462 THE UNIVERSE. 



and that in his day, in the environs of their immense city, 

 they occupied themselves with the artificial fecundation of 

 the latter 



The first travellers who, in imitation of Prosper Alpinus, 

 taught us true notions as to the manners of the Orientals 

 state that they were so well acquainted with the fertilizing 

 power of the stamens that they were accustomed, from the 

 most distant times, to place their female date-trees to the 

 leeward of the males, in order that they might more effect- 

 ually receive the prolific dust. 



At the present day the negroes know perfectly that the 

 loss of the male stems completely checks the production of 

 the fruit. Hence, when, in time of wars, they wish to 

 starve their enemies out, they content themselves with de- 

 stroying the stamen-bearing palms, which are much the less 

 numerous. 



In Egypt the harvest of dates has for ages been assured 

 by mounting the palms and shaking the male panicles upon 

 the female flowers. At the time of the French invasion the 

 Arabs were not in a position to take this precaution, being 

 more occupied with war than with agricultural labors ; and 

 consequently in this year, according to the statement of the 

 botanist Delille, who was a member of the expedition, the 

 date-trees were barren. 



Nevertheless, it must be admitted that if the ancients 

 observed the sexual nature of plants they often deceived 

 themselves on the subject. Pliny alone, in his thirteenth 

 book, describes the fecundation of the palm-tree with a per- 

 fection which it is almost impossible to surpass. 



But we must turn to Linnseus in order to see this fact 

 demonstrated experimentally for the first time. 



