'Military report on Tehran and adjacent Provinces of North-West Persia (including the Caspian Littoral)' [‎162r] (328/610)

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Plantations of fruit trees surround almost all Persian villages. Fruit,
and vineyards flourish around the plateau villages up to 6,000'.
The soil and climate are extremely favourable and great
quantities of fruit are produced, but, except for a few gardens
in the towns, no effort is made to improve its quality and the
trees are grown quite unscientifically.
The fruits of the plateau are :—
peaches, apricots, cherries, grapes, plums, quinces, pears,
apples, walnuts, almonds, pistachios.
The most productive districts are Tarum and Khamseh, but
in Khamseh the weather is sometimes too cold and nips the buds
in spring, or the summer is too short and the fruit does notripen.
The valleys also South of Damavand and Firuzkuh are full
of fruit orchards, and walnuts are exported from Damavand.
Abhar and Kazvin produce quantities of grapes and export
the raisins, and Kazvin wine has a reputation among Persians.
Pistachios are grown and exported from Kazvin.
In the Caspian provinces in the lowlands many kinds of
oranges flourish and the fruit was sent to Russia. In Tunakabun
every village has orange gardens, but the oranges of Ashraf
are the most esteemed. The best oranges are left on the trees
for two years to sweeten.
Other fruits of the lowlands are peaches, cherries, apples,
pears, figs, and pomegranates. Fruit trees are more plentiful
in Mazandaran than in Gilan. Walnut trees grow well, but
produce fewer nuts than on the plateau, and vines, although
wild vines cling to the forest trees, do not bear.
In the Caspian highlands, Kalardasht and the valleys near
Pul have splendid walnut, pears, and some apple trees, but
olsewhere fruit is scarce.
In the gardens of Europeans at Tehran raspberries, currants,
strawberries, and all English fruit are grown with excellent
results.
Olives are cultivated in the Safid Rud valley below Manjil Olives,
at Rudbar.
Kalishtar Cj
p»In Rahmatabad
Hirzehvll, J
and are the staple products of these villages. A few also are
grown at Manjil and some villages of Amarlu and Tarum, he.,
up the Shahrud and Kizil Uzun, but they are not found in any