358 VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES. 



made from the date : this is also without the statute 

 ot" the Prophet. It is known in Egypt by the name 

 of lakhlf>y. It is the sap or juice of the tree, and 

 can only he obtained by its destruction ; so that such 

 trees only as are unproductive are selected for ob- 

 taining it. The time chosen for this purpose is when 

 the tree is in the most active state of vegetation. 

 The crown is then cut off, and a cavity scooped in 

 the top of the trunk. As the sap rises, it exudes into 

 this cavitv, at the rate of nearly a gallon a day for 

 the first two weeks ; after which it gradually dimi- 

 nishes ; and at the end of six weeks or two months 

 it stops entirely, and the tree, which has become by 

 the operation completely dry, is cut down for fire- 

 wood, or for any other of the purposes to which the 

 trunk of the palm is applied. When the juice first 

 exudes from the tree, it is remarkably sweet, but it 

 soon ferments and becomes vinous, with a certain 

 degree of acidity. This juice may also be distilled 

 into an ardent spirit ; in fact, the genuine arrack, or 

 rack, of the East is obtained from the juice of palms. 

 In Egypt and Arabia the date-trees that have be- 

 come unproductive, through age or any other cir- 

 cumstance, are commonly disposed of in this manner. 

 What is called the cabbage of the palm is esculent in 

 many of the species, and in the date among others. 

 The cabbage is a conical tuft in the centre of the 

 crown of leaves, and is formed of the future leaves 

 in their undeveloped state. When the outside is 

 removed, this part of the date-tree tastes very much 

 like a fresh chesnut ; but, like the palm-juice, it is 

 costly, being obtained only by the destruction of the 

 tree ; and therefore it is not used except in those 

 trees w hich are cut for the sake of the sap or juice. 



The fibrous parts of the date-tree are made into 

 ropes, baskets, mats, and various other articles of 

 domestic use ; and so are the strings or stalks that 



