Syria: An Economic Survey 



of animal epidemics proper precautions should be taken to inocu- 

 late the animals. This would call for the preparation of sera. 

 An institution for this purpose could easily be founded by Jews in 

 connection with the Pasteur Institute in Jerusalem, and develop 

 into a veterinary college. An increase in cattle raising would be 

 of great benefit to the soil. 



There are certain districts in Syria at present partially or 

 wholly unfit for agriculture, which could be rendered cultivable by 

 the following measures: 



(a) Drainage; 



(1.) The swamps and marshy districts along the coast; 

 (2.) The swampy districts near streams and lakes. 



(b) Afforestation of the sand dunes between the Egyptian 

 frontier and Caesarea, the arid district near Beersheba and the 

 mountain slopes; 



(c) Irrigation (of the Jordan Valley between Beisan and the 

 Dead Sea and other districts in the neighborhood of streams). 



It is, of course, expedient to begin by undertaking those 

 ameliorations which seem most urgent and promise to be most 

 profitable. The work may be undertaken either by the government 

 or by private societies acting in co-operation with the government. 

 In the latter case the government is not forced to utilize state 

 funds nor does it run any risk in case of failure. 



There ought to be up-to-date warehouses throughout Syria, 

 both in the ports and in the centers of production. Not only would 

 the farmer be able to store his grain instead of being forced to sell 

 it immediately, but the fact that grain of a certain quality coming 

 from various quarters is stored together would force the farmer 

 to keep his products up to the standard. 



But if the grain grower finds it advantageous to store his 

 wares and sell them when the demand is greatest, the fruit planter 

 is anxious to dispose of his crops as soon as possible. In former 

 years the fruits grown on the coastal plain were shipped either 

 to Egypt or to European ports, but now the Hejaz Railway makes 

 it possible to transport the fruits to Damascus, Horns, Hama, 

 Aleppo, etc.; in the future, when the Bagdad Railway is com- 

 pleted, they will find an important market in Asia Minor. 



Nevertheless, as a large proportion of the fruit crops will be 

 Bent to foreign markets, it will be necessary to erect a number of 

 cold-storage warehouses in the ports and to establish steamship 



