POLLINATION TO FRUIT PRESERVATION. 103 



the fruits in autumn or winter. The purple date known as 

 " Ghatti " cannot be preserved by drying to the above stage and 

 is usually either sold and consumed fresh, or preserved by being 

 split open and dried in the sun till hard. The seeds may or may 

 not be removed in the process. In the Pun jab inferior fruits of 

 other varieties are sometimes treated similarly. Date fruits 

 treated in this way are known as '' Chirvi " or '' Shingistan. " 

 Sometimes also date fruits especially inferior ones are plucked 

 from the tree before they begin to soften, are boiled in water to 

 which has been added a little oil or ghee (boiled butter) or 

 milk, and sometimes a little salt. They are then dried hard 

 and stored. Such fruits are called *' Bhugrian." They can ,be 

 kept for years in this state and are used at festivals. 



Most of the world's date fruits that find their way into large 

 markets, are either plucked from the trees when they show a 

 tanslucent soft spot, or when they are more fully ripened ; get 

 what drying they require to make them keep properly by being 

 spread in the sun and are then packed for market without further 

 treatment. The world's finest fruits are used for confectionery 

 purposes. Such fruits are usually packed in very thin wooden 

 or cardboard boxes holding Jib. or less each. The boxes always 

 have some attractive shape and wrapper. They usually hold 

 one layer of fruits in depth and two rows in width ; the dates 

 in these two rows being ranged on either side of a date flower 

 branch to look as if they were growing from it. Those found 

 packed in this way generally keep in good condition through the 

 winter following their harvest, if free of insects' eggs when 

 packed. Where they are desired to keep for several years, each 

 small box is sometimes encased in a hermetically sealed tin 

 case. 



A large quantity of fruits of superior quality from date- 

 growing countries are used for dessert purposes. These are usually 

 found packed in layers in cardboard boxes containing 1 3 Ibs. 

 of fruits. In all cardboard boxes a lining of butter paper should 

 be placed between the fruits and the cardboard, otherwise the 

 dates may taste of the cardboard after a certain time. Such 



