Pomona College Journal of Economic Botany 467 



Chibchab, see Kibkab. 



Dafr al Ghazdl, "Gazelle's Dung", a Busreh variety, very scarce, eaten 

 only as rutab. Of medium size and slender, yellowish brown in color, ripen- 

 ing about September fifteenth. Quality good. 



Degal 'Abbas, "The Date of Abbas" (a man's name). A rare but 

 esteemed Busreh variety whose fruits ripen about October first. The date is 

 small, long and slender, light brown in color. Bears at an early age and 

 heavily ; the fruit keeps well. 



Degal 'Aniad, "The Columnar", a Mandali variety, of which a few palms 

 exist at Baghdad. Very small, no larger than the end of one's finger, but of 

 good quality. Light brown in color and of moderately soft consistency when 

 cured, but usually eaten fresh. 



Degal Khatun, "The Lady's Date," a scarce and inferior Baghdad dry 

 date, also eaten rutab. Yellowish-brown; midseason. 



Degal Muza, "The Banana Date," a Busreh variety probably identical 

 with Qush Muza of Oman. Fruit small, short and of medium thickness ; same 

 color as Khadhrawi. Ripens September fifteenth to twentieth. Eaten fresh; 

 keeps well but is not so good when cured. Yield good. Most gardens of any size 

 have a few trees of this variety to provide early rutabs (fresh dates) for 

 family use. 



Dairi, said to mean ' ' Of the world, "i.e.," grown everywhere, ' ' but it is 

 possible that it means the Monastery Date, referring to the famous Dair al 

 Balah (Monastery of Dates) at Gaza (Ghazzeh) in Palestine, where the 

 Egyptian Hayani, called Birket al Hajji in America, is much grown. If so, 

 the Busreh Dairl would be Hayani (Birket al Hajji). It is one of the com- 

 monest "soft and dry" dates of Busreh, but of inferior quality. It is some- 

 times packed in skins as a soft date. The offshoots come into bearing at an 

 early age, but the yield is always rather light. Not eaten in the fresh stage. 

 Ripens about October first . 



Form oblong to oblong-ovate, widest near center, whence it narrows 

 slightly to the broad and obliquely flattened base, and more pronouncedly to 

 the broadly pointed apex. Size large, one and one-half to one and seven- 

 eighths inches long, three-fourths to one inch broad. Surface almost smooth, 

 translucent brownish red to light maroon in color, overspread with a thin, 

 gray-blue bloom. Skin thick, tough, adhering closely except for occasional 

 longitudinal or transverse folds; wrinkling almost none. Flesh firm, tender, 

 one-quarter inch thick, translucent, deep amber colored. Seed oblong, blunt 

 at base, slightly pointed at apex; one inch long, three eighths wide; smooth, 

 light brown, ventral channel broadly open, germ pore two-thirds of distance 

 from base to apex. Flavor sweet but lacking in character and with unpleasant 

 after-taste. 



When allowed to become dry, the date is similar to the above, save that 

 the flesh around the base becomes whitish, opaque, granular and dry, some- 

 times extending in a layer around the seed cavity, almost to the apex of the 

 fruit. 



