12 AGRICULTURAL AND BOTANICAL EXPLORATIONS IN PALESTINE. 



the long, dry summers the cattle relish the hulls which cover the 

 ground. The introduction of these remarkable leguminous plants 

 into the Southwest, and their cultivation and selection, may be ex- 

 pected to contribute greatly to the improvement of the range. This 

 analogy of the flora of Palestine with that of California justifies our 

 expectation of the best results. The plants of Palestine are, so to 

 speak, the homologues of those of California, and, a priori, their 

 success seems assured. 



The success of the useful xerophytes (see fig. 3) and halophytes 

 of the Palestine deserts when introduced into the Southwest ought 



Fig. 3. — Seyal acacia tree near Engedi, on the western shore of the Dead Sea. The rough 

 flooring in the branches is used by Arabs as a summer dwelling. 



to be even more certain than would that of the plants of the South- 

 west if transferred to Palestine, and for the reason that in the desert 

 districts surrounding Palestine the rains come, when they come at 

 all, only during a single short season between October and March. 

 On the contrary, in Arizona, for example, there are two rainy 

 seasons during the }^ear. This would be a great advantage to the 

 leguminous annuals and grasses introduced from Palestine. 



In the territory with which we are dealing we have, as has been 

 shown, a large number of wild species and varieties. If we con- 

 sider the varied natural conditions of Palestine and the peculiar 



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