Algeria

Anticipating Abyssinia

December 18, 2009

Vavilov’s general observations on agriculture in North Africa bring his journeys through the Maghreb, though not around the Mediterranean, to an end. Next stop, Abyssinia. Before we join him there, early in the new year, we have to chase a hare he set running with his description of “cous-cous”. That will appear next week.

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North African Agriculture

December 16, 2009

August 1926 Generally North Africa is a kind of unit of its own. A phytogeographical analysis clearly reveals specific Mediterranean crops, a dominance of original, local large-grained hard wheat and six-rowed barley. The cultivation of large-seeded leguminous plants and large-seeded flax is concentrated in the coastal zone. The mountain areas of the Atlas and the [...]

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Grapes in Algeria

November 4, 2009

Apropos Vavilov’s remarks about the vineyards he saw on the way from Algeria to Morocco, T.H. Kearney noted in his appreciation of Louis Trabut: The numerous Algerian varieties of the grape have been investigated and selection has been made of those which seem most promising. One of of these, popularized by Trabut and known to [...]

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Leaving Algeria, and Trabut

October 30, 2009

Closing his section on Algeria, Vavilov writes: Trabut and his student and successor [Ducellier], now unfortunately deceased, possessed an incredible knowledge of the nature of this country. Their encyclopedic knowledge allowed me to confidently orient myself within a short time among the assemblage of cultivated plants, to pick out the necessary material and to work [...]

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Downfall and degradation instead of progress

October 28, 2009

July 1926 Tiaret is a centre of Arabian culture and Arabian schools and mosques. As I left the town, I passed a remarkable mosque, an example of splendid arts with amazing designs of strikingly harmonizing lines, arches and ornaments. It was built several centuries ago and is witness to the exceptional level of the Arabian [...]

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Seeking Algerian wheat

October 26, 2009

July 1926 A later itinerary through Algeria, planned together with Trabut, [Ducellier] and the Department of Agriculture on the basis of the excellent agronomic map published by the French Department of Agriculture, needed in particular to include the areas where bread grains are cultivated. The time for collecting was approaching. We selected the areas of [...]

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A crooked path to faba beans

October 23, 2009

July 1926 The Kabyle mountains are sharply different with respect to all the types of agriculture. The ancient settlements of the Kabyles are concentrated there. The Kabyles are closely related to the Berbers, use a language different from Arabic and have neat houses covered by tiles instead of the flat-roofed houses of the Arabs. Everything [...]

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An explanation of large organs

September 30, 2009

July 1926 As already mentioned above, the intense heat during summer and the dry early part of the autumn, and the gende precipitation during winter and spring, are typical of the Mediterranean area. An optimum utilization of the natural moisture has produced large-grained, large-seeded and large-fruited forms and even large bulbs; promoted fast growth; and [...]

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Enormous onions near Touggourt

September 28, 2009

July 1926 Together with an Arab guide I went deep into the desert in an automobile equipped with special wide tires for driving in the sand. We drove in the direction toward Touggourt, which was interesting mainly because of the stops in the scattered villages along the road. About a dozen km apart there were [...]

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Biskra oasis

September 23, 2009

July 1926 In a small train with a tiny locomotive, I went to Biskra through the region of the Kabyle mountains, which were crossed by the narrow-gauge railroad. Beyond the spurs of the Atlas mountain range there is a lifeless desert. The vegetation consists of sparse shrubs, scorched during summer. The monotonous and boring desert [...]

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