Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-01-04
AMERICAN PALESTINE.
Fruits and Plants of Holy Land Be.
ing Transplanted to California.
From Harper's Weekly.

From Harpers Weekly.
Recent Investigations of Palestine by
| the Jewish agricultural experiment sta
ton at Haifa show SO many similarities
between its climate and soil and that of
our own state of California that it is be-
lieved most Of the types Of vegetation can
be successfully transplanted to our Pa
cific coast. There are 1900 listed species
which grow wild in Palestine, and almost
| the same number have been classified by
botanists In California.
Both countries have a warm and dry
season that are similar; the same diver
sity Of soil and vegetation within a small
area; mountains that run up to 10000
feet altitude and great desert and arid
regions. Even the shores of the Dead sea
are similar to the edges of the famous
Death valley of California.
For these reasons the bureau OF plant
| industry, through cooperation with the
agricultural station at Haifa, is carrying
on the work Of transplanting Palestine to
California. Not literally, Of course but
through the introduction of many of the
strange plants that are found nowhere
else than in Palestine.
Many OF the Palestinian fruits are al
| ready growing in California, such as the
olive. pomegranate. fig, date, orange and
apricot. The Jaffa orange IS said to be
one OIL the largest 6TOWn, ana IL Is now
being introduced in California to rival
her famous navel oranges.
The carob-tree or 'sweet-pOd." called
''St. Johns bread" Is also to be intro
duced into our arid regions. This is one
Of Palestine's great forage plants. The
tree grows to a height Of twenty-five feet
and often yields $50 pounds of forage per
tree. The Palestine salt BUSH that
furnishes SO much food to the camels and
sheep Of the Holy Land is another plant
hot ri he oil 1fno op
west.
A species of lotus is being introduced
to prevent fields from being overwhelmed
by the shifting sands of dunes. This
tine for fixing the shifting sand. The
plant grows to height Of six feet. and
sends out suckers to form small clumps
of new parent plants. 1t completely binds
ing with the wind. This lotus produces a
palatable fruit which the Arabs in the
valley Of the Jordan highly prize as food.
1t Is also gathered and eaten extensively
by the Jews of Liberals. The fruit tastes
somewhat like dried apples. and is con-
sidered very wholesome.
The wild pear, called pyrus syriaca, a
great favorite with the peasants and
shepherds. is an important introduction
that apparently thrives under the most
diverse conditions. 1t is found growing
in Palestine at an altitude of 5000 feet
With proper cultivation and improvement
these wild pears might add another deli
cacy to our fruit market.
Sesame is another plant that may be
introduced, although there are difficulties
In the way Of raising it here on account
of picking, which is expensive. The
magic ''open sesame" of the Forty
Thieves derived its name from this plant
The 'Kelabi" apricot will thrive in Cali
fornia- Apricot paste Is made from this
fruit. and when 1t Is dried and oiled it
will keep indefinitely. With q little roll
80 ~. on&p oti h4 uN1-
diers can march and fight as can few
other soldiers of the world. The Pales-
tine chick-pea is another plant that will
thrive here where the rainfall l. limited