'The travels of Sir John Chardin into Persia and the East Indies, through the Black Sea, and the country of Colchis. Containing the author's voyage from Paris to Ispahan. To which is added, the coronation of the present King of Persia, Solyman the III.' [‎80] (109/594)

The Trawls of Sir John Chardin into Perfia,
I fay no more, for that before they fall into the Sea, they
lofe themfelves in thofe larger Torrents already mention'd.
The Soyl of Colchis is very bad, and produces little Corn
or Pulfe. The Fruits are altnoft all wild, without any tafte,
and very unwholfom j and yet there grow in almoft
as many forts as we have in France. They have alfo very large
Melons, but they are worth very little or nothing. The only
Fruit that thrives beft in this Country are their Grapes ; of
which there is great Plenty. The Vines grow about the Trees,
and run up to the very Top of the Boughs. I have feen fome
Stocks of thefe Vines that have been fo large, that I could
hardly compafs 'em with both my Arms. They prune their
Vines every four Years, and as for the Wine of I
mud needs lay it is moft excellent. It is ftrong, and has a
very good Body ; pleafing to the Tafte, and comfortable to
the Stomach. Nor do I know where there is better in any
part of Afta. So that if the Country People knew how to
make Wine fo well as we do, theirs would be the beft in the
World. But they never take any pains at all with it. They
only hollow the larger Trunks of great Trees, which they
make ufe of in Head of Tubs. In thofe they bruife and fqueezc
the Grapes, and then pour out the Juyce into great Earthen
Jarrs, which they bury in their Houfes, or elfe hard by. Thele
Veflels contain about two or three Hunderd Quarters. And
when the Veflel is full, they clofe it up with a Woodden Co
ver, and then lay the Earth upon it. For indeed they cover
thefe Urns juft after the lame manner as I have told ye that
the Eaftern People cover the Pits where they flore up their
Corn.
The Earth is fo moift in Min in Seed-time, that for
fear of fbftning too much the Land where they fow their
Wheat and Barley, they never Plough it at all. They only
caft their Grain upon the Top of the Earth, and that is fuffi-
cient: for it comes up without any farther trouble, taking
root a foot deep in the Mould. The moreover
affirm, That (hould they Plough their Ground where they fow
their Barley and Wheat, it would be fo loft that the leall:
Wind would lodge the Stalks, fo that they would never be able
to rife again. Their other Lands they plough, and low their
other Grain with Ploughs and Ploughlhares of Wood, which
make however as deep Furrows as if they were of Iron, by
reafon of the foftnefs and moifture of the Earth, as I have
already faid.
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