THE CLASSIFICATION OF DATES 163 



the region, says that the variety Rakab, also limited 

 to that province, is worthy of the first rank anywhere 

 else. Ever since the Arabic "Epoch of Ignorance" 

 (i.e., before Muhammad, early in the sixth century 

 A.D.) the dates of this region have been the symbols 

 of excellence among Arabs, as they still are: one of 

 the commonest proverbs, implying that a man takes 

 useless pains, is "Like merchandising dates to 

 Hajar" — it is the exact equivalent of our "carrying 

 coals to Newcastle."! The dates of Hasa appear to 

 be prevailingly soft and early. 



At Busreh, the greatest commercial date-growing 

 region of the world, with not less than 8,000,000 

 palms closely grouped together on the combined 

 Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, the dates are prevailingly 

 soft, of medium size, and fairly early. From a 

 commercial point of view they are excellent, but for 

 quality hardly equal those of Baghdad. The number 

 of varieties cultivated at Busreh is probably smaller 

 than in any other important center of culture, for 

 commercial requirements have kept the grower 

 confined to those dates which would always sell well, 

 and that necessitated a uniform pack in which 

 miscellaneous varieties, even if intrinsically good, had 

 no place. 



The dates of Baghdad are pretty equally divided 

 between dry and soft, and they excel in each branch. 

 They ripen fairly early, and are of moderate size ; but 

 the dry dates average much larger than do the dry 



*Palgrave, W. G. "Narrative of a Year's Journey in Central 

 and Eastern Arabia." Vol. II, p. 172. London, 1865. 



fAnother version of the proverb substitutes the name of IChaybar, 

 an oasis east of Madina; but Doughty, one of the two Europeans 

 who have visited it, does not speak of its dates with any enthusiasm, 

 although he admits that they are "not unwholesome." Doughty, 

 C. M. Travels in Arabia Dcserta, vol. II, p. 77. Cambridge, 1888. 



