Syria: An Economic Survey 



those of Biblical times. For instance, the plow is most primitive, 

 consisting of a wooden board with an iron nail at the end, with 

 which the farmer scratches the surface to a depth of 10-15 centi- 

 meters. The system of rotation has not been changed for centuries. 

 Generally speaking, the program of the fellah inhabiting the coastal 

 plain near Jaffa is as follows : 



Planting of clover and lupin 

 immedately after the first 

 heavy rainfall Second half of November and 



first half of December 



Earley first half of December 



Wheat December- January 



Lentils January 



Chickpeas February 



Weeding of wheat, barley, 



and legume fields February-March 



Planting of durrha Second half of March- April 



Planting of sesame Second half of April and 



first half of May 



Gathering in of clover and lupin Second half of May 



Mowing of barley End of April and first 



half of May 

 Gathering in of lentils End of April and first 



half of May 

 Mowing of wheat Second half of May 



and first half of June 



Gathering in of chickpeas .June 



Weeding of sesame June and July 



Picking of durrha August 



Gathering in of sesame August-September 



Threshing of winter and sum- 

 mer crops May to October 



The widespread belief that the same field will yield two crops 

 a year is erroneous, except in the case of artificially irrigated soil. 

 It is true that there are two harvests, one in April or May, the 

 other in August or September, but not on the same field. The 

 fellaheen employ the system of two-year crop rotation, according 

 to which they plant sesame, durrha or (on small fields) legumes 

 the first year, and wheat or barley the second year. In the 

 regions where the dew-fall is not sufficiently heavy for sesame or 



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