100 THE DATE PALM. 



is usually wrapped round the bunch, is sewn together at the top 

 and left open at the bottom, making a protecting case of the 

 appearance of a huge cow bell (see illustration No. 34 opposite). 

 The matting should be made as open as is consistent with its 

 purpose, as it prevents a good deal of sunlight from getting at 

 the cluster of fruits, and probably retards ripening. Another 

 method is to hang a number of small branches of seme very 

 thorny plant round each cluster of fruits. This is very effective in 

 preventing birds getting at them and is more ope^ than the basket 

 usually is but is difficult for the fruit picker to manipulate. A 

 good thick layer of thorns round a fruit cluster would probably 

 also give monkeys some trouble in getting at the fruit bunches. 

 Rings of thorns round the stems of the trees, where the trees 

 are not too close together, might also hinder monkeys from getting 

 at the fruits. Fortunately, however, there are no complaints of 

 depredations by monkeys in the areas of the Punjab which grow 

 most dates. If the fruit bunches are encased in coarse muslin 

 bags, birds and some insects will be kept off, but wasps, which 

 are among the most insistent depredators, cut their way through 

 these and suck the sugary juice from the dates. Net-wire or 

 other special net bags such as are sometimes used to protect 

 grape and other fruit bunches, may be used to protect the date 

 fruits against attacks by these insects. 



74. In the date-growing places in the Punjab, most of 

 the fruits are usually harvested between the 



Harvesting and 



ripening of the 20 tli ot July and the 20th of August. A lew 

 both earlier and later fruits have been seen. 

 July and August may, however, be taken as the harvesting 

 season. All the dates on a cluster do not ripen simultaneously. 

 If a variety is a fairly good one, the people in these districts 

 usually pick the dates off the cluster as soon as their ends show 

 a small soft translucent spot. The ripening is then completed 

 by spreading the fruits on mats in the sun (see frontispiece). 

 Dates are rarely completely ripened on the trees in the Punjab. 

 Those fruits, which have their skins broken or which are in a bad 

 condition, should be carefully removed from the cluster when 



