2 24 Phjical and Mifcelianeous 



thern Cliiiiates. Doubtlefs the Water Melon (or 'D'tllah as they 

 call It) is providentially calculated for the Ibuthern Countries, 

 as It affordeth a cool refrelhing Juice, aflwageth Thirft, miti- 

 ^ateth feavourifli Diforders, and thereby compenfateth, in no 

 lliiall Degree, for the exceflive Heats of thefeCh mates. 



The Fruit In fpcaklng of the Fruit Garden, we are to begin with the 

 Palm Tree, of which there are great Numbers in the Mari- 

 time as well as Inland Parts of this Country; though fuchonly. 



The Palm as grow in xhQ Sahara, bring their Fruit to Perfettion. They 

 are propagated chiefly from young Shoots, taken from the 

 Roots of full grown Trees ; which, if well tranfplanted and 

 taken Care of, will yield their Fruit fix or feven Years after : 

 whereas thofe that are raifed immediately from the Stone, 

 will not bear 'till about their fixteenth Year. 



M4ea,id¥e. It is wcU known that thefe Trees are Male and Female; 



""''"• and that the Fruit will be dry and infipid without a previous 

 Communication with the Male. In the Month of March or 

 ^pril therefore, when the Sheaths that enclofe the young 

 Clufters of the Flowers and Fruit, i, e. of the Male and Female, 

 begin to open ; (at which Time the Dates are formed, and the 

 Flowers are mealy ;) They take a Sprig or two of the Male 



Hov> the Fe- ■' ^ x «_> 



^.w.iy/^^K-Clufter, and infert It into the Sheath of the Female: or elfe 

 They take a whole Clufter of the Male Tree, and fprinkle 

 the Farina of It over feveral Clufters of the Female. The 

 Latter Pra6lice is common in Egyp, where They have a Num- 

 ber of Males : but the Trees of this Country are impregnated by 

 the Former Method, where one Male, is fufficient to impreg- 

 nate four or five hundred Females. 



Dthuckar, or The ^fr'tcans call this Operation 'DthdcJcar, [^^=^] which we 

 may render the Foecundating, or the Admiflion of the Male. 

 The fame Word is likewife ufed, (inftead of the antient Capri. 



Ci^r Ac2xio. fie atio ',) for the fufpending a few Figs of the Male or wild 

 Fig Tree upon the Females, that their Fruit may not drop oflf 

 or degenerate. 



The Age of I was ittformcd that the Palm Tree is in It's greateft Vigour 



'*'^''^''^'''' about thirty Years after Tranfplantation, and that It continu- 



I Vid. ?ltn. Hift. Nat. 1. if. cap. 19. Menfe Junio, circa folftitium caprificandae func 

 arbores Fici, id eft fufpendendi Grofli ex Caprifico, lino, velut ferra, pertugi. Pallad. de 

 re Ruftic. Caprificari {{nc\mt Slpont'mus) eft adhibita Caprifico, ne fruduspropinquaeFicus 

 ante maturitatem decidant, providere. Vid, Sufh. Thef. in voce. 



eth 



