Small quantities of raisins also come from Tyra, Bairdir, Aidin and other places in the fig districts in the interior. The Island of Samos, off the coast of Asia Minor, produces raisins of several kinds, such as Sultanas, black raisins, principally for distilling abroad, and Muscatel raisins, the latter reaching three thousand tons in favorable seasons. The Island of Cos or Stanchio is also famous for its Sultana raisins, said to be the finest of any produced in Turkey. The climate of the Smyrna raisin districts is very mild, allowing farm labor to be performed the year round. The temperature seldom falls below the freezing point, while from the middle of May to the middle of September it ranges from 70 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit in the shade. During the summer, the _Imbat_ or seabreeze tempers the heat and makes the climate pleasant to live in. The grapes begin to ripen about July first, the Sultana grapes being the earliest. The rainfall is abundant during the rainy months of the year, September to April, and averages twenty-five inches, varying from fifteen inches in dry seasons to thirty-three inches in very wet years. The following table of the rainfall is taken from the consular reports published in 1884: _Table showing the monthly rainfall in the city of Smyrna, in inches and hundredths of inches, during the nineteen years ending with 1882._ Compiled by W. E. STEVENS, Consul at Smyrna. =====+======+======+======+======+======+======+ YEAR| Janu-|Febru-|March.|April.| May. | June.| | ary. | ary. | | | | | | | | | | | | -----+------+------+------+------+------+------+ 1864| 3.59| 1.53| .58| 3.75| 1.59| .80| 1865| 7.07| 9.05| 4.43| 1.42| .23| .34| 1866| 1.40| 1.78| 1.79| .20| .95| .63| 1867| 2.63| 3.14| 1.16| .37| 1.37| .67| 1868| 8.30| .32| 11.24| .92| .83| .67| 1869| 3.21| .74| 12.07| 1.78| .19| .59| 1870| 5.79| 2.81| 2.29| 2.24| .07| -- | 1871| 11.10| 1.19| 1.29| .66| 1.09| .39| 1872| 3.17| 1.46| .50| 4.18| 3.09| .60| 1873| 2.41| 5.64| 2.08| .50| 2.38| .16| 1874| .14| 5.82| 1.92| .40| .15| -- | 1875| 4.58| 9.48| 5.78| 1.36| -- | -- | 1876| 2.88| 1.45| 2.53| 3.12| .42| 1.76| 1877| 3.08| 2.92| 4.84| 1.11| 3.47| .94| 1878| 6.27| 2.10| 3.00| 4.97| .29| .13| 1879| 4.28| 2.69| 1.61| .35| 2.36| .01| 1880| 1.61| .30| 2.87| 1.69| 2.69| .18| 1881| 6.15| 3.92| 1.74| .80| 1.45| -- | 1882| 1.27| 1.17| 1.04| 3.45| .66| .09| -----+------+------+------+------+------+------+ Aver-| 4.15| 3.03| 3.30| 1.75| 1.22| .42| age | | | | | | | -----+------+------+------+------+------+------+