Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - V. To Erivan. The physical features of Armenia
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ARMENIA AND THE NEAR EAST
1 30
Probably no other country suffered so much in the Great War ;
but as a result of the energetic and efficient work done during
five years of peace an enormous improvement has tåken place,
and in some parts of the country the conditions may even be
said to be better than they were before the war.
In 1925 there were in round figures about 800,000 hectares,
or 2,000,000 acres, of cultivated land, 4,250,000 acres of
pasture, and 875,000 acres of forest, chiefly beech (50 per
cent.), and oak (20 per cent.), used for timber and other
woodwork. Of the cultivated land about z 5 0,000 acres were
then artificially irrigated ploughland ; but with the exception
of the works constructed in recent years the irrigation systems
were primitive. They were partially destroyed during the
war, but have been repaired. In reality there is now too little
cultivated land in proportion to the number of inhabitants,
and the country is over-populated. The remedy is an increase
of artificial irrigation and a more intensive method of agri
culture. There are still about 250,000 acres of unused land
which can be brought under cultivation by irrigation ; and
the agricultural methods admit of much improvement.
Wooden ploughs are still in general use, and the earth is not
manured—the dung being used as fuel. Further, the uplands
can be better utilized for growing root-crops, and for increased
grazing and dairy farming. And in addition to all this the
country’s industries can be developed.
As things are, the land gives a relatively poor return. The
average yield of all wheat-land is only 650 kilos per hectare
(2*471 acres), while the yield on irrigated land is estimated
at from 1,300 to 1,400 kilos per hectare. But even that is not
much. The average for the whole of Norway is 1,900 kilos
for every hectare of winter wheat, or 2,010 kilos of rye.
Unquestionably the crops in Armenia can be materially
increased by the use of manure and by better tillage.
Although, as wc have seen, the summer is very short, it
is so hot, with such forcing sunshine, that it is quite long
enough for the cultivation of cotton when the ground is irri
gated ; and great efforts are being made to increase this very
profitable crop. The cotton grown is short, but of excellent
quality. The price of cleaned Armenian cotton was 1 ’37
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