'Military Report on Persia' [‎44r] (92/134)

Barley is grown chiefly in the province of Kerman- Barley,
shah and along the Karun in the proportion of one-third
barley to two-thirds wheat. It is used mostly for forage.
Bice is cultivated chiefly in the Caspian provinces Bice,
of Ghilan and Mazanderan. The exports from these
provinces for the year ending March 30th, 1903,
amounted to about 37,000 tons, valued at 269,000/. In
Central and Southern Persia it is grown only in sufficient
quantities for home consumption.
The castor-oil plant is grown almost everywhere in Castor oil.
Persia, the oil being used for lamps. The seed is
exported to Russia, principally from Khorasan.
Millet and sesame are grown in small quantities in Millet and
the neighbourhood of Bushire and Dizful. sesame.
Opium has long been a chief source of revenue to Persia Opium,
and is one of the most important exports. The principal
markets are Isfahan, Shiraz, Yezd, Hamadan, and
Meshed. It is exported to China, Great Britain, and
America. The crop of poppies occupies the fields from
November to June, after which the same ground can be
used for some other crop. The annual production is
about 980,000 lbs., of which about one-third is consumed
in the country. The export duty has recently been
raised from 5 to 14 per cent., but the production of the
drug is still rapidly on the increase to the detriment of
more useful crops.
Khorasan is the most important cotton-growing Cotton,
province in Persia. Large, quantities are also grown in
Central Persia, Isfahan, Yezd, and Kashan, principally
for export to Russia. Azerbaijan produces a small
quantity. Persian cotton is very short in the staple, and
of inferior quality. The value of the raw cotton annually
exported is estimated at about 450,000/.
Persian tobacco, or tombac, is obtained from a dis- Tobacco,
tinct species of plant. It is grown at Shiraz and
Isfahan, and exported to Turkey, Aden, and India.
Shiraz tombac is considered the best.