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The flowers of the date palm are white, and are carried on an 

 inflorescence not unlike the tail of a horse. If the flowers have been 

 pollinated, two of the three fruit produced from each flower fall, 

 leaving a single date. If, however, the flowers have not been 

 fertilised, all three dates generally remain attached, and continue to 

 grow, crowded and deformed. They are seedless ; never properly 

 mature ; and are of no value. The cultivator thus knows the 

 bunches which are not fertilised, and cuts them off. The fruit is at 

 first green, and gradually turns bright red or bright yellow. As 

 ripening proceeds, the yellow dates change to a clear amber colour, 

 and the bright red ones become reddish brown ; they become 

 translucent, and from astringent and unpleasant to the taste 

 become charged with sugar. 



Several types of dates are known, one only being exported 

 the soft dates. These contain as much as 60 per cent, of their 

 weight of sugar, and being, as it were, candied on the tree, 

 keep without trouble. Others are more syrupy, and do not dry 

 readily ; like the grapes which are cured into raisins, they are 

 either eaten fresh from the tree or they are dried. 



A third type are almost dry, and, although not exported, are 

 consumed by the Arabs, for whom they constitute an important 

 article of food. 



For our requirements in Western Australia, it is important 

 that we should secure early ripening sorts, which would not be 

 affected by the tropical summer rains. 



Of these, one of the most important is the Rhars, which is 

 extensively cultivated both by the Arabs and the French colonists 

 of Algerian Sahara. It is a syrupy date of good quality, which is 

 packed in skins or boxes for shipment. This date palm grows 

 rapidly, and fruits when young. 



The Tedalla is another variety which can be easily dried. It 

 is very large, sometimes three inches long, and ripens at the same 

 time as the Ehars. The tree is vigorous, and bears large crops of 

 fruit. 



The Deglet Noor, or " date of the light," a later variety, is 

 better adapted for drying. The province of Biskra derives from 

 the sale of the djebars, or suckers, of this variety an increasing- 

 revenue ; the djebars of Deglet Noor selling for about five francs 

 each, whilst those from Rhars sell for three francs. 



The Deglet Noor is cultivated throughout Western Sahara 

 wherever the season is long enough to enable it to mature. It is 

 a medium-sized date, amber-coloured, and translucent when ripe, 

 with a soft flesh of excellent flavour. These dates do not become 

 sticky, as most of the soft dates, and can be eaten without soiling 

 the fingers. 



