718 



the Riviera for the purpose — for use in Churches on Palm Sunday 

 and huts and houses are made of the wood in N. Africa (Mus. 

 Kew), where also the membrane of coarse fibre which covers the 

 bases of the leaves is used in making ropes, baskets, mats, etc. 

 and mixed with camel's hair makes a strong cloth for the caravan 

 tents of the desert nomads (Johnston, Journ. African Soc. 

 Jan. 1904, -p. 179). In Mesopotamia the branches supply fuel 

 and material for hutting, household furniture, and fencing ; 

 the fruit stalks are converted into brooms ; rope called " Kumbar " 

 is made from the date fibre ; the leaves are woven into matting 

 and beds, chairs, cages, and coops ; the trunks are used in house- 

 building and bridge-making, for water-pipes and gutters (Kew 

 Bull. 1908, p. 286). 



The fruits yield a spirit used locally in Syria, Egypt, Nubia, 

 etc. (Kew Bull. 1912, p, 116. Morewood, Hist. Inebr. Liquors, 

 p. 51). In Mesopotamia the variety ." Zahdee " is used ioi 

 distilling ** arak " or spirit, this being considered the best fo 

 the purx^ose (Kew Bull. 1908, p. 286). In Zaria, N. Nigeria the 

 palm is stated to be of great use in house-building, making 

 native " rain-coat " mats and for wine (Parsons, N, Nig. Gaz. 

 April 30th, 1910, p. 102), and in Kabi [Kabba], Nupe, Ilorin, &c. 

 Dr. Baikie writing from Bida, Feb. 18th, 1862, states that the 

 fruit is an important article of food (Technologist, iii. 1863, 

 p, 104). 



L 



'V 



This palm is comparatively easy to cultivate and flourishes 

 ill a hot, dry atmosphere, rich well-dramed soil, with a good 

 supply of water at the root, and it will stand a few degrees of 

 frost Propagation may be effected by means of seed or by 

 off -shoots. The latter method is the best, especially so when 

 good varieties — of which there are many under cultivation 

 require to be perpetuated. Offshoots — 3-6 years old — weight 

 about 6 lb. (Fletcher, Agric, Ledger, seq,)y or the larger the 

 better — average weight about 12 lb. (Kew Bull. 1908, p. 283) 

 are recommended. A few plants of male trees are necessary 

 at wide intervals for fertilisation. Fletcher (I.e.) recommends one 

 male tree for every hundred female trees. There is little doubt 

 that an offshoot from a male tree would come true to type; 

 but until the flowering stage it would seem to be uncertain amongst 

 seedhngs — two indications suggested are that male plants are 

 stronger with stiffer leaflets and grow more quickly than female 

 plants {see Kew Bull. 191-t, pp. 159-162 on ''The Sex of Date 

 Palm Seedhngs "). It may be mentioned that the " Manakor " 



also called '* the Bey's date," a rare and excellent variety, is 

 reproduced from seed, because the old trees do not bear offshoots ; 

 but it is said to prove fairly constant, especially in the Djerid 

 Oasis, Algeria, where good strains are to be found (Trabut Bull. 

 Agric. de TAlgerie et de la Tunisie, May 1st, 1913, p. 185; Bull. 

 Bur. Agric. Int. Rome, iv. 1913, p. 1247). In the field a distance 

 of 10-15 ft. (Kew Bull. 1908, p. 283) or 25 ft, (Fletcher, I.e.) 

 apart is recommended for planting. Irrigation will be necessary 



