| Show TURNING TO THE HOLY LAND FOR FOOD FOOD OR many decades wo t vo Ameri Amerl Americans FOR cans have hao drawn spiritual sustenance from the tubs tales and traditions tin tho legends I nd and the precepts that sprang from the soil of ot the Holy Hol L Land nd Now It appears app arB that no we W lire are to 10 derive from tram the same soil Boll the tho means menns of ot bodily nourishment In pursuit of ot the policy of ot ransacking ran the earth for tor varieties v of ot plants pIli nta and ant ani animals mals male that may be adapted to profitable reproduction In the th d States the department of ot r Si S f turned to reed Its searchlight a on Palestine l The result of Its researches was WIlB made known recently In a pamphlet entitled Agricultural A and al Explorations Explorations lions In Palestine from which most mot of ot the th facts detailed herein h are taken In presenting to the tho the re results suits BUtts of ot Its ta explorations the depart deport department deportment department ment draws some very Interesting analogies between n Palestine lne and Call Cali California fornia It Is la stated that the topography of the American stain state and the th ancient nt historic land Is fe similar to a very ery high t w w r rI i 1 I Ir j I ft li i tL I LErIN LErINA A PEASANT OF PALESTINE WILD EMMER degree degre d rl Palestine asserts the report Is II II virtually a 1 California reduced to about at out th the size sire of at the th American Am state but markedly similar In general topography climate tl vegetation and agricultural and economic possibilities Given such uch similar condition conditions It fol tol follows follows lows that the flora of ot the tho two coun countries countries tries will bear strong resemblances to each other This Inference Is U borne borno J JJ f J I out by hy the researches and the con l lI I elusions of at Aaron Aaronsohn the de departments departments Investigator who Is M director r of the Jewish agricultural experiment I station at Haifa Palestine This 5 analogy of ot the thA flora tlora of Palestine with i i i that ot of California justifies Ju the expectations I tic of ot the th best beat results result from their In Introduction Introduction Into the tho last named state i i Bays Mr Aaronsohn i Especially Interesting Int In n this con eon connection connection Is I Mr Hr account ot of othis t this his hili hinge d Into the tho history and cut cul cultivation W of ot the wild emmer emmel believed l by scientists to be the ancestor ot of J y i modern wheat the greatest of ot the worlds worM cereals and Its Important rela rein relatives 1 liven tives such as l rye re barley etc te From rom r time dating back before tho the dawn of ot i I history emmer has haa grown on the rocky slopes of ot the Palestinian mountains and r hills affording tho the a large per percentage percentage a of ot their foodstuffs There f i seems Mems to bo be no doubt says 1111 Mr MI Aaron Aaronsohn I sohn that by the th selection and cross eron crossing crossing ing of ot this thle wild cereal which prefers preer I I poor pony rocky shallow dry soil Boll and thrives without cultivation I Ishall any we shall be able to produce new races 5 i f which will be bl very ery persistent and very v r f i hardy hard In this way war we can extend nd the th r 1 I cultivation of ot wheat to regions rel lon where t i I It Is la at present Impossible on account Of ot the tho low quality of at the soil loll and the t I f I 1 severity fw of the climate The Tho worlds total production of ot wheat will 11 be very materially augmented says the tho re report report port i I II Mr I Aaronsohn has hili not confined his 11 it f iJ investigations In Jal to the th wild rI emmer His lUll researches rM have I extended i i I Into every variety of ot plant lito In the I Holy Hol Land with n a 1 view to tn Its It adaptation t i I tins tion to American soil soli and climate t Among other good things he found found J there Is tho the chick pea which he tI calls call t r rone one of ot the most moet valuable legumes grown wn In Palestine In good years fan this yields twelve tw he bushels to the acre t aul sells Bell for as a much as wheat t and It often more mor It U Is I there thero says the tho re n report report port p rt a remunerative crop rop and ex excellently i adapted for tor use as all a n rotation crop before wheat It la asserted II that i the tho chick pen pea will II do well In the dry r l farming regions of tit the Untied United States In a division of at the tho report entitled l 1 Economic Plants Plant Worthy Worth orth of Intro Introduction I Into the States many i varieties of ot fruit are atlO enumerated There sr ar 11 it I li is I Mid said many wild types which 4 g are ar excellent for er stock and may yield I P some som valuable results by b hybridization 1 and selection but also some cultivated Ild l tr i I i 4 fruit varieties which would be bl worth north ill l r rI t trying In the United States Stale Among Amon d Il them are aro nr the almond the apricot the th z quince tho the pomegranate the olive olivo I and the fig ng tt i I WILLIAM HENDERSON I In Ii It n i r t L 4 |
