'Military report on Tehran and adjacent Provinces of North-West Persia (including the Caspian Littoral)' [‎165v] (335/610)

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296
Silk.
Sari and Barfarush in Mazandaran. The fish caught in the traps
are sold locally or salted and sent to Tehran.
Salmon enter all the rivers from the mountains, but the
Seh Hazar, Chalus and 1 Babul are by far the most prolific.
The season is from March to June, and September to
November. A barrier is constructed as in the Murdab streams,
but it is single and the fish on entering the aperture find them
selves in a small cage from which they cannot discover the exit.
Owing to diversion of their water for irrigation, the streams
are very small and shallow and no salmon can pass the barriers
except when floods from the mountains sweep them away,
and enable the fish to run unimpeded to the upper reaches to
spawn. In the spring of 1920 the Chalus was open, or only
partially closed, for several weeks and many fish must h^ve
entered the river, whereas in 1919 the barrier stood for nearly the
whole season and fish in the upper reaches seemed very scarce.
But for these floods salmon would presumably be unable to
spawn and would be exterminated.
The annual catch from the mouth of the Seh Hazar at
Shahsavar probably averages from 1,500 to 2,500 salmon, from
the Chalus it is less as floods are more frequent.
The fish average 8 to 10 lbs. each, and seldom exceed 18
lbs.
They are sold locally, but a considerable number are taken
by “ eharvadars ” who make forced marches to Tehran.
The silk products of Gilan and Mazandaran first draw the
attention of the adventurous Muscovy Company (British) to
these parts of Persia for the development of a silk trade via
Russia and of a Route to the East in the 16th and 17th centuries
The silk industry has experienced many vicissitudes at
different periods.
In Gilan the total amount of silk produced in 1861 exceeded
2 , 000,000 lbs. and it was the staple industry of the province.
Silk worm diseases however made their appearance and proved
so deadly that by 1889 production had almost ceased, and rice
and tobacco had been introduced as a substitute. After 1890
a steady revival followed the introduction of seeds (i.e., silk
worm’s eggs) imported from Brusa. It had been found that
seeds from Brusa and Gimlek in Asia Minor, produced according *
* Salmpn are said to rim up the Babul in winter rather than in autumn and
spring as m the other rivers. Owing to its water not having been diverted for
irrigation it is a wide and big river. Traps are not constructed and the salmon