New Britain herald., 1916-07-19

After the winter crops have all
 been planted the vineyards and olive
 groves are ploWed a couple of times
 and also the fields reserved for the
 summer planting. These latter crops
 are not put into the ground until the
 rains have entirely ceased.
 During harvest time the fields are
 lively and picturesque; the entire fam
 fly has a part in the work, the small
 children playing about among the
 shoaves and even the babies are
 brought into the fields. A large toothed
 sickle is employed by the reapers
 when the grain is long, but if short a
 smaller one is used, the edge being
 quite dull; so that it does not cut but simply uproots the grain.
 | Destitute women and girls are al- | lowed to follow the reapers and glesn the fallen ears, which they tie into ; neat little bundles, dropping them on
 the ground as they go along and these they gather up every evening ana
 beat out the grain with a stick, just
 as Ruth did of old in the fields of
 Bethlehem. During the reapin gper1- cd what the Bible calls 'parched i corn is made in almost every held' | Some wheat not fully ripe is cut down i and set on fire, the straw only being ! consumed. me GOdSIeu ISotbS c'A V ! rubbed between the hands and the 1 chaff winnowed out in the wind. With out further preparation, this roasted wheat forms one of the common ar
 ticles of diet of the reapers. Undoubt- edly such was the 'parched corn which Boaz reached to Ruth.
 "Threshing by the primitive meth Ods employed is the most tlresome task of all the fellahs round of toll In many places it is done entirely by treading out beneath the feet ot the animals which are tied together | abreast and driven round ad round over the spread out grain. The mules and horses are provided with nat | sheet-iron shoes for all kinds or
 work, and the cattle, just as the threshing season begins, are speclally shod.
 AS soon, as the grapes, figs ana other fruits begin rlpen1ng the 1el- lah with his entire family, moves out of the village into the vineyard. The
 grape season is looked forward to as
 the best part of the year, and at this time the natives live for most parts
 on fruits and bread. Jokingly the fel-
 laheen say that they get so fat from eating grapes that their fezzes burst. "Olives are harvested in the fall,
 but by a method so injurious to the
 trees that they yield a full crop but
 once in two years. Instead or DICK
 ing them by hand, for time Is not money with these easy-going people
 they beat the trees with sticks to
 knock off the fruit, which at the same
 ime resu1s in desrOying the tender shoots which should bear the next years fruit, The olives when salted
 or piclled in brine are valued food.
 for a peasant can make a meal or
 only bread and olives, with perhaps
 the addition of a raw onion.
 "Sheep as well as goats are milked bv the women, and the milk turned | into cheese and butter. Butter IS made ! in @ goat sl1in like those used for car ] rying water. This is only half hlled 1 with milk which has previously been 1 allowed to sour. The skin is blown full of air, the opening tied up, and it l Is hung on a tripod of sticks and ] shaken back and forth by one or two { women until the butter is formed