'Military report on Tehran and adjacent Provinces of North-West Persia (including the Caspian Littoral)' [‎160v] (325/610)

mosquitoes bred in the paddy swamps contribute to the poison-
ously unhealthy nature of these regions during summer.
Rice has been produced in constantly increasing quantities
on the deltas of the Caspian rivers, to the extent to which water
is available for their irrigation.
The rice for export to Russia was grown principally in Gilan
and Tunakabun and in Enzali in December 1919 there were 2
motor driven rice cleaning plants using the regular double mill
with one shelling stone and one polishing stone. The financial
results achieved were a real success. Mazandaran rice is con
sumed locally and by the mountain villagers to the South, and
exported to Tehran. The chief rice producing district in Mazan
daran is Amol.
The rice is of several varieties and qualities, but the principal
distinction is between ‘Sadri 5 and ‘ Girdeh.’
‘ Sadri ’ is the finest quality and when cooked produces the
very white, dry rice loved by Persians. ‘ Girdeh ’ is of many
kinds but when cooked all become more or less of a pudding.
They are eaten by the poorer classes in Persia and were the
species exported to Russia.
‘ Sadri ’ is rather more difficult to cultivate than ‘ Girdeh ’
and only certain land and water suit it. ‘ Sadri ’ commands a
1 higher price, but the yield per seed sown is about 20 per cent,
less (see below).
Land for rice cultivation (shallkarl) if sloping, as in the
Talar valley, must be terraced and banks constructed to hold
the water (marzbandi). In the plains the slope is so slight that
much less banking is necessary.
The land is ploughed in April and then flooded until it
becomes thoroughly waterlogged, when it is ploughed a second
and third time, the oxen, plough and ploughman sinking deep
in the morass.
Meanwhile the seed is thickly sown in a small enclosure
or “nursery” (khazaneh). After a month when the young
plants are 5" high they are transplanted to the field, every plant
being inserted separately with an interval of 12" between it
and the next plant (nisha kardan).
The transplanting in the Mazandaran plain is done by men,
but in Niir, Kujur, Tunakabun and Gilan usually by women. 1
1 Usually 50 to 80 kriins more per kharvar in Tehran.']