60 . DATE VARIETIES AND DATE CULTURE IN TUNIS. 



DESCRIPTIONS OF THE VARIETIES. 



In the descriptions that follow, the page number placed after the 

 name of each variety refers to the descriptive key at the end of 

 the bulletin (pp. 97-106), where a more detailed account of the 

 characters of the fruits will be found. It should be noted that with 

 few exceptions all the varieties can readily be referred to one or the 

 other of two principal types — the " dry dates " and the " soft dates." 

 (See }). DC).) The first are characterized by having the skin of 

 the ripe fruit mostly roughened with numerous hard, narrow, trans- 

 verse, as well as longitudinal, wrinkles, while the flesh is usually thin 

 and generally becomes quite hard and dry in fruit that is long pre- 

 served. Plate X, figure 1, illustrates a typical date of this class. 

 The soft dates, on the other hand, have the skin of the ripe fruit 

 loosened over a great part of the surface into a few large, soft blisters, 

 and tlie flesh is usually thick and remains soft, or at least tender. 

 Typical soft dates are illustrated in Plates VIII and IX, figure 2. 

 Dates of the first type are only moderately sweet, and as they can be 

 eaten in quantity without inconvenience they form a large part of 

 the food of the Arabs. Some of them, like Horra and Kenta, have a 

 delicious flavor, while others are insij^id. The soft dates, on the 

 other hand, are generally so rich and sweet as to be rather a dessert 

 fruit than a staple article of food. To this category belong the 

 highly prized Deglet Noor, the choice Menakher, the rich, sirupy 

 Fteemy — in short, most of the finest varieties. AVhile many of these 

 can be kept for a long time in good condition, others are not pre- 

 servable, but must be eaten fresh or, at most, a few weeks after they 

 are gathered. 



Under the first heading following — " Varieties of primar^^ im- 

 portance " — these are arranged as nearly as possible in the order of 

 their value, as determined by the considerations mentioned above. 

 Under the headings " Varieties of secondary importance '' and " Va- 

 rieties of minor importance " the varieties follow the order in which 

 they are placed in the key. The " Varieties imported but not in- 

 cluded in the key " and " Varieties included in the key but not 

 imported '■ are arranged alphabetically. 



VARIETIES or PRIMARY IMPORTANCE. 

 SOFT DATES. • 



Menakher (p. 100).— Fruit of the soft-date type (PI. VIII, fig. 2), 

 2 to 2^ inches long, about one-half as wide, oblong, broad and rounded 

 at both ends, keeping its shape well when preserved; brownish 

 maroon when ripe; the flesh 2 to 2^ lines thick; the seed broad at both 

 ends, about one-half as long as the fruit, one-lialf as wide as long, 

 very rough. (Fig. 6.) 



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