats, potatoes, &C., about
equal to the average crops of Connecticut.
Cotton has been produced here in quality
and product per acre equal TO the best up
land plantations in this country.
Fruit Of various kinds grows TO great
perfection The grapes in particular are
very superior, while peaches, pomegranate~,
apricots, plnms, olives. figs, oranges, and
melons, are rich and abundant.
Altogether, the climate and SOL. and
the pro luctionS, make it u most desirable
country for a res:denc.. The rich b1andS
near Jatrl can be bought for sum eqnal
to about SIX or eight dollars an English
acre.
To all this there is a drawback. which
has heretofore deferred settlers from seek
ing home there, who know how to appre-
cintc aud cultivate such sol and make
the productions profitable in a climate so
pleasant and beautiful. The eouhtry is in
possession Of the Arabs, who, in point Of
cv.liz ltion, are but II small remove above
the wild Indians Of this continent.
From time to time missionary cff0r's
have been made in Palestine, both by Eng.
l.sl aud Americans. with one universal de-
gree OF sncceSS-that was 10 make no con.
verts. but embitter the bigots against those
who were trying to tell them Of better
religion than their own.
Two years ago All effort was made in
new line to amelorate the condition Of the
inhabitants of Palestine Seven Ameri-
cans, with improved plows and o.her tools,
and American seeds, located upon Il pivce
of land seven miles from Jerusalem. one
mile from Bethlehem, aud made prepara-
tions for farming after the American sys-
ten.
Their location was in the valley Of Ar
tos, upon the very site of one VI tue CUR
deus Of Solomon.
Their friends in the city were mnch OF
posed to their going out there to reside,
nrging them, il they were determined to
try to cultivate the SOL, to\kerpiheir resi-
dence in the city, for fear Of the Arabs
This did not suit their plans, and they took
up their residence upon the land and COM
mcnced operations, plowing deep with one
of our hest plows, narrowing with an IRON
tOO;hed harrow. such as was never seen
there before. and planting corn. potdtoes
beans, peas, oats, barley, wheat and all
Sorts Of garden vegetables; in short, max
ing a perfect American farm.
The operation, instead Of exciting the
jealousy of the Arabs, aroused them TO u
state Of surprise, and the news OF what the
Americans at So!omon's garden were do
ing, and what wonderful tools they were
using, and how peaceabe and quiet they
Fwere, never saying anything about d cir
religion, flew on the wings of the wind, and
visitors came TO look and wonder. from
far and near. The operations of the car
penter aud blacksmith were not among the
least sources of wonder. The rapid man
ner in which he heated his iron, aud ham
mered it into just such shape us he desired
was beyond the comprehension Of the sim
ple-minded people.
Oae day the farm received visit from
twenty-five She.ks, who inspected all The
tools anl the way they were used, and the
effect produced, and looked ut the growing
crops, SO much beyond anything they haG
ever seen produced before, and then turned
their heads ioge her to consult upon the
wonders they had witnessed. The concln
son was that these people must possess u
very superior kind Of rrlig:on, as that is
the standard upon which they baseall their
estimates of character. They made appl.
cat.oa at once for several OF thef sous to
serve as apprentices to learn American
farming. ana did not even object thai they
should be taught the principles Of Amer
can religion for surely. said they, it mnsl
he a gooi religion. us these are very gooa
people, and Col hlesSes their labor beyolu
any other in all Palestine.
] II vould have been danraroos for any