"كتيّب سوريا (بما في ذلك فلسطين). لندن: إدارة استخبارات الأركان البحرية، يونيو ١٩١٩" [ظ‎‎٢‎٤‎٧] (٧٣٨/٤٩٩)

488
SAMARIA (INCLUDING CARMEL)
finest in Syria. Melons, a very important summer crop and
a staple article of local consumption, are grown in great
numbers in the lighter sandy soil all along the coast, notably at
Mukhalid between the N. el-Faliq and the N. Iskanderuneh.
The surplus melons, sometimes as many as 4 millions in
a year, are exported, mostly from Minet Abu Zabura, the
trade being chiefly in the hands of the Bosnian colonists of
Qaisariyeh. A certain amount of tobacco is grow*n in the
plain as well as in the hill-country ; the amount of leaf
produced, according to Cuinet, 1901, was about 60,000 kilos.
The eastern half of Samaria is in general hilly and stony,
and cultivation, almost entirely in Arab hands, is very
patchy. Lentils, barley, wheat, and onions are the principal
products of this section, but, the country being here populous,
the surplus produce for sale outside the immediate district is
small. Nablus is the central market town. Around Nablus
itself springs are very numerous and in its extensive irrigated
gardens vegetables and fruits are very largely grown ; there
are also a good many olive groves in this locality. W. Nablus,
sometimes known as W. esh-Sha‘ir, grows good and abun
dant corn and barley. South of Nablus, towards Jerusalem,
there are practically no springs, so ‘ dry farming ' is mostly
carried on. The district north of Nablus is perhaps the
richest part of Samaria : between Nablus and Jenin the
land is plentifully supplied with water and vegetables,
especially onions, are grown ; this locality is in fact the
principal source of onions for all western Palestine south of
Haifa. The Plain of ‘Arrabeh and the Merj el-Ghuruq
lie in this direction ; the latter with a soil of rich dark
loam is planted chiefly with a summer crop of millet, though
in some parts of it, where the surface is more elevated, wheat
is also sown. Considerable quantities of apricots are grown
at Silet edh-Dhahr; at Jenin, approaching the edge of
Esdraelon, the land is mostly under cereals (wheat and dhura),
and sesame. South-east and east of Nablus are the plains
of Mukhneh and Salim, both of which produce good crops of
wheat and millet, though the soil seems to be less rich than