VARIETIES OF rRIMAltV 1MP()I1TAN<'E. 



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The leaves (PI. \) are l()n<i- and hroad and rather stiff and heavy, 

 crowded with xcrv nnnu'r(tiis lono; loaHets, and their stalks are armed 

 almost throniiiiiiiit their length with Ion":, stout spines. The fruit 

 clusters are short and dense, their stalks bright yellow (not at all 

 oranae), rather shoi-t. stout, and only moderately curved, so that 

 the bundles do not liana" down below tiie leaA'es. as in the Decflet Noor, 

 but are ahnost hidden l)y the l"olia<:-e. 



This sui)erb variety i)roduces fruit that is thoualil by many of the 

 natives, and even by some of the few EurojK'ans who have tasted it, to 

 surpass the T)e<i:let Noor. In the writer's judiiiiient and that of several 

 of his collea<]^ues who have given much attention to the subject of 

 dates, as well as in the oi)inion of the exi)erts attached to two of the 

 lar<rest American firms that import fruits, it is at least ecinal in quality 

 to the Deglet Noor, which it considerably reseml)les in flavor. Insizr 

 Menakher dates are one and one-half to nearlv two times as larm> as 

 the Deolet Noor." In color thev are generallv (hirker. The seed, 

 though thick, is short in proportion 

 to the length of the fruit, and it 

 is very ditl'erenl in appearance from 

 that of the Deglet Noor. The thick, 

 translucent flesh, although soft and 

 sirupy at the moment of ripening 

 becomes firm when preserved, just 

 as does that of the Deglet Noor. 

 At the same time, it does not be- 

 come dry and hard after a few 

 months, as in most of the dry dates. 

 If preserved Avith any care, Mena- 

 kher dates keej) their shape admirably. Those that were examined 

 and tasted by the writer after having been kept for three or four 

 months in the houses of natives showed themselves to be in all respects 

 equal to the Deglet Noor in keeping quality. As in that variety, the 



"Samples of Menakher and of Deglet Noor dates have recently (December 5, 

 1905) been received by the writer, through the kindness of Mr. Louis Grech, of 

 Neftn, In southern Tnnis. A comparison of the two shows that in volume (de- 

 termined by the disi)laeement of water) the former average 15 c. c. and the lat- 

 ter 9 c. c, the Menakher dates being, therefore, one and two-thirds times as large 

 as those of the Deglet Noor variety. They are also about one and two-thirds 

 times as heavy, Menakher fruits averaging 1(5.70 grams in weight, while Deg- 

 let Noor fruits average 10.44 grams. The percentage weight of the seed to that 

 of the whole fruit (i. e., with the seed) is 10.4 in the case of the Menakher 

 and 9.S in the case of Deglet Noor. The importance of this character in dis- 

 tinguishing date varieties was tirst pointed out by Prof. J. W. Touniey. An 

 exceptionally large Menakher fruit weighed 18.7 grams and the seed 1.7 grams, 

 or only 9.1 per cent of the weight of the whole fruit. 

 92 



Fig. 6.— Outlines of Menakher seed and 

 fruit. ( Natural size. ) 



