The residents of Lod continued to engage in agriculture throughout the period under discussion.  The city and its surroundings appeared well-tended, until it was “surrounded by gardens on all sides, except for the eastern side near the hills.” The olive trees, for which the city was renowned, continued to impress the many visitors and arouse their admiration. Sela Meril, who was responsible for the research work of the American Society for the Exploration of the Land of Israel, wrote with great admiration about the olive groves of Lod: “The trees are protected from all harm, standing with their broad crowns and branches spreading out to a distance of 80 feet, their tips touching the ground. The foliage is dense, and the ancient trees appear to be blooming as if in their youth.”  These trees provided “olive oil, soap, wood for tools and decorative items that were made in factories and sold as souvenirs from the Holy Land.”

In addition to the olive groves, many orchards were planted in the area in 1905. The Dahmash family, a respected and wealthy family, planted orchards in the south and west of the city, thus integrating Lod into the citrus export industry, which began to flourish at that time.

From: Vakrat, Ora, 1977, Lod - Historical Geography, published by Goma and the Lod Municipality - Cherikover.

Some of these orchards still exist today in the area near the train station and are owned by Mr. Dahmash, the son of the original planter. In addition to these orchards, which were part of the agriculture intended for export, the residents grew many fruit trees: strawberries, dates, figs, and grapes for local consumption. The seed plots continued to be used as before: for grains and legumes.

From: Vakar, Ora, 1977, Lod - Historical Geography, published by Goma and the Lod Municipality - Chrikover.

The main change during this period was in transportation. Agricultural products intended for export, such as oils, soap, and citrus fruits, were transported to the port of Jaffa by a small train, popularly known as the “Trazina.” This vehicle, developed by Dra-Zin, was noted by the locals in a slang “drazina” and replaced the port, which had been the main means of transport until then.

The livestock market, which was mentioned in previous periods, continued to exist during this period as well. Thanks to the use of trains, larger quantities of goods and livestock could be transported to Lod. The largest livestock market in the country traded in all kinds of animals. The market was held in Lod every Thursday. Merchants from all over the country came to it with their wares and trade goods. Some say that people even came from nearby Lebanon. On market day, Lod looked like a huge market. The market continued to operate during the Mandate period (according to several Arab and Christian residents with whom I spoke, the market was held on Sundays rather than Thursdays, as it had been during the Ottoman period), and it was located in the northern part of the city (where the “Hapoel” field was located). Travelers who arrived in Lod on market day were impressed by what they saw: “an important town rich in good soil and blooming gardens, interesting for its historical tradition and delightful for its material wealth.”

From: Vakar, Ora, 1977, Lod - Historical Geography, published by Goma and the Municipality of Lod - Chrikover.