The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1918-08-08

medlately to the south. These sulphur
springs, as well as those south of
Tiberias, also developed In Roman
times, ard Of the ancient Callirrhoe
springs, visited by the dying Herod he
Great in hope of cure, In the Wady
Zerka Maan, are all undoubtedly valu-
able assets to the land and should be
properly developed. They have, even
under the primitive conditions obtain
Ing today. proved Of benefit to rheu-
matte affections, and are visited by the
natives at certain seasons. The water
of some of these springs reaches a tenn
perature-independent of the season.
of 143 degrees Fahrenheit, but all
gradations of heat down to the merely
pleasantly warm occur.
Immediately south OF the Lake Of
Galilee is q fairly level plain-once
the bottom of the great lake which
then filed this valley-which is a good
corn land, while nearer the Jordan
some of the lower ground can be easily
irrigated. How far the whole go miles
Of the Jordan valley between the two
lakes is capable Of complete irrigation
is a question for experts, but I gather
from the views Of one expert from
india who visited Palestine when I
was there, that water can be distribut-
ed over the greater part. 1t will need,
however. a big scheme, which must
deal with the valley as a whole. Ger
tain spots are naturally well provided
with springs and streams, and have in
the past been very well watered,
notably the district around Beisan and
the Vale Of Jezreel to It's west, the
Wady Fara. running from Nablus to
the Jordan. the eastern side of the Jor-
dan around the Wady Zerka (the lab
bok), and the Jericho district, watered
at present in a very incomplete way,
from Ain es Sultan (Elisha's fountain)
and Ain Duk.
Water Supply In Roman Times.
In the Roman era the Jericho plain
was also watered from the Wady Kelt
by a series of aqueducts, the ruins of
which exist today, and the whole neigh
borhood must for miles around have
been a mass of gardens, orchards, corn
fields, and palm groves. In Crusading
times sugar was cultivated here. and
some ruins are now known as Tawa-
hin es Sukkar, the sugar mills. Even
to-day there are extensive fruit gar.
dcns Of oranges, lemons, bananas, and
dates, and a great deal of wheat and
barley Is grown on irrigated land in
this n~eighbornood. In the various
pcrts Of the Jordan valley may be sue
cessfully grown, besides wheat, barley,
and maize, dates, bananas, grapes, figs.
oranges, lemons, apricots, vegetables.
and In all probability rice. cotton, and
sugar.
As the northern shore of the Dead
sea is approached the soil becomes In
c~reasingly impregnatea with salt, and
only supports tamarisks, reeds, and
other salt-loving plants. The sea is II.
self a vast ~storehouse Of salt. particu-
larry at Jebel Usdum, where there 10
a solid mass Of crystallized salt rising
100 feet to $50 feet above the Dead
sea, Of unknown width. and running
for seven miles along the shore.
In considering the possibilities Of de-
velopment in the Jordan valley. there
are drawbacks which must not be for.
gotten. The whole valley Is intensely
malarious-in the lower, hotter parts
all the year round-and blackwater
fever and oriental sore (the variety
here known a. the Jericho boil) are
both common. Even apart from this
the heat In many parts IL excessive
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