PLANT HYBRIDIZATION BEFORE MENDEL 3 



In an Assyrian bas-relief, Ashurbanipal, the Sardanapalus of 

 the Greeks {circa 650 B.C.), is represented in his garden, with 

 fruiting garlands of the grape overhead, while to the rear a date 

 palm is represented laden with fruit. 



The tremendous economic value of this remarkable tree, even 



Plate III. Date inflorescences. Left, staminate inflorescence just emerging from the 

 sheath ; right (3 figures), pistillate inflorescence in different stages. From U.S. Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture, Bureau of Plant Industry, Bull. 53, Plate 7, Figs. 1 and 2. 



in early times, was attested by a Persian hymn, referred to by 

 Strabo (13),^ which is reported as having mentioned three hun- 

 dred and sixty uses for the plant. Later, in the thirteenth century, 

 the celebrated traveller, Marco Polo, speaks of a "city called 

 Bastra (modern Busreh), surrounded by woods in which are 

 grown the best dates in the world." 



1 Numbers in parentheses refer to the bibliographical list to be found 

 at the end of each chapter. 



