24 BULLETIN 1457, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
little pressure from the thumb and finger, and the seed can either 
be squeezed out or released with the sharp point of a knife. 
Then follows the process of breaking up the texture of the date 
and working the whole mass into a homogeneous paste. This is 
then spread for a while in the hot sun and again worked over. It 
is finally firmly packed in unglazed earthen jars, called " zeras," 
of 2 or 3 gallons' capacity, a piece of cotton cloth placed over it 
in the neck of the jar, and tightly sealed with wet clay. If a num- 
ber of insanitary features in connection with these operations could 
be eliminated, there is no doubt that the product would be a tooth- 
some one. The process of ripening for some time in the air-tight 
jar improves the quality. 
Among the California date seedlings there are many with rich, 
sweet fruit of such a soft and sirupy character that they are difficult 
to handle in the ordinary way in carton or basket shipments. 
There would seem to be an opportunity to develop an American 
form of agwa, prepared by scientific and sanitary methods, which 
would commend itself to the discriminating American housewife. 
The Hayany date is used to a limited extent by the foreign popu- 
lation of Egypt for various forms of preserving and canning. To 
remove the seeds from the fruit in the fresh stage and to replace 
them with pistache kernels is a favorite method. The dates are 
then cooked in sugar sirup and canned as fruit is commonly canned 
in this country. A solder-sealed tin can of Hayany dates prepared 
in this way was brought to Washington, D. C, by the writer and 
found to be a very delicious treat after keeping for more than two 
3^ears. (See also "Harvesting the Hayany date," p. 50.) 
THE SAIDY DATE 
The Saidy variety, intrinsically the most valuable date of Egypt and 
numerically only second in importance, if the plantations of the 
Libian oases as well as those of Giza Province are included, has 
been so fully described in its technical characters in Department Bul- 
letin No. 271 (1%), in part reprinted, with a full historical account 
and a climatic appraisal, in Department Bulletin No. 1125 (13) 
issued in February, 1923, 1G that further description at this time seems 
unnecessary. But later observations in Egypt, as well as acquaint- 
ance with the behavior of trees of the earlier importations of this 
variety to California and Arizona, reveal important points yet 
unrecorded. 
ORIGIN OF THE SAIDY VARIETY 
The origin of the Saidy variety (called Sewi or Sewah in Giza 
Province) has been a matter of some speculation, this variety having 
been so long in cultivation in the five Libian oases that evidence 
regarding its source has been lost. The name Saidy (or Saidi) 
suggests an Upper Egyptian origin, and Abu Bakr, omda of Eashida 
Village, of Dakhla Oasis, suggested to the writer in a conversation 
in October, 1913, that the date might have come from the Said, oi 
Upper Egypt, a long time ago. Popenoe (16, p. 279) makes the 
18 This bulletin may be procured from the Superintendent of Documents, Government 
Printing Office, Washington, D. C, price 15 cents. 
