DESCRIPTION OF PLATES. 

 PLATE I. Frontispiece. Harvesting Deglet Noor dates from tall trees at Tozer. 



PLATE II. Fig. 1. An unirrigated tract of alkali land in the midst of Tozer 

 oasis, \vith a growth of salt-loving samphire, or " pickle weed." Only water 

 is needed to transform this spot into luxuriant date gardens, like those sur- 

 rounding it. Fig. 2. Working the soil of a date garden with the " messah," or 

 short-handled hoe, preparatory to planting onions. Illustrates the frequent cul- 

 tivation given well -cared- for date gardens; also (background), recently planted 

 palms sheltered by tent-like coverings of date leaves. 



PLATE III. Date palm (Khalt Aly Meskeen variety) showing the " straddling" 

 of a heavy bunch of fruit to prevent the breaking of the stalks. This is a com- 

 mon practice in the Tunis oases and saves much fruit that would otherwise 

 be lost 



PLATE IV. Fig. 1. A Tronja palm with numerous offshoots (one as large as 

 the main trunk) in unirrigated alkali land, showing the characteristic curving 

 of the leaves. Fig. 2. A typical male date palm, showing the characteristic 

 heavy crown of foliage. 



PLATE V. Fig. 1. Menakher palm at Nefta, said to be 20 years old. One of 

 the offshoots shown was imported into the United States. Fig. 2. Older 

 Menakher palm at El Oudiane, with two large fruiting offshoots. 



PLATE VI. Fig. 1. Deglet Noor palm, oasis of El Oudiane, showing the char- 

 acteristic drooping of the long-stalked fruit clusters. Fig. 2. Lagoo palm, 

 showing horizontal or erect short-stalked fruit clusters. Fig. 3. The town of 

 Nefta, a community supported almost entirely by date culture. 



PLATE VII. Fig. 1. Full-grown Fteeiny palms in a hollow, oasis of El Oudiane. 

 Fig. 2. A plantation of 6-year-old date palms at the edge of Nefta oasis, in 

 land that was formerly covered with an efflorescence of salts. The varieties 

 represented are Fteemy, Okht Fteemy, and Deglet Noor (a Fteemy palm near 

 the center in the foreground). The arrangement of the "lands" for irrigation 

 and a young crop of alfalfa among the palms are shown. 



PLATE VIII. Dates, natural size. (1) Deglet Noor variety; (2) Menakher 

 variety. 



PLATE IX. Dates, natural size. (1) Tronja variety; (2) Boo Affar variety. 



PLATE X. Dates, natural size. (1) Horra variety; (2) Kenta variety; (3) 

 Fteemy variety; (4) Mokh Begry variety. 



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