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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. These are seedless; never pro- 
perly 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 be- 
come charged with sugar. 
Several types of dates are known, one only being exported— 
the soft date of the Deglet Noor type. These contain as much as 
60 per cent. of their weight in 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 ex- 
tensively 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 Rhars. The tree is vigorous, and bears large crops of 
fruit which matures early during the rather short and relatively cool 
summer of the coastal region of Northern Algeria. . 
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 djébars, or suckers, of this variety an increasing rev- 
enue; the djébars of Deglet Noor selling for about five franes each, 
whilst those from Rhars sell for three francs. 
The Deglet Noor is cultivated throughout Western Sahara wher- 
ever the season is long enough to enable it to mature. It is a med- 
ium-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 fin- 
gers. This variety does not fruit abundantly unless well fertilised 
and irrigated. 
Other good varieties are cultivated in Egypt and along the Per- 
sian Gulf which present features of great value. 
