44 



DATE VARIETIES AND DATE CULTURE IN TUNIS. 



give the best results." Some of the inhabitants of the Jericl are of 

 the opinion that offshoots developed in unirrigated and salty land 

 make more vigorous palms than those grown in well-tended, fre- 

 quently irrigated gardens. It is possible, at least, that such off- 

 shoots are hardier at the start and are less likely to perish in the 

 early stages of growth. 



The offshoots are generally of sufficient size to transplant when 

 two or three years old, but they must not be taken up until they are 

 well rooted. The natives say they are of the best size for planting 



when about as large as a camel's head at the base, 

 but while still without a well-formed trunk above 

 ground. One offshoot is generally left attached 

 to each palm when the others are removed, in order 

 to replace it when it dies or be- 

 comes unproductive. Allien this 

 in turn produces offshoots, one 

 of these is retained, and so on. 

 Hence it is not unusual to see 

 trunks belonging to several gener- 

 ations all still attached to the same 

 parent stock. (PI. V, fig. 2.) It 

 must be remembered that a date 

 palm generally ceases to sucker 

 after it is 10 to 15 years old. 

 The price paid for offshoots in 

 the Jerid depends upon the variety, Deglet Noor 

 offshoots selling for from 57 to 75 cents apiece, 

 while those of most other varieties cost onh^ from 

 19 to 57 cents. 



Considerable skill is required in detaching the 

 offshoots from the parent stem. First, all l)ut the 

 innermost leaves are cut off near the base, and those 

 that are left are often fastened together with a 

 shred of palm leaf, to prevent their being broken 

 during the operations. Next, a hole of some size is dug around the 

 offshoot with a pick or with the " messah," a short-handled hoe. 

 This tool (fig. 3 and PI. II, fig. 2) is quite unlike the Egyptian 

 " fass," ^ having a much larger, shovel-like blade, with the handle 

 so attached as to be nearly parallel with the blade instead of at right 

 angles to it. At the same time all the roots that can be reached are 

 cut off close to the base by means of a " mengel,'' a tool with the 



Fig. 3. — Laborei- hold- 

 ing a "messah," or 

 short-handled hoe. 



Fig. 4.— Date picker 

 holding a "men- 

 gel," or straight- 

 bladed sickle, used 

 for cutting off the 

 bunches of dates. 



a The belief among the natives is that an offslioot must receive plenty of 

 moonlight in order to become a sti'ong i)alm 1 



6 Illustrated in Bui. 130, Office of Experiment Stations, U. S. Dept. of Agri- 

 culture. 1903, p. 39. 

 92 



