The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1914-04-09

Il
break up aud rAspare the soil The pillow. drawn
by a pair Of zebus. Is a very crude affair The
share made OF soft iron imported from Sweden.
Ia attached TO rough wooden bars made by the
village carpenter and the pillow IL fastened To the
heavy yoke by a chain. The soil Is merely
scratched on the surface. for the depth to which
the share penetrates depends entirely the
physical exerton OF the driver, who is often mere
ly a youth. As soon as the rainy season sets In
generally somewhere about November. field work
begins. Only two kinds of grain are grown In
Ears wheat for bread and barley for the food OF
the horses donkeys and mules though now II Is
also often used for baking purposes by the poorer
classes When the seed has been sown. plank
i've feet long by one and haf feet broad. pressed
down by the weight OF the driver. who stands on
II. Is driven the ground to level It and to
cover the seed so that II shall not be washed out
when tho fields ara flooded by artificial irrigation
II the rains good and plentiful the young green
blades soon show above ground. but II the nour.
iahing element fails artificial irrigation must be
resorted to- and the few springs which exist In the
Shiraz valley become worth good deiN OF money
Water IL scarce In southern Persia, and has to
be- bought by most farmers throughout dry sea
On specified days In the week each held
owner gets his supply for certain hours. The
FIELDS arc then flooded and TO retain the water as
much as possible each division Is crossed by mum
bers OF dams. two feet high, which connne the
water and In this way the earth In thoroughly
soaked, Where running water Is not obtainable.
Wells ana hhuefkFpuuu tuahukiS uuh NhSA
the wells. some OF which are as much ms 90 or 100
feet deep. the water Is drawn by horses or other
animals A rope attached To the harness runs
over wooden wheel on a gentry above the well
mouth The bucket" consists OF the skin OF
sheep or other uuadruped from the neck OF which
tho water hoWs into basin level with the ground.
aud then through narrow channels to the growing
crops These wells be seen and the s1ueaking
noise OF the wooden wheels heard throughout the
land The canals. very often many miles lonk'
are covered aqueductS, through which the water
IL led from the mountains 10 the plains aud VII
lagos The soil thrown up Ia digging these
passagea form mounds at the mouths OF the shafts
which are sunk at intervals of 20 or 30 yards The
digging of these canals II special trade ana
the secret OF their construction Ia guarded jeaE
ously hy the men who earn their living In this
manner
The crops begin to ripen and harvesting starts
towards July ln the shiraz valley, but earlier as
one goes fuEther south, The simple sickle is the
only reaping Implement used all over inc vas.
country When the crop ID reaped II Is not ted
into sheavea but IL merely stacked up When
threshlng time arrives. the simplest OF machines
appeara oa thu scene Ii IL combined thresher
and chat cutter Between two broad wooden run
nars there is a pair OF wooden rollers, In which
short wide blunt knife blades are liked The
upper part consists Of four wooden npr'ghts. On
which board Is mounted as seat Tor the driver.
A pniF of Echus drag this machine over the straw.
which Il spread nat on the ground. and Is cut or
rather BROKEN. bN NhN CONSTANTLY fNe'NNA
kniyoa white the pressure OF the runners sopa'
rates tho grain from the husks The weight OF
the driver supplies the necessary pressure. IL
takes eight or ten DAYS e. thrcsh out a stack ana
sh.n this Ia finished Il the wiud "a blowing fresh
H. the Minu0wtuE beEtn Agatu very sim
pie instrument merely ~oodeh fork Is all that
4 used by the peasants rhe monsoon. which
bloWn IN August and september over southern
Persia plays ae important part In this proceeding
The winuowers start ou the weather side OF the
threshsd staek tossing the straw into the air
With their forks. the breeze blows The hSht chan
several yards TO leeward where Il collects In
heap While the heavy gratn fss az the teot OF the
Workers. and 10 this rough and ready manner tho
separation Of the grain from the chan Is effected
Tho remaining operations ~ harvesting are very
simple. The char s baled up in large. specially
made nets and brought doRkcys TO the VII
hxca while the grain follows Ia bsgs on the backs
Of camen aonkeys The poor people are now
allowed 60 siean oysr the nvlds. sitting the dust
aud gathering such grain and chaa are lett
Hefore the grain goes to the mil' Il Is cleaned
oacc more In stone mortsr with heavy wooden