‘Gazetteer of Kermanshah.’ [‎124v] (253/504)

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The usual trees of the plains of Kermanshah are the willow, poplar,
Trees. Oriental plane and walnut, and the fruit trees of
Northern Europe. Palm trees are to be found in
the gardens of Sar-i-pol-i-Zohab and Kasr-i-Shirin,
In the mountains one finds oak, elm, sycamore and some small coniferous
trees. In the mountains near Huleilan, I came across the following trees :~—
Cratcegus, Ficus, Daphne acuminata B. et Boh., Quercus Persica, Acer,
lonicera, Trunus Mahaleb, Fistacia KinjuJc, Amygdalus Koteckyi Storks, &c.
The flora is varied, and occasionally rare specimens are to be found.
Bear, wolf, hare, wild goat, gazelle, partridge, small partridge (teihoo),
Game sand grouse, geese, duck and other birds of passage,
such as the small and large bustard, woodcock, snipe,
double snipe, quail, &c., are abundant in this province. The rivers Karasu
and Gramasiab have also fine fish.
a After wheat one of the next largest products of the country is wool.
’Wool, The vast flocks of Kurds and Lurs, grazing all over
the green hills of these countries, supply a great quan
tity of fair quality wool, which might be vastly improved by a little care
in breeding. It, however, is mainly used in various industries in which the
women are only employed., such as carpet weaving. . . They also make
tent covers; saddle bags, ropes, and also yarns, which are exported to Irak
and Luristan, yet when all these requirements are fulfilled about 1,000,000
lbs. of wool are exported via Bagdad. Little care is taken in cleaning the
wool, and there are no presses in the place, either hand or hydraulic, so
that the bales are bulky, and, in consequence, the export is all done by
means of camels / , —[Gazetteer of Persia.)
Although this was written many years ago, the conditions are still the
same, excepting that the amount of wool exported is, according to the
custom-house books, much less.
The Kermansbah wool, known as pashm Kurdi 33 or Kurdish wool,
Wool. comes from Luristan, the districts of the Kalhors,
(1903-1901 ) Gurans, Sinjabis and Kuliais, and from the vicinity
of the town of Kermanshah,
The total output is estimated at about 2,000 kharvars of half-washed
wool (nim shusteh), of which up to recent years, 1,500 kharvars went to
Baghdad, route to the United Kingdom, Marseilles and the United States;
and the balance was either exported to the interior of Persia or consumed
in the province.
Since the last two years it would appear that only 500 to 1,000 kharvars
of wool go to Baghdad, whilst 200 kharvars are retained in the province, and
the balance goes to Sultanabad.
The Kermanshah wool is all u bahari,” or spring wool, the Cl paizi,” or
autumn wool does not amount too much, and, being of inferior quality, is
made use of for the manufacture of namdas,” or felts, which form the
winter overcoats of most of the Kurds.
The wool is bought from the tribesmen in four different ways, by (a)
peddlers, called locally (i charchi/'or “ sahra-row,” who buy the wool maund,
either for cash or against goods supplied ; (b) middlemen who buy, the wool
during the winter at 2 to 3 kraus per sheep and take delivery in spring.