The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1878-06-27
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
greatest quantity of altar of roses comes
toWestern Europe. Kasanlink, the name
of which has SO often figured lately as a
point of strategical 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 lea it, are
the districts of Cirpan, Giopea, Kara.
dshah-D agh, Kojun-Tepe, Yeni Saghra,
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 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 animal 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 Ka-
sanlik would favor a suspicion that the
heayenward journey must have sorely
tried the archangel, and Count Won
Moltke, who was well acquainted with
Bulgaria and the Balkans, has styled the
valley of the Tundia, "The Cashmere
tof Europe, the Turkish Gulistan, the
land of roses"
Roses are not grown there as with us,
in isolated patches in gardens, but is
fields and in ridges, as if they were no
better than potatoes. 1t would be diff
fcult to imagine anything more charm
ing than the appearance of those rose
fields, and any painter who should at
temptfto 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
is calculated 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 thu
Tekne, or region of which Kasanlik il
the center, is estimated at between eigh1
hundred and nine hundred kilogrammer
from one hundred and ninety-fve to two
hundred and twenty imperial gallons) Of
rose oil.
The wealth of water in the valley il
prodigious; springs are not only numer
Gus, but most abundant in yield. There
is a general system of irrigation, which
remembering that the country is Bull
garia and not Lombardy, is admirable
The whole valley was a picture of pros
perity, the result of natural fertility
carefully nurtured by human industry
Where roses are not cultivated, neav.
crops of maize are gathered, and along
the slopes and down by the watersid'
are numerous herds and focks. Kasan
ik itself is a town of ten Thousand
inhabitants, and is surrounded by mag
n~ifcent walnut woods, which are also
source of commercial industry.
Won Moltke speaks of the situation a
one of the rarest beauty. Many of tn
trees, he says, cover an extent of on
hundred feet with their spreading
branches, while countless wild pigeon
fill the woods with their cooling. TIL,
murmuring or the rush of waters
heard in every direction; the sky itsel
presents p~erpetually changing aspect
by reason of the neighboring mountains
while the deliciouslyf fresh air isxedolen
with delicate perfume. About twenty
five miles to the southeast of Kasanlik
and divided from the Tundja valley b,
a range OF hills, is Eski-Saghra, a tow
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 500
make the whole of Southern Bulgari
the richest and most productive countr
in Europe. The campaign of whic
these beautiful and fertile valleys ar
now the theater will have probabl
ruined the rose culture at least fo
many a year.