170 flint's NATURAL HISTORY. [Book XIII. 



none in Italy that grow spontaneously, 10 nor, in fact, in any 

 other part of the world, with the exception of the warm coun- 

 tries : indeed, it is only in the very hottest climates that this 

 tree will bear fruit. 



CHAP. 7. THE NATURE OF THE PALM-TEEE. 



The palm-tree grows in a light and sandy soil, and for the 

 most part of a nitrous quality. It loves the vicinity of flowing 

 water ; and as it is its nature to imbibe the whole of the year, 

 there are some who are of opinion that in a year of drought 

 it will receive injury from being manured even, if the manure 

 is not first mixed with running water : this, at least, is the idea 

 entertained by some of the Assyrians. 



The varieties of the palm are numerous. First of all, there 

 are those which do not exceed the size of a shrub ; they are 

 mostly barren, though sometimes they are known to produce 

 fruit ; the branches are short, and the tree is well covered with 

 leaves all round. In many places this tree is used as a kind 

 of rough-cast, 11 as it were, to protect the walls of houses 

 against damp. The palms of greater height form whole 

 forests, the trunk of the tree being protected all round by 

 pointed leaves, which are arranged in the form of a comb ; 

 these, it must be understood, are wild palms, though sometimes, 

 by some wayward fancy or other, they are known to make 

 their appearance among the cultivated varieties. The other 

 kinds are tall, round, and tapering ; and being furnished with 

 dense and projecting knobs or circles in the bark, arranged in 

 regular gradation, they are found easy of ascent by the people 

 in the East ; in order to do which, the climber fastens a loop 

 of osier round his body and the trunk, and by this contrivance 

 ascends the tree with astonishing 12 rapidity. All the foliage is 

 at the summit, and the fruit as well ; this last being situate, 

 not among the leaves, as is the case with other trees, but 

 hanging in clusters from shoots of its own among the 

 branches, and partaking of the nature both of the grape and 

 the apple. The leaves terminate in a sharp edge, like that of 

 a knife, while the sides are deeply indented — a peculiarity 



10 Or in a wild state. 



11 " Tectorii vicem." They were probably planted in rows, close to the 

 wall. 



12 This mode of ascending the date-palm is still practised in the East. 



