- PHYSICAL anv LITERARY. 249 
or female, 1 know not; but this I know for 
| 
Salt, & 
certain, that there was not another of the. 
kind within two leagues of it. Whence we 
may conclude, that the prefence of the male 
is not neceflary to render this tree fruitful, 
as naturalifts pretend.” He fays indeed al- 
fo, that the {tones of the dates of the iflands 
will not grow ; fo that thofe who would raife 
palm-trees, are obliged to plant the Barbary 
dates; and that dates do not ripen fo perfect- 
ly in Martinico and Guadaloupe, as they do in 
Africa, in Afia, or even in St. Domingo.” 
For altho’ our dates, fays he, become foft, 
yellow, and as it were lufcious, and in 
a word, appear perfectly ripe; yet they 
(till retain a certain fharpnefs, which fhews 
they want at leaft fome degree of maturity.” 
_ Thus Pere Labat.. c. 
_ Fo. Baubinus (u) relates, that he faw only 
one date-bearing palm-tree at Montpelier ; 
** Centefimum annum fuperare creditur, (fays 
“‘he) et vulgo ibi perfuafum, ante grandem 
_ “ aetatem fructum non proferre, et vix ante 
* quinquagefimum annum, ut quidem per- 
_ * hibebant.” Hence Pontanus’s fiction is ea- 
oy accounted for, if there be any truth in it; 
k (x) Hift. 1. p. 360. 
bike ‘oa 
