Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1818-10-09
(TIo be eoaiinncd.)
From tie National ynfcliiseHosr.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS TO the introduction OF the
Datc-bearirs Palm into the United States, ~
le,ter iiOui DIR. MiIch,li TO J. Meigs, ESQ.
road again

D.tC-DoaIlGS ialnl into the United STATES, ~
d le,ier iiOn DIR. AiiIch,li TO J. Meigs, ESQ.
NEW YORK, SEPT. 26, ISIS.
SIR. OF the uhue order OF Plants tie most pre-
cOus is the family which The Date belongs The fruit
IS pei haps more Wholesome and nuti,i,e them
That o an, other tree 1t 10 rich IN iacsee and sugar,
ANA psiatabe the highest degee. AZ ~ the ief
c'e OF GOOD Ia The extensive regions OF Africa and ASA
which are situated bewees i'nsy cold and burning heat.
lhionshout le vast range hom Morocco ia India, the
GATE supplies IN great measure the absence vi bread
corn. strengthens he and the iaborer per
fern their heavy tasks. IL IS principal n5terial u
support To th,n masters and iords. ln places,
baske; dates Is the unt OF y;de all this fruit is
i'm oriaut that good crop MIS- the land with plenty
scan, Threatens the inhahilans with famine.
Ia. palm which yields this choice psodmct is consd
cred by the natives lie peculiar eit oil God. rhe
ut is gathered and preserved with Singular
prepared lot wnh such religious caution, that dates
by nnSs al Custom. axe eNeiptedfi"D the adneraIon
and flauj occasionally rrdctssed upon every species
eichandse. While tgickS and iinpOsitions at
tempted upoa other Ihnss brought to market, there
no cheating IN this staple commodity: both the Moor
and Arab afraid to be dishonest in the packing OF
dates.
This species enlvsns and eurichcs Asia from Baraad
to M"Soa; II gives nouns nntnt to the nest province s
OF Persia, and contributes, than their coffee aud
opium, 10 The t.eiy oiAabia II grows la perfection
IN the acts lying between lie SD aud 18Th degrees
nuItb latitude.
the coming for planting the date tree into
the soil u the United States. s introduction
ga, Mississippi Louisiana and perhaps inio s.caoina
promises dement's alcnlably greater tLan
pecied from the vine and the olive he addition If this
vegetable tie cotton tiee, aud sugar cane already
cultivated by lsuring copious and substantial anr
for the negroes, will exceedingly the work
plantations aud At the tUe the comforts
at those who perform the Gfudgery of tj.Iase Wh,
should IL not supersede tha and exlanstmp
crop of maize II wac proprietor in either Of lie
aforementioned states, or in Alabama would examine,
with Tnstness, the palmy Produeti ms N.lork
The fruit that IS the date, herein greater quantity
excellence than was ever known IL is savoy de-
iicous AMI instead cf c'oying upon the appr-
tite. To the stomach II IS more than foodit is OF
the best pteVen,ives OF disease. The kernel
also with us n the best condition nI planting and can
be procured TOR experiments IN the districts of the
South. have aeae, learned from repeated trials th.
u qnickehs IN pots aud open grounds readily the
peach or the black walnut brit, la New York the win.
ter destroys it, does the aud the Pine apple
The palm trees, themselves are in Ihs ey. OF the
collection made lately ia the ftTsiaH GILT pairs
ale alive, and likely to do ~ell aiieI t.eT voyage New
York II Wilihe remembered that this palm, dixie he
~ and the pisiachIo tree, like Spanish hon aud
hemp Is dUc0us, the bCtaTsis say; aud pIodnces
the sexes separate aud distnctst-ns. The male ai
with slamnae n,wers is an individual treehy himself
The female palm, witi the pistsilae How midi.
vidral tree Ivy herself. hrr anton a garden or
ohard is essential To the rpenns OF fruit. r re.
move from tue present effort AL the failure
which rational foresight WON'T IIeVent paus of both
sexes, were obaiacd, with corresponding troune AMI
eNpeSse, OF the most exquisite aud approved varieties
from tue groves OF Arabia Felix Being uOw in u,.r
Country, ihey are waiting opportunity BE- conduct
ed, byapro;ectins hand to climate ,bat ~ adapted
their constitution
The United States are indebted to HENRY AUSTIN,
Esg for the conception and execution OF ih.s pariotc
project He merits from his fellow citizens the honor
aud reward that are due 1" public benefact0rs
ceey hope he may obtain full proportion ef both. II
should not nc suspected, dear sir, of marl-sling
somewhat oi seliishusss, IwOnld you, rs vas
associated with FULTON in the hst trip with the steam
boat, IL would gratifJ me 10 ne associated with AUSTIN
| la the nrst ESSAY upon the date-bearing palm.
understand that this gentleman has acquired circuuI.
staial ana practical la alton the ent OF
The trees. and ihat he is ready apd willing to comrnnni
cate II To such persons wish To be instructed Ii Is
expected that he will, in due season. publish something
1 on The subject.
Having offered You so many observations this palm
as an object OF Trrat economy. cannot :oThear add
few sentences conce ming II OF literary Kind The
tree was by the ancient Greeks called kdr and II is
hncwu by the scientific mode the D0lIrq datEeeyO
II - alleged TO be long lived, and fosu at the
roots, numerous butts and suckers. This extension
life ard power To multiply give tn ii uncommon dura
ton, lasting almost to perpetuiV. 1t is rumofe,
that this phaux not Only from the
aults OF steel, OutIeuews its destroy
operation of hre They report after the Trunk win il
tTonds aud panniclts, have been burned down to tn
ground and consumed To ashes the roots which remain
alive i'll the earth, send forth shoots these
| large {" new trees. Hence has the story of
young ph@nix growing of the ashes "iIs parent Bu
tortcd the natural occurrence they have
tree to bird OF which there bnt snele living an
IN The world at tinc-aa inhabitan Of Arabia aud
ing nj the end oi 666 Years funeral pile c1nsructe
by itself from odorieTOns wood aud kinded dam
by the rays Of the sun. Among tie ashes was a worm
which gave origin To- another ph0ux
From this classical aggression, ciurn tell you tina
couple fbeauiitui gIzales. oIieaai ant iopes th
elegant quadrupeJs celebrated tleir roraa,ccs an
parcel of seeds from the Ieckona Teek or Astie oal
by far the durable of all lumber have been lpoi
ed IN The same ship. These nsHS. erdVavsT 10 in
prove, nPemdcb as the former viii he Uament
the park, aud the latter The basis of a navy.
| SAMUEL l. MITCHELL.