20. DATE VAKIETIES AND DATE CULTURE IN TUNIS. 



In respect to other cultures, however, Gabes is easily first among 

 the Tunis oases. Garden vegetables grow to perfection* beneath 

 the palms and mature so early that Avere there better facilities for 

 transportation there would be a large profit in shipping them to 

 European markets. Alfalfa grows beautifully and gives a rapid 

 succession of cuttings throughout most of the year. Large yields 

 of barley are obtained. Fruit trees of various kinds, but especially 

 figs and pomegranates, are abundant and produce fruit that is highly 

 esteemed throughout Tunis. Gabes is celebrated for the production 

 of a small, deliciously flavored banana that is exported in some 

 quantity to Europe. The grapevine grows to enormous size, and 

 individual vines that produce 330 pounds of fruit are said to be not 

 uncommon. Notwithstanding the scanty rainfall, plantations of oil 

 olives in land that is not irrigated, similar to those of Sfax, are being 

 established on the outskirts of some of the oases. 



GAFSA. 



The toAvn of Gafsa is situated about 50 miles northeast of Tozer, 



the capital of the Jerid, and is connected with Sfax, on the east coast 

 of Tunis, by a railway about 125 miles long. The elevation of Gafsa 

 above sea level is about 1,150 feet. Tributary to the oasis of Gafsa 

 itself are one or two other oases of small importance. Gafsa oasis 

 contains from 50,000 to 65,000 date palms. These belong mostly to 

 inferior varieties, and the dates produced are of mediocre qualit3\ 

 Because of its much greater elevation this locality is entirely unsuited 

 to choice varieties, such as the Deglet Xoor. The water supply is 

 more than ample for the present extent of the oasis. The date is 

 here hardh^ a more important crop than the olive, of which there are 

 many thousands of trees. Oil varieties predominate. At the begin- 

 ning of the Christian era Gafsa (then known as Capsa) was included 

 in the great olive zone that extended from the east coast of Tunis 

 across into Algeria, and of which only scattered fragments remain. 



four or five days. These must be picked from the bunches as fast as they 

 ripen, which necessitates climbing each palm every day until all of its product 

 is harvested. These dates are sold in the markets of Susa at a rather high 

 price, as they ripen at a time when other fresh fruit is not obtainable. They 

 are eaten only by the natives. Europeans holding them in small esteem. The 

 high value set upon them by the natives is shown by the fact that the off- 

 shoots are sold at a price of .$2 apiece. While the two varieties grown at this 

 locality are doubtless of little intrinsic value, it is remarkable that dates of any 

 sort will mature under these climatic conditions ; for at Sfax. where the sum- 

 mers are slightly hotter than at Susa, the normal sum total of mean daily 

 temperatures from :May 1 to October 31 is only 1.908° F., and the normal sum 

 of mean daily maxima during the same period is only 3,375° F. 

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