THE DATE GARDENS OF THE JERID 



559 



of the earth. It is by vir- 

 tue of this simple method 

 of packing that the Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture has 

 succeeded in introducing 

 many of the choicest varie- 

 ties of dates into Arizona 

 and California. 



Several weeks were spent 

 in getting together the col- 

 lection of palms, for the 

 rarer sorts had to be sought 

 far and wide. Of certain 

 varieties but a single off- 

 shoot could be had in any 

 one oasis. Only a few of 

 the most popular kinds 

 are found in some of the 

 orchards, while others are 

 veritable botanical gardens, 

 containing a tree or two of 

 almost every variety known 

 in that part of the Sahara. 

 Such is the celebrated gar- 

 den at Nefta that once be^- 

 longed to the sovereigns of 

 Tunis. 



A special quest was made 

 for the Menakher, the royal 

 date which was formerly 

 reserved for the table of 

 the Beys. But, after ran- 

 sacking the Jerid, only nine 

 plants could be obtained. 

 One of these was a present 

 from Si Brahim ben Mo- 

 hamed el Ouadi ben Ouidi, 

 a magnate of Nefta. After 

 infinite coaxing, the great 

 man came one morning, 

 with the carefully wrapped offshoot in 

 his arms, holding it as tenderly as though 

 it were an infant in brown swaddling 

 clothes. But even then the honor of 

 presenting to the American Government 

 a date palm of this rare variety had to 

 be painted in the most glowing language 

 my interpreter could command before Si 

 Brahim was persuaded to part with his 

 treasure. 



The entire collection, some eight hun- 

 dred offshoots, was at last ready for ship- 

 ment. Four score camels were needed to 



rr 



An expert 

 "mengel," an 

 which he cuts 



workman, known as the "getaa," armed with a 

 iron knife having a heavy serrated blade, with 

 off the bunch of ripe dates (see page 549) 



convey the palms across the desert to the 

 railway. With the drivers, many of 

 whom were followed by their wives and 

 children, it w^as a rather imposing cara- 

 van that assembled one morning at 

 Tozer. Ten additional camels were to 

 join the main body when it should reach 

 El Hamma. Meanwhile a cold north 

 wind sprang up, filling the air with dust 

 and sand. Late in the evening came 

 word that the El Hamma contingent re- 

 fused to set forth in the face of the 

 storm. This was unwelcome news, for 



