DATE CULTURE IX EGYPT AND THE STTDAK 51 
HARVESTING THE AM HAT DATE 
In the upper Giza district the chief date grown for fresh con- 
sumption is the Amhat, though some gardens of the Hayany have 
been planted in order to catch the profitable early rutab market. 
The Amhat is the tallest growing date palm in Egypt, and many 
gardens may be seen which are reputed to be more than 100 years 
old, with the trees averaging 75 feet in height. A tree near El 
Hawamdiya in vigorous bearing was found to be 92% feet to the 
top of the bud. (See fig. 8, A-X.) It may be surmised that harvest- 
ing the fruit from such a tree presents real difficulties. (PI. 8, B.) 
The Amhat is a short, plump, yellow date, ripening to amber and 
finally dark brown (See description, p. 10.) Some of the fruit is 
allowed to reach the first softening stage on the tree, when it is 
readily shaken from the strands. It is then very sweet and rather 
sticky and is greatly relished by all classes of Egyptians. It is 
handled with much greater care than the Hayany. though the sticky, 
fly-covered piles of this fruit seen in the native shops could hardly 
be sold to a European or American consumer. 
A special gathering basket for handling the Amhat fruit (pi. 8, 
B) is made by sewing broad pinna braid spirally into a circular disk 
about 4 feet in diameter. This is bound to a stiff rim of oak barrel- 
hoop stuff, the only imported material in the equipment. Four 
brail ropes united are attached to a long hoisting rope about half 
an inch in diameter, all hand twisted from the leef (sheath fiber) 
of the date tree. A stout wooden hook is also attached to the brail 
ropes. The climber attaches the hoisting rope to his belt. With the 
aid of his climbing girdle he ascends the tree, perhaps 70 or 75 feet 
high, as quickly as a squirrel. Throwing the hoisting rope over a 
strong leaf base he hauls up the gathering basket and hooks it under 
a bunch containing a lot of ripening fruit. Shaking out all that are 
readily loosened and stripping the more matured fruit that remains, 
he moves to another bunch, all the time supported by his feet braced 
against the stubs of the leaf bases and the girdle rope encircling the 
trunk, with the broad part like a saddle girth across his back under 
his arms. When as much fruit has been thus gathered on the 
slightly cupped bottom of the basket as is safe from bruising, it is 
lowered to the helper and returned for refilling. Four or five such 
refillings may be needed to complete the tree. 
Because of the quick sales of the fresh dates, with the money in 
the grower's hand without cost for drying yards, baskets, or pack- 
ing, the Amhat date is becoming increasingly popular in the Giza 
country adjacent to Cairo and is now planted more generally than 
the superior Saidy ("Sewi' r ), upon which the initial outlay is 
greater and the returns from which leave no greater net profit. The 
problem is purely one of an available market. 
In the sparsely populated oases, with little consumption of fresh 
dates beyond the waste from the commercial gardens, a variety like 
the Amhat would be set aside for the readily packed, long-keeping, 
easily transported Saidy. which has a reputation of more than 100 
vears to sell it "the moment it arrives in the valley towns. 
