70 WOSDERS OF THE TROPICAL fOKESTS. 
long lino of oases sitimted to tlie soutli of the Atlas, and 
pre-eminently called the "land of dates." 
It is not to be wondered at that the tribes of the desert 
BO highly value a tree wbich^ when in full growtb, bears 
as mach as two hundredweight of dates, and by enabling 
a family to live on the 
produce of a small spot 
of ground, extends as 
it were the bounds of 
tbe green islands of the 
desert, It is considered 
criminal to fell it while 
still in its vigour, and 
both the Bible and the 
Koran forbid the war- 
riors of the true God to 
apply the axe to the 
date- trees of an enemy. 
In Arabia tlte date 
palms of El Medinah 
are celebrated above all 
others for the excellence 
of their fruitj which 
was the favourite food 
of the Prophet— a cir- 
cumstance investing 
them in the eyes of 
all true believers with 
a certain degree of 
sanctity. Their stately 
columnar stems here 
seem higher than in 
other lands, and their 
lower fronds, which in Egypt are lopped off about 
Christmas time to increase the flavour of tbe fruit, are 
allowed to remain nnmutilated. One of the reasons for 
the excellence of Hedinah dates is the quantity of water 
DATE'TEEE. 
