The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1879-09-20
he and Of the lsesr.

1t is probably not generally known
that the region in which Genaral Kour-
kho has been lately operating with his
Cossacks is the land whence by far the
greatest quantity of altar Of roses comes
to Western Europe. Kasanlik. the name
OF which has often figured lately as 4
point Of strategieal importance, is also :
center OF one of the most rem .rkable
species of horticulture, or rather agy;-
culture, to be found in the whole world
Around it, or near it, are the districts of
Cirpan, Giopea, Karadshah Dagh. Koiun-
/ Tepe, Yeni Saghra, all Of which are de-
voted to this peculiar hnsbandry. The
Mussulman tradition sssigns the origin
OF the rose to the night Of Mohammed,s
| journey to heaven. The white yfses
sprang from the drops of sweat which
fell from the blessed forehead of the
prophet himself in the toilsome a.
cent; the sweat of Borak, the miraculous
animal he rode, gave birth to yellow
ones, while the celestial drops which fell
from Gabriel were the source of the red
rose. The appearance of The neighbor-
hood OF kasanlk would favor suspicion
that the heayenward journey must have
aoreiy tried the arehangel, and Count
Won Moltke, who was well acquainted
with Bulgaria and Balkans, has STYLED
the valley of the Tundia The Cashmere
OF Europe, the Turkish Gnlistan. the
land of roses. p
Roses are not grown there as with us.
in isolated patches in gardens but Ia
fields and in ridges, as # they we're no
better than potatoes. It would be diff
cult to imagine anything more charming
than the appearance of those rose fields.
and any painter who should attempt to
reproduce this picture would axsuredly
be charged with exaggeration. But it
would be impossible to catch the infinite
alternations 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 nse-
less for the chief object in view. tt
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 nnagoidably
wasted. The entire produceof the Tekne,
or region OF which Kasanlik is the center,
is estimated at about eight hundred or
nine hundred hlogrammes tfrom one
hundred and ninety five to two hundred
and twenty imperial gallous) Of rose oil
| The wealth of water IN the valley IS
prodigious; springs are not only numer-
ous, but most abundant IN yield. There
Is general system OF irrigation, which.
remembering that the country is Bull
garia and not Lombardy is admirable.
The whole valley was picture of pros
| perity, the result of natural fertility.
carefully nurtured by human industry.
Where roses are not cultivated. heavy
crops of maize are gathered, and along
the slopes and down by the watersile are
numerous herds and focks Kasalink
itself is town of ten thousand inhaait-
ants, and is surrounded by magnificent
walnut woods, which are also a 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 one
hundred 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 changing aspects by
reason of the surrountling mountains; j;
while the deliciously frdsh air is fsioleiis
with delicate perfume. Abonf twenty
five miles to the southeast of Kasaniik.
and divided from the Tjunda valley by B
range of hills, is Eski-Saghra, q town OF
eighteen thousand inhabitants, also
notable industrial center, the best silk
and the finest wheat in Turkey being
produced in the surrounding district.
With such diligent husbandmen, q mod
erately fair government would soon
make the whole Of Southern Bulgaria the
richest and most productive country in
/ Europe.