Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1910-08-30
Orient OFFERS
CROPSTO WEST
Palestine Home OF Much
That Is Needful
Say Scientist

letin recently issu d by the Depart.
ment of Agriculture SAYS the Orient
still remains almost mexplored and
unknown as to It's agricultural trea.
sures and economic exploration rath-
or than scholarly research is needed
to make that land known and Its va.
lue appreciated and to secure for the
United States most useful agricultural
introductions. There are TO be found
some of the best cultivated varieties. :
developed by the combined efforts of
man and nature for thousands OF
years. and there. also, are almost all
of the wild types which our prehis. /
toric ancestors utilized in producing ,
the cultivated crops of our time.
The report under review deals es- ,
pecially with the useful plants which |
should be introduced into the far West |
and Southwest from that portion of |
the Orient known as Palestine. Al |
ready the Smyrna fig and Thompson's |
seedless grape, among other fruits, |
Kherson oats and hard Russia and /,
Turkey wheats, among cereals, have |
been introduced into the United States |
and made II possible to extend cultiva.
ton to regions heretofore untitled, |
and It is believed that what has been
done | nths direction Is but splen. |
did beginning of n most promising
future possibility.
This land closely resembles Califor.
mia except as to the extent of area;
In fact. is practically a California re-
duced to about one.twentieth In size.
but markedly similar in general topo-
graphy. climate, vegetation, and agri'
cultural aud economic possibilities.
\ Like California. Palestine is longest
from north to south: II, too. has very
high mountains. and very dscp de-
presslons. Passing from west to east
In either, there Is the lattoral region
along the coast, the zone OF hills and
plateaus, then the long valley In each.
while still farther east are fertile pla-
teaus. finally turning into arid or de-
sert lands. Each. too, has dry warm
season.rand a humid and more temper.
ate one. Palestine Is even more fav-
ored than California with regard to-
winter temperature, for although as In
California. the thermometer rises high
In summer II rarely drops in the wind.
or to the freezing point Snow Is
rare even on the plateaus aud farm.
ers in almost all parts OF the Holy
Land are safe from any damage by
frCst.
Curiously enough, the list of fora
of this small territory of Palestine In.
cludes approximately the same num-.
Der of species as that of California
about 5000. In both sections ever
green shrubs predominant The same
forms OF vegetation, often the same
genera, are found on Mount Tamal.
pals, California, and Mount Carmel.
Palestine; the maquis formation OF
Palestine Is to be compared to the
chaparral and chamlso OF California;
and the forms of vegetation of the
Lebanon and the Hermon mountains
are much the same as those of the
western slope OF the Sierras. This
analogy Of the fora of Palestine with
that Of California justiiles the expec.
tations of the best results from their
introduction into the last named State.
/ Among the large number of wild
species and varieties found IN Pales.
tine Is the wild emmer. from which
our cultivated types of wheat and re.
lated cereals seem to have been de.
ha nf hA
large areas on the slopes of Mount
Hermon covered with this cereal and
II was found growing near an eastern
branch of the Jordan. 500 feet below
sea level and upon the slopes 81 the
mountain, $500 feet above sea level.
or in the zone of alpine plants BY
selection ana crossing of this wild
cereal which prefers, poor, rocky,
shallow, dry soil, and thrives with.
ont any cultivation, Il Is thought pos.
sible to produce new races which will
/ be very hardy. and to extend the cu-
tivation of wheat to regions where. on
account of the low quality OF the soil
and the severity of the climate, II Is
/ at present impossible to produce IT,
The study of this and other wild
types of our cereals does not conline
! itself to a merely botanical and his
torlcal end, but becomes intensely
practical as an economic, even social
/ problem as It's ultimate aim is 20
produce little more bread at a IT.
tie less expense, aud to render thts
production possible whore. mp to the
present time, II has been impossible
A sherlffs posse, in Arizona rlddled
] IA horse thIaTg Indy with huIIetq uhan