12 TIIK MONTIIT.Y BTTLTiETIN. 



at $154,662.42, according to consular invoice; for preceding years the 

 \alue of the annual shii)nient to New York was as follows: 1910, 

 .t!)4.()S2.00 : inO!). $40,771.00; 1908, $59,036.00; 1907, $105,011.00; 1906, 



ii;n ,058.00. 



Probably this fluctuation in the exports is due more to fluctuation in 

 llic amount ol' the crop, than to variation of the American demand, 

 which is fairly steady, because the Fardh date is the only one imported 

 in any (luantity by the United States which can be bought in fairly 

 presentable condition. Its tough, firm flesh allows it to come on the 

 labh' intact, whih> the superior Malawi and Khadlirawi of Busreh have 

 been so s(iueezed out of shape by the packer that they do not look 

 pi-esentable, no nudter how good their flavor may be. 



Aside from its packing quality, the Fardh can not be considered a 

 flrst class date: its dark color and strong flavor dis(iualify it at once. 

 We can pi-oduce nnich better dates in California, and can i)ack them in 

 a way that defies competition, both because of superior methods, and 

 because we are close to our nuirket. I do not see, therefore, that Cali- 

 fornia need in any way fear the competition of the Fardh date. 



But there are^ better dates in Onum, even though they are not 

 exported. Local taste, indeed, (piite disdains the Fardh. One expert 

 named to me the five best Oman dates, in order of merit, as Khalaseh, 

 Khanayzi, Naghal. llih'tli and Qush Zabad ; the order is a matter of 

 individual taste. l)iit it will be noticed that Fardh is not on t\ys list. 



Certainly the Khalaseh has no rival as the preeminent date of the 

 region, but its scarcity is such as to umke it almost unobtainable. I 

 found that it grew in AVadi Sanuiil. but could obtain no fruit there — 

 my next door neighbor had two bags, but tiiey were destined to a rich 

 Aral) of Zanzibar, who depended on getting his annual shipment of 

 Khalaseh dates from liome;* so I could not get any of them. On my 

 way bark to ]\Ias(|at 1 stopped for lunch with a cousin of the Sultan, 

 who brought out as a rare treat a dish of '' 'ajweh.'' of date paste, 

 made from this superlative variety, and there I had my flrst taste of it 

 —a taste that was by no means disappointing. On my departure from 

 (^niau I conunissioned a reliable and experienced man to secure such off- 

 shodts as T wanted and sent theni on to Busreh, and I particularly urged 

 him to secure every possible ofl'shoot of the Khalfiseh. He was able to 

 find a hundred. Later I got 400 more direct from the date's home in the 

 province of Hasa. farther up the gulf on the eastern coast of Arabia, 

 and T thus have reason to hope that it is introduced on a sufficiently 

 large scale to give it every chance of success in California. 



Taken as a whole, the great value of Oman dates to California is in 

 their earlv maturity, for the flrst rutab or soft, fresh dates appear in 

 the market of :\las!|at about :\Iay 15th; but the fleld is also notable for 

 its long season, since Khasfd) or Ililali rutabs can be had up to Novem- 

 ber 15th or even later. There are thus fresh dates in the market for 

 six months, while at Busreh the season lasts scarcely more than three, 

 and as far as its conunercial end is concerned, occupies but forty days. 

 The introduction of early ripening varieties is one of the most desirable 



♦Zanzibar was colonizod bv natives of Oman, who were the great slave traders of 

 the li^t eetiturv and for vears the island formed an integral part of the Kingdom of 

 Oman The explorer AV. G. Palgrave mentions that even half a century ago there was 

 a regular exportation of Khalaseh dates to Zanzibar. At present an attempt is being- 

 made under the auspices of the British government, to establish the variety m that 

 island, offshoots having been shipped from Oman for the purpose. 



