Vol. XVI. No. 392. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS! 



1?.9 



ONIONS. 



The onion thrips (I'hrips taliaci, Lind.) was severe in 

 Antigua during the early parj, of the year, and was trouble- 

 some in the dry season in the Virgin Islands. 



MISCELLANEOUS. 



The large Cerambycid borer, Batocera.ru/jus, is reported 

 to be spreading rapidly in the Virgin Islands. It attacks 

 trees of Fictis sp., papaw {Caricn Fniiay.i) and hog plum 

 {i>pon(lias latea) among others 



Slugs or 'leather jackets' ( Veronkella occidentalh) were 

 destructive to vegetable gardens in St. Luoia and Dominica. 

 Domestic ducks are sometimes kept to control this pest. 



THE DATE PALM IN EGYPT. 



Although the d^ite palm {Ph<>eni' davtidifera) is not 

 a native of the West Indies, its natural home being in the 

 dry, hot regions of Northern Africa, yet it has been shown 

 that the tree can be successfully grown in suitable situations, 

 and at the Botanic Stations of .Jamaica, Trinidad and 

 I>oniinica, fruit of good quality has been produced of recent 

 years. It should therefore be of interest to residents in these 

 colonies to know something of the various kinds of dates 

 which are extensively grown in Egypt. Data concerning 

 these are given in the Ayricultuial Journal oj Egypt, Vol. ^'I, 

 191G. Date palms grown in Kgypt are herein ciassified under 

 three heads, as follows: (1) dry; (2) semi-dry: and (3) soft. 



Dry dates contain a high proportion of sugar, and are 

 therefore easily preserved liy natural mean>. Continued 

 exposure to the sun causes them to become quite dry, in 

 which state they may be keijt for an indefinite length of time. 

 In Egypt they are known as hnlah mhldf. Although good 

 varieties, such as the Gondaila and Sakkoti, are sweet and 

 pleasing to the taste, they are not looked upon with favour 

 by the Europeans on account of their dryness. When steeped 

 in water, however, they become quite soft, and many people 

 who use dry dates in this way prefer them to other kinds. 



The semi-dry dates are similar to the dry dates, They 

 are, however, softer than the latter, and consequently may be 

 eaten with ease. In a dried state they may be packed 

 loosely in boxes o.- sacks without fermentation taking place. 

 In Egypt the semi-dry dates are usually distinguished as 

 taiiiT, although consumers sometimes use this word for the 

 dry dates also. The greater part of the dates which are 

 exported to Europe is made up of the Ainry. In this country 

 the most important varieties of tamr dates are the Amry and 

 A'lUlni. 



Soft dates contain a comparatively small proportion of 

 sugar and are not easily dried by natural means. They are 

 therefore eaten in a fresh state or made into tigim — pressed 

 dates. The majority of soft dates may be eaten as soon as 

 they have reached their full size and colour. In fact 

 the fruit of a few varieties, such as the Dueki, may 

 be eaten before it has attained its full size. On 

 the other hand, certain varieties, such as the Amhat, 

 are too astringent to be eaten before they are quite 

 ripe, even by those who are accustomed to the taste of dates 

 in the yellow or red state. Technically, it is not quite correct 

 to speak of dates being unripe in this state. 



In the unripe condition the fruits are known in Arabic 

 as halah neroo: or bulali liisr, although they are most gen- 

 erally distinguished as merely ahmur (red) and ast'ar 

 (yellow). In the final stage of ripeness when they have 

 become succulent and translucent, they are known as halah 

 rutah. 



Cultivators have no difficulty in distinguishing, without 

 seeing the fruit, the trees of different varieties of date palms 

 and any intelligent observer cannot fail to note the diversity 

 in the general appearance of the trees in a palm grove of 

 mixed kinds. This diversity of appearance is due to many 

 points of ditterence in the leaves and trunk. Although these 

 differences are in some cases matters of degree, they are 

 sufficiently marked to make each variety quite distinct to- 

 the eye of a trained worker. 



Apart from the Sudan, the cultivation of the above- 

 mentioned dates on a large scale is confined almost entirely 

 to the Province of Aswan, and to Nubia. Owing probably 

 to the greater heat, the yield of the palms appears to be 

 more greatly affected in Aswan Province than farther north 

 by the lack or otherwise of a plentiful supply of water 

 Although the prosperity of this Province depends to a great 

 extent upon the date industry, the needs of the palm in 

 regard to manure receive much less attention here than 

 elsewhere. In fact it may truly be said that in no other 

 part of the country is the date palm left so much to the care 

 of nature The yield of individual palms varies with the 

 following conditions: the presence or absence of wells or 

 other means of summer irrigation; whether the palms stand 

 singly or in groups: and whether other crops are grown and 

 manured between the trees. The most important factor, 

 however, in the production of good crops throughout 

 the Province is the Nile flood, the occurrence of a low flood 

 causing the palms to be poorly supplied with water, which 

 naturally leads to a great reduction in the yield of fruit. In 

 191.5 the average yield of 104 palms of which there are 

 records was 709 tti. per tree. In 1914 the average crop 

 of forty-five trees was 80 3 lb. each, and in 1913, thirty -eight 

 trees gave an average yield of 986 ft. It is, however, 

 common for trees that are well cared for to give 170 lb. or 

 more of dried fruit each; on the other hand, trees which are 

 growing under unfavourable conditions may not give 30 lb. 

 each in a bad year. 



The fruit c )mmences to ripen early in September. 

 Dried dates remain on the trees until they have passed the 

 ripe stage and they become almost hard. The bunch is then 

 cut, the dates are allowed to dry two to three days on the 

 bunch, after which they are picked and spread on the 

 ground, which is covered with ashes. The fruit is turned over 

 every four to five days for a period of five to six weeks or 

 even longer. It is then stored in sacks or heaps until it is 

 shipped to Cairo or elsewhere for sale. Invariably in storing, 

 care is taken to mix a quantity of wood ashes with the fruit. 

 The highest prices are usually paid for the Gondaila and 

 Bartdmoada, and the lowest for the (rarqaada. 



A sweet beverage is made by soaking the Sakkoti dates 

 in cold water for five to six hours. The dates are afterwards 

 eaten, and in this .state they are both soft and palatable, even 

 to the European taste. 



The chief kinds of semi-dry dates which are cultivated 

 are the Amry and Agldni. The yield of the Amry date 

 palms varies between 2 and 5 kelas of dried dates, say 70 to- 

 l')0 ft. per tree: that of the Aijldni is 2 to 6 kelas each, 

 that is 75 to 22-5 !b. of dried dates per tree. 



In regard to soft dates, the varieties cultivated are: Bint 

 Aifha, Haydni, Satiia^n, Zaghlool, Amhat, Siivi, and -Satdi. 

 The last named is by far the most important date tree in all 

 the Oases. It is very closely allied to the Siioi, but the fruit 

 has a thinner skin and is sweeter than that of the Siwi. 

 Although the two varieties agree in almost all features, yet 

 the Sai'H trees differ from those of the Siwi in appearance. 

 The yield of Saidi date trees is said to vary between 'JO- 

 and 160 ft. per tree. 



