VAKIKTIES OF PRT^rARV T^r POISTANCE. 



71 



larjror nhovo tluiii 1)o1<)\y tho middle. l)r():id and rounded at the apex, 

 liirht l):iv or hazel hrown when line, tlu' flesh '2i to 8 lines thick, firm 

 hut tender, the seed about one-half as lonij as the fruit, rather thick, 

 irre<rularly i-ouirhened. (Fig. 13.) The stalks and branches of the 

 fruit clusters are pale orange. The foliage of this variety is i-ather 

 liirlit. and the leaves drooj) somewhat as in Deglet Xoor palms. The 

 Arabs say that the foliage of the Areshty is greener than that of the 

 Deglet Xoor. The leaflets are long, narrow, and rather sparse. The 

 si)ines on the leafstalks are c<)mi)aratively few, slender, and weak. 

 The trunk is stout. 



Frequent in the oases of the Jerid. the Nefzaoua. and Gabes. but 

 nowhere abundant in Tunis. At (iabes the fruits are smaller and 

 duller colored than in the Jerid. and are said not to preserve Avell. 

 It occurs also in Algeria, at Biskra, and in the Oued Rirh. This is 

 one of the largest dates grown in Tunis. The fruit is generally egg- 

 shaped. It rii)ens about the middle 

 of ()ctol)er, but is considered by the 

 natives to be at its best before it is 

 perfectly mature, although to an 

 American palate it would doubtless 

 be preferable when ripe. The flavor 

 of the thoroughly ripe fruit is agree- 

 able, although not very remarkable. 

 AVhile not as rich and sweet as the 

 Boo Affar (see p. 6G), it is whole- 

 some, nut-like, and not easily cloying. 

 The flesh becomes quite firm and the 

 ripe fruit keeps its shape well when preserved. Thirteen Areshty 

 oifshoots were imported. 



Fig. 13.— Outlines uf Areshty seed and 

 fruit. (Natural size.) 



DRY DATES. 



HoRRA (p. 08).— The name is also spelled Hourra, Harra. and 

 Herra. and means "pure" or "noble.'" A dry date (PL X, fig. 

 1), about 2 inches long, about one-half as wide, ovate, narrowed from 

 the base to the rounded apex, rather dull purplish maroon when ripe, 

 the flesh 2 to ^ lines thick, with its white central zone much thicker 

 than the dark outer portion, the seed usually about one-half as long 

 as the fruit. (Fig. 14.) The stalks and branches of the fruit clus- 

 ters are orange yellow. The leaves are large, with very numerous 

 slender leaflets. 



This variety, which also occurs in Algeria — at Biskra and in the 

 Oued Bvirh— is frequent in the Jerid and abundant in the Xefzaoua, 

 where, the Deglet Xoor not being grown, it is generally esteemed as 

 the finest variety. At Gabes there are a few- trees, but the variety 



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