VALMJE. 



281 



i^t, 



more southern parts of Syria, hy caravans, to the seaports of Syria in oarlv 

 times, antl shipped there for southern and western Eurojje. 



The date-tree is becoming rare in Syria. It is common near Acre, skirting 

 the lagoons and crowuing the sandhills which altound there. The city of Pal- 

 myra got its name from this tree, which is still ai)Uiidant in its vicinity. It 

 was the symbol of Palestine in the time of the Jews. It adorned the medals 

 of \'es])asian and Titus, as emblems of the country. It is now carefnllv culti- 

 vated near Jaffa. 



Etymoloijii. — The derivation of 

 Phienix, the generic name, has been 

 given, hactfilifcra is from the (ireek 

 hoLKTvKos, finger, from a fancied re- 

 semblance of the fruit to the portion 

 of the finger between the joints. 

 Date, the common name, is said to be 

 a corruption of dactnl, and is also 

 claimed to be a Sanscrit word signify- 

 ing " fruit," or " finger fruit." 



Historij. — The date has been culti- 

 vated as a food plant since prehistoric 

 times. The ancient Egyptians under- 

 stood the sexes of the trees, and learned 

 to assist nature by taking the pollen 

 from the male to the female tree. 

 Cakes of dates have been found in the 

 tombs of Thebes, one of which is j)re- 

 served in the British museum. The 

 ancient Hebrews must have been ac- 

 quainted with the date, though it could 

 not have been among the fruits of Pal- 

 estine, for it is only indirectly referred 

 to in the Scri])tures. The tree grows 

 in Judiua, and it is said that the fruit 

 ripens as far north as Jerusalem. 

 Bethany, which is near Jerusalem, sig- 

 nifies "the home of dates." It has 

 been represented as a tree delighting 

 in dry and arid regions, but recent 

 investigations reveal the fact that it 

 requires an abundant supply of water ; 

 and wherever it is found, even in the 

 midst of the desert, it indicates the presence of surface sjjrings. 



Cultlvatiou.— \t is artificially fertilized by shaking a branch .rf staminato 

 flowers over the pistillate inflorescence. 



6^se. — The date is eaten raw in all case.s and furnishes the o,dv f..o<i f..r 

 thousands of the inhabitants of the regi.)n where it grows. It is "conserved 

 with sugar, and packed in l)ags made of the leaf. It is .<^aid that the native 

 Arab will exist for days without inconvenience on a few handfuls of this fruit, 

 while his camels are content with date-stones, this may .serve to indicate the 

 remarkable amount of nutriment which the date contains. 



The uses of the leaf and stem are somewhat similar to tiie uses to which 

 cocos is applied. Date trees are empl..yed as articles of trade and .lower. 



Phcenix daotylifera (Date Palm). 



th 



