The Osceola times., 1878-07-20
The Land o! the Roses.

IL bprODDDIy mol ReneIaiIy Known tnat
the region in which General Gourkho
has been lately operating with his Cos.
sacks is the land whence by far the great
est quantity OF ottar OF roses comes TO
Western Europe. Kssanlink, the name
Of which has 20 often figured lately - q
point of strsteeicsl importance, is also
the central point OF one Of the most re-
markable species of horticulture, or
rather agriculture, TO be found in the
whole world. Around it, or near it, are
the districts of Cirpan, Giepea, Kara
dash Dagh, Kojun-Tepe, Yeni Saehra,
all of which are devoted to this peculiar
husbandry. The Mussulman tradition
assigns the origin of the rose to the
night of Mohammed' s journey to heaven.
The white roses spraDg from the drops
of sweat which fell from the blessed fore
head Of the prophet himself in the toll
some ascent; the sweat of Borak, the
miraculous animal he rode, gave birth To
the yellow ones, while the celestial droT :
which fell from Gabriel were the source
of the red rose. The appearance Of the
neighborhood OF Ksssnlik would favor a
suspicion that the heavenward journey
must have surely tried the archangel,
and Count Won Moltke, who was well
acquainted with Bulgaria and the Bal
ksus, has styled the valley OF the Tundja,
"The Cashmere Of Europe, the Turkish
Gulistan, the land of roses"
Roses are not grown there ss with us,
10 isolated patches in gardens, but in
fields and in ridges, as If they were nc
better than potatoes. 1t would be dif
ficult to imagine anything more charm
ing than the appearance OF those rose
fields, and any painter who should at
tempt TO reproduce this picture would
assuredly be charged with exaggeration
But it would be impossible to catch the
infinite alterations 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 objects in view. II
Ia calculated that about one-fourth o.
the leaves are lest in this way perhaps
as much more either fail to come to tht
requisite perfection or are unavoidably
wasted. The entire produce of the
Teine, or region of which Kasanlik il
the center, is estimated at between eight
hundred and nine hundred kilogrammer
from one hundred and ninety-fve to two
hundred and twenty imperial gallons) o
rose oil.
The wealth of water in the valley i
prodigious; springs are not only numer
Gus, but most abundant in yield. Their
is q general system of irrigation, which
remembering that the country is Bul
gsria and not Lombardy, is admirable
The whole valley was picture of pros
perity, the result of natural fertility
carefully nurtured by human industry
When roses are not cultivated, hesvy
crops of maize are gathered, and slon,
the slopes and down by the watersid'
are numerous herds aud focks Kssan
Iik itself is town OF ten thousand 10
hsbi.auts, and is surrounded by mag
nifcent walnut woods, which are also /
source of commercial industry.
Won Moltke speaks of the situstion a
one of the rarest beauty. Many of th'
trees, he says. cover an extent of on,
hundred feet with their spreadin,
branches, while countless wild pigeon
fill the woods with their cooling. Tn,
murmuring or the rush OF waters i
heard in every direction; the sky itsel
presents perpetually changing aspects By
reason Of the neighboring mountains
while the deliciously fresh air Is redolen
with delicate perfume. About twenty
five miles to the southeast of KaMnlik
and divided from the Tundja valley b.
q range of hills, is Eski. SAghra, a towi
of eighteen thousand inhabitants, also ,
notable industrial center, the best sill
and the finest wheat In Turkey bein.
produced in the surrounding district
With such diligent husbandmen, ,
moderately fair government would sool
make the whole of Southern Bulgarii
the richest and most productive country
in Europe. The campaign of which thes'
beautiful and fertile valleys are nov
the theater will hsve probably ruined
the rose culture at lesst for many ,
year.