The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1916-11-16
RUMANlA, LAND OF FARMS
Soil Adapted Equally for Rails
ing Wheat and Corn.

"A vivid picture of the Rumanian
peasantry, whose country has been
| drawn into the destructive vortex of
the European war after many
months Of vacillation, is presented
! in a communication to the National
| Geographic society from James How
ard Gore. The society has issued q
part of Mr.. Cores article as a war
| geography bulletin, which says:
"a Rumanian village looks it's best
| in the spring, when nature, awaken :
ed from the sleep Of winter, is green
| and fresh. At Easter the cottages
| have been whitewashed and the doors
and window frames freshly painted in
bright colors. The matched roof has
been put in order, and in it's entirety
the cottage calls to mind the black
eyed country girls, with their glisten-
ing strips of multi-colored beads
around their necks.
1.-THE Rumanian peasant women
one meets by the roadside are the
fairest among their Balkan neigh
bors. In no part of Europe do the
peasants hold so tenaciously to their
distinctive costume as in the uplands
Of Rumania. It is, in fact, almost an
asset in nationalism, and it's unifying
influence was emphasized some years
ago by the late dowager queen, widely
known as Carmen Sylvia, when she
herself put on the native Dress
while wheat is the great staple
Of this agricultural country, the soil
is equally adapted to corn (maize),
and would be called upon for great
er crops If the demand should JUS
tify it. The case with which corn
can be converted into substantial
food tempts the people to give but
little attention to the form in which
it is prepared for consumption. Po-
lenta, sort of mush, can be made
OF cornmeal and water, and if time
or energy be lacking it will be placed
on the table insuff1ciently cooked.
Although many believe that this is
the cause of the greater part of the
pellagra SO common in Rumania, it
is difficult to persuade the peasant to
exercise greater care in the prepara-
ton Of polenta or substitute for it
some of the many palatable dishes
that can be made from corn.
Cooking, unfortunately, is not
cultivated as it should be, and the
people seem to be content with SIM
pie fare and a Sameness that yields
but little to the seasons. Gardening
Is looked upon as petty farming and
notw orthy of the attention of a
man who calls himself a farmer; in
fact, so few Rumanians have gar
dens that they are called BULGARIA
since the greater part of the vege-
tables grown are in the hands of i'm
migrant Bulgarians. The soil and
climate Of the country are adapted to
as wide a range as can be found in
our Middle Atlantic states, however
THE climate of Rumania is not so
mild as might be expected from the
low latitude Of the land, it being the
same as that Of northern Italy. Com
ing under the influence Of the Medi-
terranean on the west and the noun
tains to the north and east, the king
dom is subject to the extremes of a
subtropical summer and winter Of
the Hungarian plains. 'Rumania,'
said Carmen Sylvia, has only three
seasons. and Of these one alone-au-
tumn-is fine. In these parts there
is no spring.
1.-THE Rumanfan is not tradesman
and his main interest lies in farming.
Even the selling of the surplus grain
usually takes place at his farm to the
itinerant buyers, for he seems. to be
wary Of the town merchant, and rare
ly trusts himself to the wiles of the
city, except on the occasion of the
annual fair.
''The higher classes in Rumania-
the descendants of the Boyars, the
landed aristocracy and the rich citi-
zens-useg in general the French Ian
guage in their daily intercourse, re-
serving the Rumanian tongue for
those cases where it is prescribed by
LAWN the parliament and in the
law courts. AS this restriction does
not affect the women, those of high
er rank take but little interest in the
native melodious Rumanian and
would not deign to write the least i'm
portant note in the language. The
proximity to Austria and the influence
of the Hohenzolern rulers have
brought the German language to the
RumanianS as a. second connetitor