124 



HARD WICKE 'S SCIENCE - G OSS IP. 



The syrup-like juice obtained as above described is 

 turned into an intoxicating beverage by fermentation ; 

 end sugar is procured from this juice by mere boiling. 



Fig. 84. Lenves of Date-Palm, covered with fungus 

 {Crapliiola pkucnicis). 



It is very probable that the palm-branches carried 

 before Christ on His triumphal entry into Jerusalem 



were the leaves of this tree. Various branches of the 

 Christian Church, by their use of date-palm leaves in 

 decorating their churches on the anniversary of this 

 event, and the Jews, by their use of them during the 

 Passover, uphold this idea. For these purposes vast 

 numbers of trees are cultivated, especially in the 

 neighbourhood of Bordighiera, on the Sardinian 

 coast. Collinson says, " Mr. Bowles writes me . . . 

 the upper branches they tie up to turn yellow, and 

 then sell them to adorn churches and houses to 

 keep away the devil ; they have the art of managing 

 them." 



Without the date the Sahara would be uninhabitable. 

 In every spot where there is any water this tree 

 flourishes, furnishing shelter to the traveller from the 

 fierce tropical sun, and food for himself and camels. 

 Very many varieties, differing much from each other 

 in colour, size, and shape, are cultivated, each known 

 by its own particular name. Some travellers mention 

 as many as forty-six ; and twenty-six distinct varie- 

 ties are exhibited in the Kew Museum. The date 

 is fast disappearing from the Holy Land, where at 

 one time it seems to have been very abundant. Moses 

 refers to Jericho as the " City of Palms," and we 

 have the testimony of Pliny in his Natural History 

 that palms abounded in Judea and the surrounding 

 regions. On several of the coins of Titus, Domitian, 

 and Trajan the country is represented by the symbol 

 of a palm-tree. 



Formerly dates were credited with many medicinal 

 virtues. In some old herbals a decoction in red wine 

 is recommended for the piles. The date's prevailing 

 qualities are nutritious and saccharine. One pound 

 of dates might produce about one ounce of the dry 

 nitrogenous substance of muscle or flesh. 



In conclusion, we may observe that the date-palm 

 may be seen growing in many collections in this 

 country, notably a very fine specimen in the large 

 conservatory at Sion House, the residence of the 

 Duke of Northumberland. In the Palm House at 

 Kew there is a much smaller one with an abundance 

 of a parasitical fungus on its leaves. This fungus, 

 which bears the name of Graphiola phanicis, and 

 seems partial to P/ianix dactylifera, attacks several 

 other species of the genus. Geo. Nicholson. 



A LESSON FROM A FAGGOT-STICK. 



THE object of this short paper is to show what 

 pleasure may be derived by the observer of 

 nature, from the contemplation of the most unlikely 

 and commonplace objects, and how numerous are 

 the sources from which instruction may be gathered 

 to serve as a lesson in entomology. 



Those who are happily acquainted with this part 

 of Kent, to whatever county they may belong, and 

 to whatever part of the world they have travelled, 

 or may hereafter travel, will gladly confess that it 



