48 AGRICULTURAL AND BOTANICAL EXPLORATIONS IN PALESTINE. 



Everything here seemed to be favorable to the growth of the wild 

 emmer. So, when I returned to Jerusalem in April, I communicated 

 to Professor Schweinfurth my hypothesis that Triticum dicoccum 

 dicoccoides grew in the country of Moab, as he continued to take an 

 interest in my travels and has called my attention to a number of 

 problems which otherwise would have escaped me. I resolved to re- 

 turn to the country of Moab at a more favorable time, in May, for 

 example. My joy was unbounded when, on returning to the country 

 of Moab and Gilead two weeks later, April 17, 1908, I found Triti- 

 cum dicoccum dicoccoides while going from Tell Nimrin, in the 

 valley of the Jordan, to Ain Hummar, on the plateau of Es-Salt. A 

 little later it was found as plentifully as it had been in the neighbor- 

 hood of Mount Hermon. 



SOILS AND LOCATIONS PREFEBRED BY WILD EMMER. 



I may summarize my observations on Triticum dicoccum dicoc- 

 coides as follows : It is always found in the same sort of habitat — in 

 the crevices of rocks, in places where the rocks are covered with only 

 a thin layer of soil, in the most arid situations and those most ex- 

 posed to the sun (see PL I, fig. 2, and PI. V, figs. 1 and 2), and al- 

 ways associated with Hordeum spontaneum. In locations where the 

 vegetation is abundant and the soil fertile and where the layer of 

 " terra rossa " has increased in depth by the disintegration of the 

 rock, Triticum dicoccum dicoccoides is not found, except in the shel- 

 ter of clumps of bushes and small trees, such as Poterium spinosum, 

 Cistus villosus, Zizyphus spina-christi, Ecliinops viscosus, Centaurea 

 sp., etc. This was observed to be the case at Mount Hermon (see PL 

 V, fig. 1), at Rosh Pinar (see PL I, fig. 2), and in the country of 

 Gilead (see PL V, fig. 2). 



As to the geological age of the rocks, I have found Triticum dicoc- 

 cum dicoccoides on the Jurassic limestones and dolomites, on the 

 so-called sandstones of Nubia, on the more or less dolomitic lime- 

 stones of the Cenomanian and Turonian^ and on the lower Eocene 

 limestones, as well as on the basalts and basaltites. The only for- 

 mations on which it does not thrive seem to be the Senonian rocks 

 (made up chiefly of chalky and soft limestones or of flints) and the 

 Nari, a conglomerate generally formed of elements of Senonian 

 origin and similar to the " caliche " of the southwestern United 

 States. This was observed at Gilead, as well as in the neighborhood 

 of Rosh Pinar. In this latter locality I made sure that Triticum 

 dicoccum dicoccoides was not to be found on the Senonian forma- 

 tions, which are there very extensive and varied, being represented 

 by chalky marls, bituminous limestones, and limestones of Schloen- 

 bachia olivetti. 



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