Syria: An Economic Survey 



Commercial Crops Used for Industrial Purposes. 



Tons Value in francs 



Hemp 1,500 1,200,000 



Cotton 3,000 3,500,000 



Tobacco 2,500 5,000,000 



Other crops (Fennel, 

 anise, sugar, etc.) . . . . 300,000 



10,000,000 

 3. Fruit Trees. 



The olive tree comes first in order of importance. It thrives 

 on the coast as well as in the mountain districts, although in 

 Northern Syria its existence is endangered by the heavy frosts. 

 As the roots of the olive tree require a large area for proper devel- 

 opment, not more than nine or ten trees can be planted to the 

 dunam. The tree becomes productive after eight to ten years. 

 The normal yield of an olive tree is from ten to twenty okka 

 (1 okka=2.8 pounds). In 1909-1910 there were 3,593,566 olive 

 trees in the Mutessariflik of Jerusalem, which bore 74,384,900 okka 

 of fruit. The olives are either preserved green (September) or else 

 used for the production of oil (November). An okka of fresh 

 olives generally brings 20-25 centimes, an okka of olive oil 1.25 

 to 1.50 francs. 



Vines are grown throughout Syria. The total area covered 

 by vineyards is estimated at 917,227 dunam (206,400 acres) which 

 yields 270,286,150 okka of fruit, valued at 30,000,000 francs. The 

 grapes ripen at various times between July and November, accord- 

 ing to the climate. Most of the fresh fruit is consumed in Syria, 

 being too perishable for transportation. Eaisins are made mainly 

 in the Vilayets of Aleppo and Damascus, in the Lebanon, at 

 Hebron, and at Es Salt. The production of wine is restricted to 

 Shtorah in the Lebanon (about 132,000 gal. annually), the Jewish 

 colonies in Palestine (1,056,000 gal.) and the German colonies near 

 Jaffa and Haifa (132,000 gal.). Besides wine the Jews make 

 cognac, liqueurs, and arrack. Phylloxera, which caused some 

 damage during the last twenty years, has been combated by the 

 introduction of American vines. In damp springs the vines are 

 subject to oidium and plasmopara (true and false mildew). 



The mulberry bush is extensively cultivated on the coastal 

 plain from Sidon to Antioch, in the Beka'a, etc. It is used for 

 silk-worm culture. The yield of cocoons in Syria (mostly 



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