Page 60 - 5 Persian Trade rep BUSHIRE I_Neat

16 BUSH IRE.

districts. Iloncy bees have seldom been known to yield hooey
in districts lower than Kazerun, but they are prolific inland wherever
running water and verdure exists, and their management has been
well understoood by the peasants in the past. Pilgrims to Kerbcla
and the holy places carry with them an appreciable number of
wax candles, and in Russia, where the orthodox churches consume
only wax candles to the exclusion of other kinds, their use is
stated to be large. Small shipments of wax sometimes take place
to Antwerp and Germany from Bush ire; that brought into the
town is said to come from Mainland and the adjacent districts in
Fare.
Almonds and The export of almonds, valued at 53,246b, is the largest recorded
pistachios. from Bushire and shows an excess of 9,518/. on the previous year.
Several causes combined to effect this; very good prices were
obtainable in Europe consequent upon failure of crops in Syria
and other localities round the Mediterranean; the yield in
Persia was good. At Bushire there are few or no transactions
in almond kernels, purchases being made as a rule in Shiraz and
Isfahan ; almonds in shells are seldom shipped on account of heavy
mule hire and freight, but are shelled in the producing districts.
Average prices in Bushire during the year were 50 to GO krans
(18s. 2d. to 1/. Is. 2d. approximately) for almcnds in shells per
Hashera man of 124 lbs.; for almond kernels 12 to 14 krans(4s. 4d.
to 5s. 2d. approximately) per Tabriz man of 64 lbs.
Prospects are good for the current year; owing to abnormally
warm weather in the early months in certain localities almond
trees blossomed some six or eight weeks earlier than usual. The
wild almond tree “ ahluk ” grows in profusion on the southern
mountain ranges, but its kernels are small and export is confined to
the shores of the Gulf. Bitter apricot kernels and bitter almond
kernels are also dealt in.
Pistachoi nuts, grown in the neighbourhood of Isfahan and
Shiraz, are largely consumed locally. Yezd, Kerman, Khorassan
send their produce down to Bunder-Abbas, and large supplies
come there from Herat. The price has risen of late years to 9 and
10 krans (3s. Ad. and 3s. 9d.) per man of 7J lbs. The pistachio
tree yields in alternate years a nut called bozghunj, which is used
for colouring purposes.
Pried grapes. Dried grapes are now going forward to the United States.
Fresh fruits, The diminution of 6,3341. in the export of unenumerated fresh
unenume* fruits was the result of the failure of the wet date crop (called
rated.
“ kasb ”), which is the most important, and has been exported
to India in past years. A larger quantity of the dates in question
has also been consumed in the country.
Gam The customs records for 1905 did not distinguish between the
tragacanth. various gums, and in consequence it is impossible to accurately
estimate the increase, but most of the total of 97,082/. is certainly
tragacanth, known to the Persians as “ katyra.” The commerce
in this article, the best qualities of which come from Burujird by