LLUSTRATIONS. 



PLATES. 



Page. 



PLATE I. Harvesting Deglet Noor dates at Tozer Frontispiece. 



II. Fig. 1. Alkali land in the midst of Tozer oasis. Fig. 2. Work- 

 ing the soil of a date garden with the "messah," or short- 

 handled hoe 112 



III. Date palm showing ; ' straddling " of fruit cluster to prevent the 



breaking of the stalk ...-. 112 



IV. Fig. 1. Tronja palm showing characteristic drooping, curved 



leaves. Fig. 2. A typical male date palm showing numerous 



leaves 112 



V. Fig. 1. Menakher palm with numerous small suckers. Fig. 2. 



Old Menakher palm with two large fruiting suckers . . _ 112 



VI. Fig. 1. Deglet Noor palm. Fig. 2. Lagoo palm. Fig. 3. The 



town of Nefta, with date garden in left foreground 112 



VII. Fig. 1. Fteemy palms, El Oudiane. Fig. 2. Plantation of 6- 

 year-old date palms at Nefta. A Fteemy palm in the fore- 

 ground : 112 



VIII. Dates, natural size: 1, Deglet Noor variety: 2, Menakher variety. 112 



IX. Dates, natural size: 1, Tronja variety; 2, Boo Affar variety 112 



X. Dates, natural size: 1, Horra variety; 2, Kenta variety; 3, Fteemy 



variety; 4, Mokh Begry variety 112 



TEXT FIGURES. 



FIG. 1. Map showing the location of the Tunis oases with respect to other 



localities in Algeria and Tunis . _ . ... 12 



2. Irrigation canal and diversion dam , Tozer oasis 31 



3. Laborer holding a ' ' messah , " or short- handled hoe 44 



4. Date-picker holding a " mengel," or straight-bladed sickle, used for 



cutting off the bunches of dates _ _ 44 



5. Camel carrying date offshoots wrapped in palm fiber (leef) for 



transportation 45 



6. Outlines of Menakher seed and fruit. (Natural size) 61 



7. Outlines of Deglet Noor seed and fruit. (Natural size) 63 



8. Outlines of Boo Affar seed and fruit. (Natural size) 66 



9. Outlines of Tronja seed and fruit. (Natural size) 67 



10. Outlines of Boo Fagoos seed and fruit. ( Natural size) 67 



11. Tafazween seeds and fruits. (Natural size) 68 



12. Outlines of Fteemy seed and fruit. (Natural size) 69 



13. Outlines of Areshty seed and fruit. Natural size) _ . 71 



14. Outlines of Horra seed and fruit. (Natural size) 72 



92 



7 



