Litchfield enquirer., 1873-12-04
THE parEslaFi a N

Dates, to us merely an occasional Iux- iury, are to the ARab tltA very t'staff of life, just as the 6akasIik hihI.sEhip of the desert" The date treey onS of the large family of palms, isa native of both Asia and Africa, and will grow readily in any sandy soil where the climata is not too cold. It was long ago introduced into Spain by the Moors, and 0 fewsare still found even in the South of France. But the most extensive date forests arc those in the Barbary States, cwher0ithey are sometimes milesin length. 'yabo4g
 Growing thus, the trees areiEery beau tiful Their towering erests touching each others they seem like animmense natural temple The walls are formed of far-reaching vines and creepers that twine gracefully about the tall, straight trunks, and the ground beneath is dotted with tiny wild-fowers that. with their rainbow tints and bright green foliageg are more beautiful than any floor of costly mosaics. For worshipers there are thousands of gay plunged birds, fitting from bough to bough, as they carol forth their morn ing and evening songs, their little bosoms qulvering with gladness.
 The Bedouins, or wild Arabs of the desert, who consider it beneath their dig. nity to SOW or plant, oracultivate the soil In any way depend upon gathering the date where they can tfndiit growing wild; but the Arabs of the plains cultivate it with great care and skill, thus i1nprovlng the size and flavor of the fruit, and large ly increasing the yield. In some varie- ties they have succeeded in doing away with the hard seed, and the hesoscalled seedless dates, being very large and fine, are highly prized. When ripe, the date is of a hrightt tta taa.rll uryys hot countries where palms grow, no better food for morning, noon; or night can be found, while one never wearies of the sweet pull py fruit, gathered fresh from the tree. But the trees do not bear all the year round, of course, and so the AfAbs make what they call date honeys using for this the juice of the ripe fruit, and those who can afford 1t preserve dates freshlthrough the year, by keeping them in7 close yes sells covered over with this honey.
 Wine and spirits are also made from dates by distillation;l but they are sold, for the most part to foreign traders. For their habits; and poor and ignorant as many of them are, adrunken man is nev- or found among them, There is still an- other product of the date-oneF that is of vast importance to the poor Arabs in their long journeys across the desefts. This is date,do1r, made by drying the ripe fruit in the sun, and afterwwsard grinding it to powder It is then packed in tight sacks and if slowed away from, the damp will keep for years. This is food in. its most compact form, easily carried about, and needing no cooking; it has ohlys'to be moistened with n little water,l and the meal is ready for eating. How. wisely has the ral1-1oving Father. provided for these sons of barren soil, suiting his mer- cies to heirneeds-4giving them for their toilsome journeys the patient, hardy cam el. the only beast of burden that could bear the heat and drought of their de- serts; and for their own sustenance, the wholesome, nutritious sdate.--Fannie R Fudge, irs 6t. Nicholas Jor December.