62 DATE VARIETIES AND DATE CULTURE IN TUNIS. 



skin does not become sticky, but remains dry and clean, which is a 

 very desirable property in a dessert fruit. 



An objectionable feature in Menakher dates is the strong develop- 

 ment of the white, stringy core, or " rag," to borrow a term from the 

 orange 'growers. This diminishes perceptibly, however, in thoroughly 

 ripe fruit. The consensus of opinion among those who examined the 

 two samples from Nefta mentioned in the footnote on page 61 is that 

 in point of appearance, cleanness of skin, keeping quality, and deli- 

 cacy of flavor the Menakher dates surpassed the Deglet Noor, while 

 the latter are superior in the crisper texture of the flesh and the 

 smaller development of stringy core. Menakher dates are generally 

 reserved for the tables of the wealthier natives and for gifts to their 

 friends. On the rare occasions when they are sold they are said to 

 bring about one-third more than Deglet Noors. 



The Menakher variety ripens its fruits in the latter part of October. 

 It is said to yield little during the first few years after the offshoots are 

 planted, but afterwards surpasses the Deglet Noor in yield, one palm 

 producing sometimes 220 pounds of dates. Single clusters are said 

 to be sometimes too heavy for a strong man to carry. 



Menakher palms occur in the oases of Nefta, Tozer, and El Oudiane 

 of the Jerid group, and are said also to occur in the Nefzaoua region, 

 although the writer could not confirm the latter statement. They 

 are everywhere, however, extremely rare, being found usually only 

 in the largest and finest gardens, with rarely more than one individual 

 in each garden. In the oasis of El Oudiane, where palms of this 

 variety are said to be most frequent and to produce the finest fruit, 

 there are probably not more than 12 or 15 trees, and most of these 

 are old ones, no longer producing offshoots. 



The natives give a curious account of the great rarity of this va- 

 riety, which they hold in high esteem, and almost veneration. It 

 appears that in former times the bey and other great dignitaries of 

 the country were excessively fond of Menakher dates, and were in 

 the habit of sending their agents to the Jerid at the time they ripen 

 in order to procure them. As their fondness for these dates increased 

 they began to appropriate the entire crop, leaving none for the un- 

 fortunate owners of the trees, and often forgetting to pay for what 

 they took. Consequently the proprietors, in disgust, stopped plant 

 ing offshoots of this variety and sometimes even went to the length 

 of cutting down old palms. Nowadays so few offshoots are left that 

 there is some danger of the complete extinction of the variety. Even 

 if every effort were made to reestablish it, it would require msmy 

 years before Menakher dates could be produced in large quantity. 



oTbe natives give the same explanation of the extreme rarity of the prized 

 Selatny (see p. 93), the only Tunisian v;iriot.v which might be considered first 

 class of which the writer failed to procure offshoots. 

 92 



