1899.] ESSAYS. 41 



Apples, npricots, peaches, cherries and plums have their U)cali- 

 ties of ahundant growth, but no attention is paid to ol)taining 

 the best kinds or improving those ah'cady possessed. 



Of grapes, whoever has once partaken of the famous " chaoush" 

 from the Byzantian side of the Bosphorus, will forever 

 eschew all others : thin-skinned, small-seeded, tine-pulped, — a 

 dream, a delight, — something to be talked about, never to tind 

 equalled. The vineyards of the Christians and the Moslems 

 differ in one very important particular. The former cultivate 

 those kinds suitable for making wines ; the latter, those that are 

 best for food. While the one are making spirits, the other are 

 preparing that grape molasses called " pekmez," which is 

 extensively used. In it, all manner of fruits are stewed or 

 boiled, and the preserves laid aside for winter use. With it 

 savory dishes of quinces and meat, or chestnuts and meat, are 

 prepared, much relished by the poor. 



The cereals of the empire do not differ much from ours. 

 The exports are barley, maize and wheat. Rye, oats and millet 

 give good results, and there are various other seeds of good 

 native use. Looking only at the soil, climate, industrial f)opu- 

 lation and the rivers and coasts of her great inland seas, Turkey 

 ought to be our formidable rival in the markets of Europe, but 

 her state of paralysis is such that nothing is to be apprehended 

 from that quarter. Destructive treaties with England, and 

 stupid legislation on the part of her own government, have 

 reduced her to a state of hopeless bankruptcy. 



Turkish agriculture and horticulture furnish all that the heart 

 could wish in the shape of edible vegetables. All that we pro- 

 duce is there produced, with the exception of potatoes, which 

 are imported from Europe ; — squashes of various kinds and 

 measure unlimited ; okra, spinach, celery ; melons unrivaled in 

 flavor and size ; cucumbers of any length you choose. 



Among the vegetables, several deserve special mention. The 

 tuberous knobs of the roots of the Cyperus esculentus are eaten 

 either raw or made into some kind of a pi-eserve. It is called by 

 the natives heavenly manna or " manna turano," is quite sweet 

 but somewhat woody in texture and looks like a minute potato. 



