The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1878-09-04

quality. Inns region lncIuues H1He
teen GASES, of which Biskra is the
principal. Laghouat, in the prov.
ince of Alger, is another center OF
production. Algeria might take a
considerable part in this commerce
| By direct communication with Eng
land, or through 1iarseilles, Of the
dates of Laghouat and Of Constan-
tine, a large part of which are sent
from Tunis.
The principal production of Toug-
| gort, Soub, and the oasis in French
territory, is the date, and there are
! about 124,300 palms subject to taxa
| ton, but the total number is nearly
double that. Each tree yields about
is. return yearly to its owner. Els
timating the average yield per tree
at 100 lbs, there would be total
product of 62,150 cwt. per anuum.
There are two qualities Of dates pro-
duced, the -Deglet nour, the best,
which sells at so francs the cwt., and
the Chars, or ordinary, at 20 francs.
In Goleah, in the Great Desert,
there are about 10000 date palms, of
which $4,000 are in full bearing.
The best trees are those produced
from slipped plants. Those raised
from seeds are much longer in arriv-
ing at maturity, and are generally
poor. When the slip, taken from
the foot of the stem of an adult tree
is first planted itmust be watered dai-
ly for six weeks; after which the
trees are watered once q week in
Summer, and every month in Winter.
The nut does not commence to
terminate under six months or
year after planting, and the growth
is very slow for the first two years.
In favorable situation it begins to
fruit in six years and lasts to seventy
years or more.
The tree begins to yield fruit five
| or six years after planting: but it is
not till after twenty or twenty-five
wears that it comes into full bearing,
! and then it will endure for about one
hundred and fifty years. A date
tree in full bearing will produce eight
| or ten punches, and each containing
| IL to 20 lbs. of fruit, which, at an ay-
erage of140 lbs. Of dates per year. is
at the rate of IA, 400 lbs. per hectare
az acres.
Although there are SO many vari-
cites Of dates differing IN the size,
form and quality Of fruit, they may
chiefly be divided by color into
three classes, the red, yellow and
whitish.
The dates, after having been gath
| cred. are dried in the sun, and, when
| quite hard are buried in the sand
They may thus be preserved about
two years but generally after eigh-
teen months they are attacked by
| worms, and in the beginning Of the
third year nothing remains but the
| stones. AS an every day food, dates
| are considered very heating in con
sequence Of which they are not much
| used on journeys as causing great
| thirst. The most relishing and
! wholesome way to cat them IS when
made into paste mixed with barley
Each year the lowest ring OF leaves
falls off, so that the age OF palm
may be roughly calculated by the
notches or the stem. twill bear tol
at least two hundred years, but after
a century it's fruit begins to decline
and it is then generally cut down for
building purposes Each proprietor
has right to two hours water in a
day from the stream which passes by
his grounds, and this right is always
specified in the title-deed by which