42 DATE VARIETIES AND DATE CULTURE IN TUNIS. 



of the gardens in the Jerid belong to natives. French capital has not 

 been engaged here, as in the Oued Rirh oases of Algeria, in estab- 

 lishing plantations of date palms. 



According to official estimates there should be about 96 trees to the 

 acre in the gardens of Tozer, but in reality they are much more 

 densely crowded, only taxable palms, i. e., those in full bearing, being 

 enumerated by the census takers. As many proprietors estimate the 

 value of their gardens at the rate of $19 per tree in full bearing, an 

 acre containing 96 date palms in good condition would be worth 

 $1,824. But since the value of a palm depends largely upon the 

 variety to which it belongs, and as most of the gardens contain many 

 trees of inferior varieties mixed with the better sorts, it is probable 

 that the figure mentioned is too high as an average for the whole 

 region. On the other hand, an acre of Deglet Noor palms in full 

 bearing would doubtless be worth even more ; but there are very few 

 gardens in the Tunis oases in which the Deglet Noor variety consti- 

 tutes even one-half of the total number of trees. At Nefta, according 

 to official estimates, the average number of trees per acre is 125, while 

 in the neglected oasis of El Hamma it is only from 62 to 75. 



Each garden is surrounded by a " tabia," or wall of mud, sur- 

 mounted by a palisade of palm leaves, the whole being generally 

 5 or 6 feet high. 



LABOR AND TENANTRY SYSTEM. 



Labor is abundant and very cheap in that part of the world. The 

 inhabitants of the oases, having devoted themselves for many cen- 

 turies to the culture of the date palm, are thoroughly familiar with 

 every detail of it, although the great majority of them carry on the 

 necessary operations instinctively rather than intelligently. For the 

 ordinary work of the gardens an abundance of labor is available ; but 

 for operations demanding especial skill, such as detaching suckers 

 for planting, pollinating the flower clusters, and gathering the fruits 

 of the best varieties, experts are required, and these are much less 

 numerous. 



At Nefta and at El Oudiane many of the owners manage their own 

 gardens, while others employ a tenant, or " khammes." At Tozer 

 the latter system is all but universal, and in consequence the gardens 

 are often less well kept. The khammes is so-called from the fact 

 that he is supposed to receive one-fifth of the product of the gardens, 

 khammes being the Arabic word for " fifth." As a matter of fact, 

 this manner of payment no longer obtains in the Jerid. Nowadays 

 the khammes is entitled to one-eighth of the yield of trees of all 

 varieties, except the Deglet Noor, and to one bunch of fruit from each 

 ten trees of the latter kind. In addition, he is permitted to raise 



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