DATE VARIETIES 249 



rounded at both ends, Isabella brown in color, ventral 

 channel narrow, open, germ pore above the middle. 

 Flavor pleasantly sweet, wholesome, nutty. 

 (Kearney.) 



Kasbeh, Kesba, Kessebi, El Kseba, The 

 Profitable, a widespread variety in Algeria and 

 Tunisia, which goes back to the beginnings of the 

 scientific date industry in that region,* and before 

 the origin of Deglet Nur held the place which that 

 variety now holds as the undisputed leader. This 

 position was due not only to its intrinsic merits but 

 to the fact that it is one of the famous dates of Madina 

 — the Sayhani — and is connected in a most honorable 

 way with the prophet himself. It is related that 

 Muhammad happened to pass under it, holding the 

 hand of his son-in-law 'All, whereupon the palm 

 cried, "This is Muhammad, the Prince of Prophets 

 and this is 'All, Prince of the Pious and the Progenitor 

 of the Immaculate Imams." Hence its name, "The 

 Crier, "t and the veneration in which it has always 

 been held, so that it has been spread throughout the 

 Arabic world and is held in esteem wherever it grows. 



*Arabs accept two theories as to the origin of the date planta- 

 tions of Northern Africa: that they are the result of palms brought 

 back by the first pilgrims from that region who ^^sited Mecca and 

 Madina; and that they were introduced by "The Lord of the Two 

 Horns," a semi-mythical personage who in. this case is perhaps 

 Alexander Severus. Both these ideas are romance, for the date was 

 probably established here long before the Christian era. See Pliny, 

 in loc. 



fit is not the only variety which was moved to utterance by the 

 presence of Muhammad. Al Wahshi bent its head and said, " Peace 

 be upon you," when it saw the prophet once eating its fruit; while 

 a palm of unknown variety, by the trunk of which he used to preach, 

 gave a loud groan when he left it in favor of a regularly-made pulpit, 

 ^luhammad thereupon went to it and embraced it, saying to his 

 companions, "If I had not embraced it, it would have continued 

 groaning until the day of resurrection." Ibn Batiitah, ed. Paris, 

 1853, vol. I, p. 275. 



