PIHENIX Olt DATE TREE. The data tree (Pluratą cfatsylifera) is one of the most vabiable among eastern plants. A coasts derable part of the inhabitants of Egypt, Arabia, and Persia subsist Almost entirely on its fruit. They make a conserve of it with sugar, and even grind the hard stones in their hand-mills for their camels. In Barbary they form handsome beads for paternosters of these stones. From the leaves they make conches, baskets, bags, mats, brushes, and fly-tteps; the trunk is split and used in small buildings, also for fences to gardens, and the stalks of the leaves for making cages for their poeltay. The threads of the web-like integu ment at the bases of the leaves are twisted into ropes, which are employed in rigging small vessels. The sap is obtained by cutting off the head of the palm and stooping out hollow in the top of the stem, where, in as cending, it lodges itself. Three or four quarts of sap may be obtained daily from a single palm, for ton days or a fortnight, after which the quantity lessens, until at the end of [six weeks or two months, the stem is exhausted, 13001310S dry, and is used for firewood. This
liquor is sweetish when first collected, and may be drank as a mild beverage, but fermentation teen takes place, and a spirit is produced, width is distilled, and forms one of the kinds of errack, Such being the importance and various uses of the date-tree, it is not sur prising that in an mid and barren country it should form so prominent a subject of allusion and description in the works of Arab tastliors and that it should be said to have 300 names in their language. Many of these are, how ever, applied to different parts of the plant, as well as to plants of different ages.
Another kind, called the Phenix is aspecies common in the arid parts of India. It yields, by incision, tarsi, or palm wine, cent monly called toddy. Mats and baskets are made of the leaves. Sugar is made front this species.