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THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



tality of the chief's house, where the 

 guests may number a dozen or more any 

 night of the year. 



After sunset a tray is placed on a low 

 stool and a steaming dish of crushed 

 wheat, with onions or peppers and bread 

 in abundance, is set down in the midst. 

 The Moslems exclaim in xA.rabic, "In the 

 name of God, the compassionate and 

 merciful," and fall to with earnestness ; 

 for the evening meal is the mainstay of 

 the day. 



As soon as the tray is cleared away 

 by the women of the household prayer 

 rugs are spread, and with one accord the 

 men bow low toward the Kaabah and 

 repeat the Arabic formula of prayer. 

 Nothing is more impressive all through 

 the Orient than the rhythm and devotion 

 of this simple Mohammedan ceremonial, 

 performed as faithfully in the mud hut 

 of the desert as upon the marble pave- 

 ment of a Constantinople palace. 



Great numbers of the poorer people 

 travel on foot. Still others are able to 

 enjoy the luxury of mounting a donkey, 

 thus covering the weary miles of the 

 plain. The freight is carried by caravans 

 of mules or camels ; to some extent by 

 heavy, clumsy wagons drawn by horses. 



MOST PRIMITIVE AGRICUIvTURE 



Wheat is the staple product of Turkey. 

 Bread is the staff of life for the millions 

 of the poor. Barley is extensively raised 

 to provide for the large number of horses 

 throughout the country. During the past 

 quarter century cotton has been planted 

 in the Adana plain and thus a new in- 

 dustry is rapidly developing. Experts 

 state that the Mesopotamian plain, when 

 properly irrigated, will produce a sub- 

 stantial share of the world's cotton crop. 



The climatic conditions are also favor- 

 able for the production of silk. Mulberry 

 trees are cultivated in the region of Anti- 

 och. It is upon the mulberry leaves that 

 the silk-worms are fed. The raw silk is 

 exported to France, although a few mills 

 at Damascus and Antioch are now estab- 

 lished. The largest silk industry is in 

 northern Asia Minor, at Brusa. 



Olive oil is also exported in consider- 

 able amount and is of local importance 

 in the manufacture of soap. The ripe, 



black olives are a wholesome staple food 

 and are as different from our bottled 

 olives as ripe plums are from green ones. 



Fruit trees are planted near all the 

 towns and yield plentifully if carefully 

 watered. Nowhere can more delicious 

 figs and pomegranates be found ; and the 

 grapes of Central Turkey are famous. 

 The grape season lasts into the late au- 

 tumn and the yield is abundant. A con- 

 siderable part of the vintage is made into 

 a kind of molasses by boiling and beating 

 the grape juice. 



In farming the most primitive imple- 

 ments are used. The little wooden 

 ploughs do not pierce more than four or 

 five inches into the ground ; and the patri- 

 archal methods of threshing and win- 

 nowing are still practiced. The stalks of 

 wheat are spread over the threshing floor 

 a foot deep ; then the oxen drag a wooden 

 sledge, set underneath with sharp flint- 

 stones, around and around over the 

 wheat until the stalks and ears are thor- 

 oughly cut to pieces. 



Then the hand labor commences if 

 there is a propitious breeze. With the 

 broad fan the wheat is tossed into the 

 air, the chaff is carried away by the wind 

 and the grain falls back upon the ground. 

 Very little farm machinery has been im- 

 ported, partly because of its cost and the 

 difficulty of making repairs in a country 

 where mechanics is an unknown trade 

 and partly because labor is so very cheap. 

 A laboring man's wage is from lo to 30 

 cents a day. 



A very small percentage of the farmers 

 own their farms. Most of the holdings 

 are in the hands of rich city lords, who 

 employ overseers and practice all man- 

 ner of oppression and extortion. In this 

 way whole villages are bought and sold, 

 the taxes being farmed out by the gov- 

 ernment to the highest bidder. 



The government tax on all cereals is 

 one-eighth of the harvest. Upon flocks 

 and herds the rate is about the same. In 

 many districts another eighth has to be 

 sacrificed to the rapacity of the tax-col- 

 lector, so the harvest is sadly shrunk and 

 often has become mildewed before the ob- 

 noxious "publican" withdraws to the city. 



Potatoes are almost unknown in Tur- 

 key and meat is eaten very little. The 



