THE MUNTJILY BLLLETIX. 13 



things for California, since in the Deglet Nur and other North African 

 sorts we already have plenty of late ones: and I know of no region which 

 otfers so many interesting dates, from this point of view, as does Oman. 

 Doubtless they will not bear quite so early in California, but if we can 

 get a number of choice varieties that bear in July, or even in August, 

 it will put a different aspect upon our date culture, and will enable us 

 to get a large part of our crop on the market when it is empty — before 

 the Babylonian dates can possibly arrive and lower prices by their 

 cheapness, and long before the French conld possibly get their well- 

 packed Algerian Deglet Xiirs in our shops. It is this idea I kept in 

 mind when selecting the varieties of otfshoots I wanted in California. 

 The following list enumerates, in alphabetical order, all the varieties 

 which I could find in Oman — a field which has practically never before 

 been investigated by any student of date culture. I Avas obliged to get 

 most of my descriptions at second-hand, however, and I can not pretend 

 that these are wholly satisfactory, since an Arab usually thinks of a 

 date only in its fresh stage, and has but two colors to describe it — red 

 and yellow. In transliterating Arabic names, I have followed the 

 S3'stem universally adopted by English-speaking scientists, namely, that 

 consonants should be pronounced as in English, but vowels as in 

 Spanish or other continental languages. AVhere possible, I have added 

 the English meaning of the name, but many of these are uncertain, the 

 etymology of the modern Omanis not agreeing witli that of the classics. 



Date Varieties in Oman. 



Abu Sabrin. '"The Father of Patience," a large, red, rutab date — 

 that is, one which is eaten in its soft, fresh condition. On maturity it 

 turns dark brown and is sometimes cured, when it keeps fairly well. 

 Ripens in midseason. is of good quality and fairly common. The palm 

 bears very large clusters. Not in California. 



Amani Ilajiri. a date from Amau Valley, which I secured in a boiled 

 form* in the Masqat bazar: it is the only palatable boiled date I have 

 ever tasted. In addition to this variety. I was told that there were 

 Amani Awabi, Amani Rustak and Amani ]\Iawal, all quite different, 

 but I am not at all sure that these are not trade names, rather than 

 the names of true botanical varieties. Amani Hajiri is a large date, 

 rusty brown Avhen boiled. Avitli a dirty graAish tinge. Length, 1^ in., 

 breadth li, widest at base, tapering gradually to blunt apex. Flesh 

 i to ^ in. thick, seed of medium size, greenish brown, practically no 

 fibre observable ; seed 15/16 in. long, 5/16 in. wide. Flesh very sweet, 

 dry and easily granulated: no trace of astringencv. Not in United 

 States. 



Bahalani, named after the town of Bahala, an early and very large 

 rutab, noted as a heavy bearer. Xot in United States. 



Bakala (name of a village), a small, yellow rutab, said to be very 

 early in ripening but bearing only a few bunches. Rare. Xot brought 

 to America. 



Bu Ma 'an, "The Flowing" (?), a very broad date, about 1^ in. 

 long, yellow, dry. Early, rare: a shy bearer. X'^ot in United States. 



Bu Xarinja, "Father of the Orange," because of its color: also sold 



*For preservation in this form dates are picked when still hard, boiled in water 

 with salt, and then dried in the sun. They will thus keep indefinitely and can be 

 shipped and handled easily, but the flavor is usually astringent. The consumption 

 of boiled dates is principally in Persia and India. 



