Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1890-05-12
PALESTINE.
Observations Of Elder Hintze During
His Mission 10 the Holy Land.

I
e are very much interested in the
4 future Of that land, knowing more
: about its destiny than any other
, people. Those who will be favored
a to live In Palestine will be called
! ''thepeople Of the Lori" and be ''the
I bride of the Lamb Of God.'' Hence
] il is no wonder that We concern
/ ourselves so much about the changes
that are soon to take place there.
As for the climate, II is Of the
finest. The very air seems filled
with fertility. A heavy coat of
, dew falling upon the ground every
night, in that way the neces-
sary moisture is provided for the
maturing Of the crops. 1t seldom
SHOWS in Palestine, and If il does
J frost is very rare. This is, however,
not the case with Lebanon, which is
high and covered with snow almost
every winter. The climate Of Judea
and Samaria is semi-tropicsl, and
these places are most agreeable and
pleasant for winter residence.
Along the coasts Of the MeditcT-
ranean garden produce grows all
the winter, 20 that in March and
April the new crops are realized.
Oranges are ripe in December, and
continue good for five or six months.
In order to pres rye them they are
| allowed TO remain on the trees until
required, when they arr gathered
and SHIPPED. Those gathered late
have generally thick peel, but they
are otherwise good. The orange
orchards along the coast furnish n
most delightful sight, as the trees
bloom In March, while the I'M
| gathered fruit vet remains on
other trees. Thus, the air being
/ filled with a sweet perfume, and the
orchards speckeled with the yellow
oranges, the heholler has before him
a picture not soon 10 be forgotten.
Orange trees flourish all over Pales- |
tine, but they are chiefly cultivated !
on the sea coast, as the Arabs do but
/ little for their own benefit. Oranges
are the winter fruit Of the country.
The climate in the summer is hot |
and dry. After the later rains in !
March no rain IL expected until |
about Octoter, when the early rains |
/ begin 10 fall. The atmospheric /
changes are much Ike our own here !
in Utah, windy, wet in winter and l
dry and hot liz summer. On the
I River Jordan, which is several hun
dred feet below the level Of the sea,
the weather is extremely warm in /
the summer, but as the valley is
well watered by the jordan, the
oppressive heat is considerably |
tempered. The river jordan has
fall II about six hundred feet from
the Sea Of Galilee 10 the Dead Sea,
a distance Of about sixty-four miles,
and II settled hy n people who pro-
perly understood irrigation !. could
be made one OF the most delightful
spots on earth. Tie country is full
Of fevers in the summer time, that
Is, the low lands, ana particularly
the swamps, but on the hills II is. as
n rule, healthy; hence the people
usually seek the high lands as n
place Of residence during the sum
mer months. The summer fruits
consist principally Of figs, grapes,
bananas. olives and lOcus;s, and
sometimes st. Johns bread. Some
say that this is what John ate with
his honey while in the wilderness.
Small grain also grows well, such
as wheat, oats, barley and corn;
potatoes DO not 10 so well, except
when the seed Is brought from
foreign countries.
Along the eastern part OF Mount
Carmel the country j. lovely. When
we passed through Il Il had just
been raining, anu the fields being
covered with n promising yield Of
grain, LEFT a striking impression on
our minds OF the richness Of the
land, and the blessing OF heaven
upon il. Besides the green and
well-iaden fields, the hills were
spangled with low oaks ami olives,
and Qf l remember rightly with
wild apple trees. This is the coun-
try where King David sought
refuge from Saui's reNengeful pur-
suits; here he lived in exile and
herded the sheep and cattle Of the
rich Nabal. Here also the Prophets
Elijah and Elisha performed many
Of their mighty works and often
lived in exile and hiding from the
wicked kings Of Israel.
Round about Samaria the country
is billy. In the days OF prosperity
this country was noted for its plen-
titude OF wine and oil. The Prophet
jeremiah says: "rhOu shalt yet
plant vines upon the hills Of sam
aria: the planters shall plant, and
shall eat them as common things.
For watchmen upon the mount
Ephraim shall cry: Arise ye, and
let us go up 10 Zion unto the Lord,
our God" der. 81; 5, g. Around
Samaria one can still see marks Of n
once high state Of cultivation as the
country is still much terraced of.
the country Of Jerusalem does ,
not look so inviting. The bills are
more rugged and barren, though I
there are spots where grapes and {
olives do well. The country west Of ,
the Holy City, that Is toward the [
Mediterranean. is better than that ! 4
which is found toward the east, and
in the direction Of the Dead Sea /
and Jericho the country appears !
fOrsaken- IL is very much broken, n
cut up with deep ravines. like the I
Castle Valley country in Utah, and I
Is the very ideal for home Of the G
thieves and robbers who infest the {
land.
do not know that there is n very |
change in the fruitfulness OF h
the Holy Land, but some efforts \
have been made 10 better cultivate a
the country by Europeans, and as 5
they become more familiar with :
our modern ways Of filling the soil,
they realize better returns. When n
the fruitfulness Of Palestine re- a
turns, 1t will be something asionish- I
ing, and OF n magnitude which will /,
not be mistaken. Let US remember n
the report Of the twelve spies sent o
put by moses to find the wealth and r
strength Of the land OF Canaan. 4
They returned with n most glowing I
account Of its fertility, and in proof 3
brought n bunch Of grapes which v
was carried on . poll "between n
two" This fruitfulness will. per- :,
haps, not return at onoe, but when c
Gods Saints shall receive their long =
ooked-fOr inheritance In that land, 4
lie Lsrd will bless /. as promised I
through His servants. h
+. +. HINTzE.
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THE KANSAS CITY woRl<IIousE