94 DATE VARIETIES AND DATE CULTURE IN TUNIS. 



ripe, the surface shining; the flesh 1J lines thick, rather soft, trans- 

 lucent; the seed about one-half as long as the fruit, about two-fifths 

 as wide as long, blunt at both ends, roughened with deep furrows 

 near the base. (Fig. 52.) The stalks and branches of the fruit 

 clusters are orange colored. 



A rare variety of the Jerid; said also to occur in the Nefzaoua, 

 and to be less rare there, although the writer saw no trees in the latter 

 region. It is very highly esteemed by the natives and, although a 

 special effort was made to obtain offshoots of this variety in the 

 Jerid, none could be had. It is possible that an exhaustive search in 

 the Nefzaoua region might result in obtaining offshoots. The fruit 

 is of fine appearance and is said to be generally eaten fresh, although 

 it can be preserved. The flavor somewhat resembles that of the 

 Deglet Noor and is hardly inferior, while in size this variety com- 

 pares favorably with the Menakher. It ripens in October (or even 

 in September, according to Masselot). The palm has a stout trunk. 

 The leaves are rather short and broad, with few spines. The stalks 

 of the short fruit clusters are nearly horizontal and so short that 

 together with the clusters they are hardly as long as the leafstalks. 

 For the rarity of this variety the same explanation was given the 

 writer as for that of Menakher (see p. 62). 



DESCRIPTIVE KEY TO THE CHARACTERS OF THE FRUITS. 



The characters given in the key of date varieties which follows 

 were either noted on the spot from freshly gathered fruit or were 

 subsequently worked out from samples and from natural-size photo- 

 graphs made in the field. In a few instances samples of fruit obtained 

 in the autumn of 1905 at the cooperative date garden at Tempe, Ariz., 

 from palms imported several years ago from Algeria, have also been 

 used in making up the descriptions, such cases being always specific- 

 ally mentioned. Owing to the scantiness of the material available 

 in many cases, it is probable that the descriptions will have to be 

 modified as we gain a better knowledge of the varieties. 



In regard to measurements, width refers in every case to the great- 

 est width of the fruit and the seed, thickness of flesh to the maximum 

 thickness, and length of the stone is taken to exclude the apical point, 

 or mucro, and the fibrous stipe. Color of the fruit, unless otherwise 

 specified, refers to the parts where the skin adheres closely to the flesh. 

 Where the skin has become loose in places, as in most of the soft 

 dates when quite ripe, it has a lighter color, which is also generally 

 described. The " germ pore " is a circular depression, 1 to 2 mm. 

 in diameter, occurring on the back of the seed. When its position is 

 not mentioned in the description it is understood that it occurs at or 

 near the middle of the seed. The embryo is situated at this point 

 and the shoot appears here at germination. 



92 



