24 AGRICULTURAL AND BOTANICAL EXPLORATIONS IN PALESTINE. 



moist. When the wrapping of the fruit is discontinued the dates 

 have changed from a black or chocolate color to an amber-yellow and 

 have lost their astringent taste, the tannin having probably been 

 rendered insoluble by the acetic vapor. 



It is probable, as suggested by Mr. Fairchild and Mr. Swingle, 

 that the Japanese method of artificially ripening persimmons by 

 putting them in barrels that have contained " saki " is based on this 

 same principle, and that the astringency of the fruit is overcome in 

 this case also by acetic vapor. 



GRAPES. 



Though the religion of the Mohammedans forbids the use of wine, 

 they cultivate grapes extensively and have developed a great number 



Fig. 



-Commercial grape nursery at Hedera. The workmen, Russian and Koordistan 

 Jews, can understand each other only in the Hebrew language. 



of varieties. (See fig. 7.) Before the German and Jewish coloniza- 

 tion began in Palestine, grapes were cultivated chiefly for table use 

 and for raisins. 



For the most part the Mohammedans have propagated varieties 

 that are not very juicy, having hard flesh and strong skins, as the 



° When I visited Tucson, Ariz., on September 27, 1909, I bad tbe pleasure of 

 explaining tbis process to Doctor Vinson, of tbe University of Arizona. He 

 began immediately to experiment along tbis line, and I am very mucb gratified 

 witb tbe success secured by bim. See report of bis experiments in Science, 

 n. s., vol. 30, no. 774, pp. 604-605. I believe tbat tbis process of artificial ripen- 

 ing ought to be experimented witb in other States where, as in Arizona, there 

 is difficulty in getting certain varieties of dates to ripen. 

 180 



