'Military report on Tehran and adjacent Provinces of North-West Persia (including the Caspian Littoral)' [‎157v] (319/610)

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Agricnltnre.
General.
Wheat, barley, and lucerne are successfully cultivated
throughout the area except in the Caspian lowlands, where the
abundant water supply is utilized for rice, which is exported in
great quantities. Rice is also grown in the interior in hot well
watered districts, such as Mianeh and the Kizil Uzun valley
above the Qaplan Kuh bridge, and in Varamin and Khar.
The product of these regions is, however, inferior to the rice of
the Caspian lowlands. Millet is also grown in some districts.
Peas, melons, beans, lentils, potatoes, lettuce, cucumbers,
marrows, etc., are widely cultivated. Every kind of English
vegetable will thrive in Persia, but the Persians generally show
little appreciation for them.
Fruit is abundant and cheap, and, considering the primitive,
unscientific methods of cultivation, of remarkably good quality
and large quantities principally of dried fruit (khushkibar),
e.g., raisins, apricots, plums, almonds, walnuts and pistachios,
and of oranges from the Caspian provinces, were formerly
exported to Russia.
Wine is made chiefly at Kazvin and ‘arak,’ a strong spirit,
is distilled from raisins. Of oil yielding plants the castor
oil plant and linseed are cultivated in parts of the plateau, and
olives flourish at Manjil, Rudbar, and two or three other villages
in the Safid Rud valley.
Cotton is grown in many 1 places up to 5,000but the chief
cotton producing district in this area is Mazandaran, where
the crop is of very good quality and until 1914 was increasing
enormously. Its staple is not short, though not as long as
American cotton. It is cleaned in gins imported from America.
The seed, a very valuable article, is generally wasted as, unless
the oil is extracted, it is liable to ferment and catch fire. It is
used for feeding cattle or burned by the owners of gins for heating
their boilers. Cotton grown in other parts is inferior to the
Mazandaran product, being coarser and shorter in staple.
Tobacco of the ‘ tutun ’ variety was introduced into Gilan
in 1875 and tobacco cultivation in Gilan is increasing every year.
Tea also is a recent introduction into Gilan and has given good
results and there is a prospect of tea gardens becoming popular
in Gilan and Mazandaran.
A few sugar canes are grown by the peasantry in Gilan
and Mazandaran for their own use. The sugar is crudely
extracted and very coarse.
1 e.g., in Tamm, i.e., the Kizil Uzun valley above Manjil.