280 DATEGROWING 



Sayir, Sayer, The Fibrous (?), one of the most 

 widely grown dates in Mesopotamia, although of 

 inferior quality. It is also called Usta'amran, and 

 by that name is usually known at Baghdad; some 

 experts profess to see a slight difference_,between the 

 two, but their efforts are hardly successful. At 

 Muhammarah this name is usually corrupted to 

 Sa'amran; Sta'amran and Sambran are other vulgar 

 pronunciations sometimes heard. The date is ex- 

 ported to America to a limited extent, and plays an 

 important part in native trade in the Persian Gulf; 

 it is the principal date grown on the Euphrates and 

 the middle Tigris. It bears heavily, (shortly before 

 the first of October at Busreh) , and will keep for a 

 year or more. Said to do best in a sandy soil. 



Form broadly oblong to oblong-elliptical, widest 

 at center or slightly nearer apical end, whence it 

 narrows almost imperceptibly toward the flattened 

 base and broadly pointed apex. Size medium to 

 medium large, length one and one-fourth to one and 

 five-eighths inch, width three-fourths to seven- 

 eighths inch; surface almost smooth, translucent, 

 glossy dark orange brown in color, bloom almost 

 unnoticeable . Skin rather thick and tough, smooth 

 except for occasional wrinkles or longitudinal folds 

 in which it separates from the flesh, which is rather 

 soft, syrupy, one-fourth to three-eighths inch in 

 thickness, deep amber colored, with considerable 

 tender fibre around seed; the latter broadly oblong, 

 rounded to blunt at both ends, three-quarters inch 

 long, five-sixteenths broad, fairly smooth, grayish 

 brown in color, ventral channel nearly closed, germ 

 pore nearer base than apex. Flavor very sweet, not 

 cloying, but not rich or distinctive in any way. The 



