168 PRACTICAL ARBORICULTURE 



Under the procurators, Tiberus Alexander and Cuspius Fadus, A. D. 65 

 to 75, there was a drought continuing several years, and many people died 

 from starvation. Queen Helena, who sympathized with the Jews, sent into 

 Egypt and brought large quantities of corn for the suffering multitudes in 

 Jerusalem, and also procured a cargo of dried figs from Cyprus. 



During the thirteenth year of Herod's reign, B. C. 24 years, very great 

 calamities came upon the country ; there were perpetual droughts, and for that 

 reason the ground was barren, and did not bring forth the same quantity of 

 fruits, after which want of food caused pestilential disorders. This drought 

 lasted several years, corn being brought from Egypt to supply their food. 



Another famine occurred during the fifth, sixth and seventh years of 

 Claudius, A. D. 54. This drought was foretold by Agabus, Acts XI-28. 



RESULTS OF THE CLIMATIC CHANGE. 



These historic mentions of famine enable us to see the result in the now 

 rapidly changing climate of the country about Palestine, portions of which, 

 however, still remained fruitful during the first century of the Christian Era. 

 Flavius Josephus, A. D. 75, says of Galilee: "For the Galileans are inured 

 to war from their infancy, and have always been very numerous, for their 

 soil is universally rich and fruitful, and full of the plantations of trees of all 

 sorts, inasmuch that it invites the most slothful to take pains in its cultiva- 

 vation by its fruitfulness; accordingly, it is all cultivated by its inhabitants 

 and no part of it lies idle. Moreover, the cities lie here very thick, and the 

 very many villages there and here are everywhere so full of people, by the 

 richness of their soil, that the very least of them contain about fifteen thou- 

 sand inhabitants." 



"But for Perea. the greater part of it is desert and rough : yet hath it a 

 moist soil and produces all kinds of fruits and its plains are planted with trees 

 of all sorts, while yet the olive tree, the vine and the palm tree are.chiefly culti- 

 vated there. It is also sufficiently watered with torrents which issue out of the 

 mountains, and with springs that never fail to run, even when the torrents 

 fail them, as they do in dog days." 



"Xow, as to Samaria, it is entirely of the same nature with Judea : for 

 both countries are made up of hills and valleys, and are moist enough for 

 agriculture, and are very fruitful. They have abundance of trees, and are 

 full of autumnal fruit, both that which grows wild, and that which is the effect 

 of cultivation. They are not naturally watered by many rivers ; but derive 

 their chief moisture from rain, of which they have no want. By reason of the 

 excellent grass they have, their cattle yield more milk than do those in 

 other places ; and what is the greatest sign of excellency and of abundance, 

 they each of them are very full of people." 



Having this description by contemporary writers during the first century, 

 let us contrast writers of the present day as to what Palestine now is. 



Dr. T. DeWitt Talmage says from his visit in 1889: "While Palestine of 

 to-day is generally uninviting as a land sown with dragons' teeth, choking 

 out like tares the fruitfulness of the soil, until it presents that hard appear- 



