DATE VARIETIES 295 



sufficiently extensive to allow any of it to be dried. 

 There are several kinds of Zaglul, slightly differing in 

 size and quality. The very best kind does not last 

 more than a month or even less than a month. " 



Zahidi, Zehedi, Zadie, originally Azadi (Pers.),* 

 Nobility, a remarkable dry date which is the principal 

 commercial variety of Baghdad. To the planter it 

 is valuable for its vigor, hardiness, resistance 

 to drought and great prolificness a yield of 250 

 pounds being common while it is also one of the 

 earliest to mature. To the dealer and shipper it 

 commends itself because it can be sold in three 

 forms, soft, dry, or half way between, and keeps 

 well in any form. It is the principal food of most of 

 the nomads around Baghdad, and is shipped to most 

 of the ports of the Mediterranean; it will usually be 

 found on sale in Marseille at a good price. It is much 

 used in the manufacture of arrak, a distilled liquor 

 whose production is an important industry at Baghdad ; 

 the date qualifies for this purpose because of its large 

 sugar content. The flavor of Zahidi is not equal to 

 that of Asharasi, but it is superior to most North 

 African dry dates, containing very little tannin. 



The palm is characterized by a thick, stout 

 trunk, swelling at the base, and leaves rather erect, 

 not recurving like most varieties. Their color is a 

 healthy glaucous green; the spines are very large and 

 stiff. 



In its soft stage this date is picked about the 

 middle of August and packed in boxes or more fre- 

 quently in skins. In this condition it keeps for 



*For the peculiar history of the names Zahidi and Khustawi, 

 see Pere Anastase-Marie, Loghat el Arab No. 10, p. 397. Baghdad, 

 April, 1912. 



