The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-02-03

| pickles from Boston. All these goods came via London.
 What Moors Do Not Want. ] It is useless for our exporters to at tempt to make a market in Morocco without sending men here to study the people. This country is as different from the United States as would be the lands of the Arabian Nights. Drummers who speak Spanish or French should be sent to travel among the people and report the kinds and patterns of goods desired They can hire guides who will interpret for them with the Moorish merchants, and they will find many Jewish traders who speak French and Spanish. Let me tell you, for instance, of a few things which it would be ridiculous to l send to Morocco. The American shoe is popular almost everywhere, and it is fast capturing Europe. It could do noth- ing here. These men want a loose slip per of soft leather with heel that can be bent over. They take their shoes off, as usual thing, when they enter their homes, and they never wear them inside the churches or mosques. The black of the American shoe would look out of place, for every Moorish gentleman likes a delicate pale yellow. As to the women, they wear red slippers of soft Morocco leather, and the better classes of them have their footwear embroidered with gold and silver. In the house most of the girls go barefooted, and no one wears a French heel. Indeed, heels are worn on no shoes here. and even fine Morocco boots are heelless. All the footwear is handmade and that made in F'ez is sent to different parts of the country.
 No Demand for Socks.
 The Moors do not want stockings. Of the 1000O,0O0 inhabitants of this couh try 9500000 have never heard of them, and I venture there are not 10000 women in the whole empire who clothe their legs in that way. Only the very well-to- do put them on upon occasions. and such persons are the Moors who have been affected by foreign influences.
 Our hatmakers need not send their wares These people use turbans, with skull caps under them to cover their smoothly shaVen sealps, and they some times pull the hoods of their gowns over their heads in addition. The Jews wear caps of black felt which fit close, and the Jewish women wrap their heads in silk handkerchiefs.
 At present there might be a small sale for American flour if it were shipped here in such packages that It could be carried by mules over the country. Morocco has some of the best wheat soil of the world, and if it had a government like ours with Secretary Wilson at the head of it's agrl- cultural department, 1t would be compet-
 
 llets of England. At present most of the grain is consumed in the localities where it Is raised. and the agricultural methods are so rude that it is high-priced, not withstanding the low wages. Farm hands get about 10 cents day and they board themselves, The blowing is done with crooked stick by means of ozen, mules, donkeys or eamels. The pitehfalrks are crotched sticks, sharpened at the ends, ShoVels and spades are unknown. A Moorsh blow costs about 50 cents, an OK yoke 15 cents and the rude hoe which Is commonly employed F cents. The grain is carried from many localities on the backs of camels In long bags made of palmetto leaves. One such bag will hold ten bushels and form a fair load for a camel. Here in Tangier the grain IS transported by donkeys from one part of the town to the other in four-bushel bags. Two bags are a good load for donkey
 The ordinary Moroccan stomach would be surprised at American flour. The bread of the country is made of meal ground at home. Every family has its own mill, consistign of two rude grind stones one on top of the other. the grain being poured through a hole in the top stone
 These stones aer turned by the wo- men of the family and as they are fra gile, bits of them come off and mix with the flour, leading to broken teeth and bad digestion.
 I wish I could show you a Moroccan bakery There are score of them in every town, and baking is a regular pro- fession. Very few people do any bak- ing at home. They make their flour, up into dough for bread and cakes and send