FOREST CONDITIONS IN WEST PERSIA 711 



times as much as a foot of snow, this is rare, a few inches being all 

 that ordinarily is found on the ground at one time. In all the total 

 precipitation of the whole year is about 15 inches, all of it falling be- 

 tween December 1 and June 1, approximately. This leaves the six 

 summer months open to the rays of the sun, which at this altitude and 

 latitude are very intense, more especially because only occasionally 

 obscured by clouds. The altitude, however, keeps the air cool so 

 that even on the hottest day the shade will be found to be cool and 

 comfortable. At noon in summer it is unwise for an American to go 

 out in the sun, even in a cork helmet. The natives close up shop and 

 quit work, for the most part, between 11 and 3, making up for it by 

 staying open later on in the evening. 



Most of the mountains, the high ones particularly, are of evident 

 volcanic origin, their rocks being clearly metamorphic. The foothills 

 are markedly unlike the higher peaks, with sharp pointed summits, 

 but are usually of very wounded form, without cliffs, for the most 

 part, and generally composed of sandstone or in some cases limestone, 

 and covered with wild bunch grass which makes grazing over them 

 common. Coal measures — of very poor quality, unfortunately — are 

 found in at least two parts of the provence. 



A variety of soils are found but on the whole it may be said that 

 on the wide plains the soil is a very deep, heavy adobe, while on the 

 ITills the presence of more or less sand and rock renders the soil un- 

 suited to anything but grazing or the growth of trees. It is noteworthy, 

 however, that the heavy adobe soil has a tendency to dry out and cake 

 up into very hard chunks, under the action of the sun, a fact of 

 importance to anyone starting a forest nursery. The use of this adobe 

 soil for building purposes is universal wherever it is found. 



The life of the mass of the population centers about the water 

 supply of the country, the long drought in the summer making irri- 

 gation necessary for most of the farming, although a little "dame" 

 (unirrigated land) is made to produce a special variety of Avheat. 

 The importance of protective forest cover on the watersheds is there- 

 fore very great. Owing to entire lack of knowledge in regard to this 

 matter, however, whatever once existed in the way of natural forest 

 growth has long since been cut and burned up, as has been done in 

 China. Before the Moslem conquest of Persia the national religion 

 was Zoroastrianism or fire worship, and scattered over the plains about 

 Lake Urumia are a number of large ash hills which sometimes attain 



