Syria: An Economic Survey 



biennially. In these villages the individual does not possess any 

 one piece of land, but claims a certain portion of the area of the 

 village. The disadvantage of this system is that the farmer takes 

 no interest in fertilizing the land or improving it in any way, as it 

 passes out of his possession in two years. Besides, he never planis 

 fruit trees except in the town itself, where he owns the land 

 around his house permanently. 



What is more, the tenant has practically no redress against 

 the landlord. In Northern Syria and parts of Trans jordania there 

 are no trees to be seen for miles around because the fellaheen do 

 not trouble to plant trees on land from which they may be evicted 

 at any moment. 



Another obstacle to husbandry is the tobacco monopoly. Ac- 

 cording to the law of 1914 tobacco may be cultivated only in 

 certain cazas of the Vilayets of Beirut and Aleppo, although the 

 government can grant permission to any individual to grow to- 

 bacco provided he complies with a number of regulations. The 

 tobacco fields are inspected and the crop must be deposited in a 

 center designated by the government. Tobacco may not be sold 

 by the producer within the country, and only under certain condi- 

 tions to export merchants. The same restrictions hold good for 

 tombeki. 



Special permission must also be obtained for rice cultivation. 



D. Kind, Quality, and Value of Produce. 



1. Annual Food and Fodder Crops. 



The following table dates from 1910, when the harvest waa 

 unusually poor, not more than 2/3 of what it usually is: 



Wheat 761,712 tons 



Barley 381,428 " 



Durrha 161,623 " 



Corn 16,983 " 



Vetches 32,984 " 



Horse-beans 93,642 " 



Chick-peas 136,633 " 



Lentils 236,860 " 



Sesame 20,216 



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