Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1873-12-12
THE DATE.

4 =
Dates, to us merely an occasional
luxury, are to the Arab the very "staf
Of life" just as the camel is his 9tship
of the desert" The date tree, one Of
the large family of palms, is a native
Of both Asia and Africa, and will grow
readily in any sandy soil where the cli-
mate is not too cold. It was long ago
introduced into Spain by the Moors,
and a few are still found even in the
South of France. But the most ex-
tensiye date forests are those in the
Barbary States, where they are some-
times miles in length.
Growing thus, the trees are very
beautiful. Their towering crests touch
| ing each other, they seem like an inn
mense natural temple. The walls are
formed of far-reaching vines and Creep
ers that twine gracefully about the tall,
straight trunks, and the ground be-
meath is dotted with tiny wild-fowers
that, with their rainbow tints and
bright green foliage, are more beauti-
full than any floor of costly mosaics.-
For worshippers there are thousands
of gay plumaged birds fitting from
bough to bough, as they carol forth
their morning and evening songs, their
little bosoms quivering with gladness.
The Bedouins, or wild Arabs of the
desert, who consider it beneath their
dignity to sow or plant, or cultivate
the soil in any way, depend upon gath
ering the date where they can find it
growing wild; but the Arabs of the
plains cultivate it with great care and
skill, thus improving the size and fla
yor of the fruit, and largely increasing
the yield. In some varieties they have
succeeded in doing away with the hard
seed, and the so-called seedless dates,
being very large and fine, are highly
prized. When ripe, the date is Of a
bright golden color, fragant and lus-
cious; and in the dry, hot countries
where palms grow, no better food for
morning, noon, or night can be found,
while one never Wearies of the sweet
pulpy fruit, gathered fresh from the
tree. But the trees do not bear all the
year round, o course, and SO the Arabs
make what they call date honey, using
for this the juice of the ripe fruit, and
those who can afford itspreserve dates
fresh through the year, by keeping
them in close vessels covered over with
this honey.
Wine and spirits are also made from
dates by distillation; but they are sold,
for the most par = Tiers.
For the Arabs aral llenfber-
ate in their habits allo poor and ig-
norant as many of them are, drunk.
en- man is never found among them.-
There is still another product of the
date-one that is of vast Importance to
the poor Arabs ii their long journeys
across the deserts. This is date-four,
made by drying the kpe fruit in the
sun, and afferWard grinding it to pow
der. 1t 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 a.
bout, and needing no cooking; it has
only to be moistened with little wa
ter, and the meal is ready for eating.
How wisely has the all-loving Father
provided for these sons of barren soil,
suiting his mercies to their needs
giving them for their &toilsome jour
neys the patient, hardy camel, the only
beast of burden that could bear the
heat and drought of their deserts; and
for their own sustenance, the whole
some, nutricious Fannie Il.
Festdge, IN st. Nicholas for December.