The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1877-10-11
The Land Of the Roses.

The Land of the Roses.
1t is probably not generally known
that the region in which General Gourkho
has been lately operating with his Cos
sacks is the land whence by far the great
Test quantity of after of roses comes to
Western Europe. Kesanlik, the name of
which has so often figured during the
past fortnight as point of strategicsl
Importance, is also the center Of one of
the most remarkable species of horticul-
ture, or rather agriculture, to be found in
the whole world.
Around it, or near it, are the districts
of Cirpan, Giopca, Karadshah- Dagh, Ko-
jun-Tepe, Yeni Saghra, all of which are
devoted to this peculiar husbandry. The
Mnssulman tradition assigns the origin
of the rose to the night of Mohammed's
journey to Heaven. The white roses
sprang from the drops of sweat which
fell from the blessed forehead of the
prophet himself in the toilsome ascent;
the sweat of Borak, the miraculous ami
NAL he rode, gave birth to the yellow ones;
while the celestial drops which fell from
Gabriel were the source of the red rose.
The appearance of the neighborhood of
Kesaulik would favor suspicion that
the heavenward journey must have sorely
tried the Archangel, and Count Won
Moltke, who was we'll acquainted with
Bulgaria and the Balkans, has styled the
valley of the Tunda "the Cashmere of
Europe, the Turkish Gulistan, the land Of
roses"
Roses are not grown there as with US in
isolated patches in gardens, but in fields
and in ridges as if they were no better
than potatoes. It would be difficult to
imagine anything more charming than
the appearance of those rose fields; and
any painter who should attempt to re-
produce this picture would assuredly be
charged with exaggeration. But it would
be impossible to catch the infinite alter
nations of color both among the roses
themselves and the green leaves Of the
shrubs. Hundreds Of millions of rose
leaves strew the ground and are useless
for the chief object in view. 1t is calcu-
lated that about one-fourth of the leaves
are lost in this way; perhaps as much
more either fail to come to the requisite
perfection or are unavoidably wasted.
The entire produce of the Tekne, or re-
gion, of which Kesanlik is the centre, is
estimated at between 800 and 900 kilo-
grammes (from 1875 to 220 imperial gal
lons) of rose oil. The wealth of water
in the valley is prodigious; springs are
not only numerous, but most abundant in
yield. There is general system of irri-
CATION which, remembering that the coun-
try is Bulgaria and not Lombardy, is adj
mirable. The whole valley was picture
of prosperity, the result Of natural fertil-
ity and carefully tended by human indus
try. Where roses are not cultivated,
heavy crops of maize are gathered, and
along the slopes and down by the water
side are numerous herds and t1ocks. Kes-
anlik itself is a town of 10000 inhabit
tants, and is surrounded by magnificent
walnut woods, which are also source of
commercial industry.
Won Moltke speaks of the situation as
one of the rarest beauty. Many of the
trees he says, cover an extent of 100 feet
with their spreading branches, while
countless wild pigeons fill the woods with
their cooling. The murmuring or the
rush of waters is heard in every direction;
the sky itself presents perpetually chang
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mountains; while the depiciously fresh
air is redolent with delicate perfume.
About twenty-five miles to the southeast
of Kesanlik, and divided from the Tundja
Valley by range of hills, is Eski-Saghrs,
a town of $4,000 inhabitants, also no.
table industrial centre, the best .ilk and
the finest wheat in Turkey being produced
in the surrounding districts. With such
diligent husbandmen, a moderately fair
government would soon make the whole
of Southern Bulgaria the richest and most
productive country in Europe. The cam
paign of which these beautiful and fertile
valleys are now the theatre will have
probably ruined the rose culture, at least
for many year.-Lond0n Times.
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