474 Pomona College Journal of Economic Botany 



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 dark color of the date is its principal 

 drawback. Has done well in United States. 

 Saba'a al Dm' a, see Bii Saba 'a al Dra'a, 



Sayyid Ihrdhim, (a man's name), is one of the largest of the Baghdad 

 soft dates, but rare. Long in proportion to its width; light brown in color; 

 ripens midseason ; eaten fresh or cured ; bears heavily. 



Shaqra, see Ashqar. 



Shakkar, "Sugar," often called Shakkari,* an inferior Busreh soft date, 

 not to be confounded with those of similar name at Baghdad. Of medium 

 length and slender, light brown in color, ripening late in September; a shy 

 bearer; not common. Eaten principally fresh, but will keep a month if dried. 



Sharist, "Of a bad disposition," a fairly common Baghdad variety but 

 on account of its poor quality is usually eaten only by animals, for which 

 reason the cultivator usually does not pollinate it. A long and slender but 

 small date, light brown in color ; can be eaten fresh or packed in skins or boxes. 

 It is often called Shis, "unfertilized." 



Shativi, "Wintry," the latest of the Baghdad dates to ripen (Novem- 

 ber) but of fairly good quality. Usually eaten fresh, but keeps well. Not 

 common. 



Form oblong, widest at center or toward basal end, flattened at base and 

 blunt to broadly pointed at apex. Size medium, length one and one-quarter 

 to one and one-half inches, breadth three-fourths to seven-eighths inch. Sur- 

 face dry, roughly undulating, opaque dull magenta in color near ba.se changing 

 to translucent deep amber brown near apex ; bloom very slight, blue gray. 

 Skin dry, firm, rather thick and tough, coarsely wrinkled and blistered, 

 adhering closely around base but often separating toward apex. Flesh solid, 

 meaty, three-eighths inch thick, translucent amber brown in color, rather 

 fibrous around seed, which is oblong, slightly swollen in center, base and apex 

 rounded, length seven-eighths inch, breadth three-eighths; smooth; light 



*This, again, is a Persian word; the Arab form "sukkar" is, also, in use at Baghdad, 

 both for the article sugar, and as the name of a date variety. Our word "sugar" is, of 

 course, of the same origin, all three forms deriving from the Sanskrit cakara, which meant 

 either sugar or — sand ! One of the commonest Arab methods of forming a date variety- 

 name is to make an allusion to sugar in some way; such is the excellent Baghdad variety 

 Tabirzdl, which was originally Tabirzid or Tabarzadh, a Persian word again. Cf. a 

 classical Arab lexicographer's definition of "sukkar": "A certain sweet substance, well 

 known; it is hot and moist, according to the most correct opinion; but some say cold; and 

 the best sort of it is the transparent, called Tabarzadh; and the old is more delicate than 

 the new; it is injurious to the stomach, engendering yellow bile; but the juice of the 

 lemon and orange counteract its noxiousness; it is said to be a word recently introduced, 

 but some say that it occurs in one Tradition" (of Muhammad. The use of a word by the 

 Prophet is the highest recommendation it can have for etymological respectability). 



