The date is to the Sahara what wheat is to Europe or rice to India, the most important food of the people, and the tree itself is of extreme importance besides its fruit, for every part of it is utilized in some way or other. Even the stones of the fruit have their application, for they are torrefied, ground, and used as a substitute for chicory, and also as medicine. Fine dates, especially of the variety known as the deglet nour or "date of light," are exported from Oued Rir', as well as from Algeria and Tunis, principally to Marseilles and thence all over Europe. Their consumption is tending to increase in Europe, and will develop more rapidly as this fruit, now not more than a luxury, becomes better known for its nutritious qualities and divers applications.

FIG. 21.-The Rolland well at Oued Rir', bored in 1882, and yielding 3,800 liters (1,004 gallons) of water per minute. (From a prospectus of the Société de Batna et du Sud Algérien).

The date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) requires a dry atmosphere, but plenty of water at its roots; in a moist atmosphere, for instance on the borders of the Mediterranean in Algeria and Tunis, it does not do so well. It supports perfectly, however, the extreme heat of the Sahara and even the coldest nights there (the thermometer has been known to go down to 6° C. below zero), on account of the dryness of the atmosphere. The nature of the soil in which it grows does not seem to be so important, as even the deglet nour is found in the poorest silicious soils. The date palm is planted from shoots and begins to bear fruit in from three to five years, but only bears well after 8 or 10 years, and will continue to bear up to the age of 60. It is best planted at the rate of 200 trees to the hectare, thus giving a good yield and affording proper shelter for other crops.

There are fifty-five varieties of this tree at Oued Rir', the yield of which varies greatly according to conditions of variety, care taken, supply of water, etc.; with good care and proper conditions the trees yield an average of from 4 to 5 francs each, or 1,000 francs per hectare per annum. A single tree is cited as having given 50 francs' worth of fruit in one year. In 1887 the whole district contained 520,000 trees in full bearing, besides 140,000 of from one to seven years old and about 100,000 fruit trees of other sorts. The company above mentioned has planted over 50,000 date palms since its organization. Under the shadow of these palms various crops are grown with perfect success. Barley is the most important cereal, and wheat, maize, millet, and sorghum are also grown.

The company's exhibit shows only the dried vegetables, as pois chiches, fèves, fèverolles, haricots, and lentils, but they also produce potatoes, pumpkins, cabbages, turnips, carrots, radishes, beets, asparagus, artichokes, tomatoes, chickory, celery, parsley, etc.

Among the fruits are melons, watermelons, figs, pomegrantes, apricots, tamarinds, olives, and even grapes.

Lucern is an important crop there, and flax, alfa, tobacco, cotton, madder, and henna are also produced.

A full collection of the products of the date palm was exhibited and fresh deglet nour were sent from the colony to the Exposition every week.

TUNIS.

Tunis, a protectorate of France since May, 1881, may be considered as a prolongation of Algeria in all respects, the three principal regions of the latter country, littoral, tell, and highland plains, being continued therein.

The littoral is well adapted for all sorts of fruit-growing, and especially for viticulture and the raising of the orange and olive, and also for the cultivation of all varieties of vegetables, but the inhabitants lack energy of character and industry, and at present these fertile lands are almost wasted.

The

The central plain, or tell, much intersected by low mountain chains, would be remarkably productive under the care of intelligent colonists with ready means of communication. These plains contain water courses of greater or less importance, none of which, however, are navigable, and few of which are abundant at all seasons. highlands are, as in Algeria, only adapted for grazing or for growing alfa. Except for the domains of l'Enfida, K'sar Tyr, Bordj-Cédria, and a few others, conducted by Europeans, the agriculture of Tunis is entirely carried on by Arabs, whence its inferiority. Their tools are of the most primitive sort, and they have never attempted to improve them. (Figs. 22, 23, 24.) Pasturing is more common than cultivation; cereals, principally wheat and barley, are cultivated in

FIG. 22.-Tunisian wooden plows. A, for ordinary cultivation; a, Iron share; B, for viticulture.

FIG. 23.-Tunisian implements. a, Wooden spade; b, Fork; c, Hatchet; d e., Reaping hooks.

the plains, the Arabs sowing their grain directly upon natural ground which has been used for pasture for three or four years. The quality of grain used is from 230 to 340 liters per hectare, and the yield is only about five times as much as this, i.e., a hectare only produces from 11 to 12 hectoliters; after the harvest the land is allowed to grow its natural grass for three or four years more, and then the grain is sown as before; this is the native idea of rotation.

FIG. 24.-Tunisian drag-thresher or Machine à dépiguer, consisting of a curved board, the under side of which is studded with iron blades, a. a., and sharp quartz, b. b.

In the immense and rich valley of the Medjerda, where the soil, mostly alluvial, is 2 meters (6 feet 6 inches) in depth, double the above yield might be made, without the use of fertilizers, for from fourteen to twenty years. The soil may well be considered virgin and adapted for giving large crops; no great outlay need be made, only the use of European plows. A few such plows, indeed, are seen here and there. Arab plows, instead of destroying noxious weeds, only improve their growth, while they smother the useful plants.

And yet Tunis made by no means a bad show upon the Esplanade des Invalides. It had a fine building to itself and a separate one for its forestry exhibit, which no other country had except France.

Among the Tunisian vegetable products were beans, both white and black, some of the white ones being of large size; fine-looking lentils, pois chiches, and fèves. There was an especially good show of potatoes. The principal thing, however, was the show of dates, the finest in the Exposition after those of l'Oued Rir'. There are many varieties of date in Tunis, but only the degiet nour is exported. About 10 varieties are good for food and are bartered with caravans for cereals. The other varieties are of mediocre quality and are consumed by the natives or fed to cattle. The deglet nour is only grown at Djerid, where some of the trees are from 15 to 30 meters high, and the yearly production about 31,200 quintals. About 842,500 quintals of ordinary dates are produced annually, and the total date production of the country amounts to about 8,000,000 francs.

In cereals Tunis showed barley and oats of good quality, and some fine wheat, generally hard wheat, as in Algeria.

The maize was yellow and of small round grain, but of fair quality. Sesame and millet were also exhibited, particularly a very large white millet, called white maize by the natives, but not a maize. Almonds and mustard seed were also shown. The almond is cultivated all over the country. The fruit of the carob tree is edible, but is principally used for cattle. The olive is the commonest fruit of Tunis, and the lemon and sweet and bitter oranges are also extensively cultivated.

The Domaine de l'Enfida is a tract of land extending for about 30 kilometers along the eastern shore of Tunis and containing about 120,000 hectares. It was purchased by the Société Agricole et Immobilière Franco-Africaine in 1881, and in 1884 its population, native and European, was about 12,000. Its climate is healthy, mild in winter, and the sirocco is never so violent there as it is in Algeria. The soil is mostly alluvial, exceptionally fertile, and several meters deep. The natives cultivate wheat, barley, maize, fèves, pois chiches, etc., in a primitive way with primitive instruments, sowing about 60 kilos of wheat or 80 of barley to the hectare; the yield varies greatly, according to frequency of rains, but it is not rare to obtain 25 or 30 for one of wheat, or 50 to 60 for one of barley. The vine is the most promising culture, and is only carried on by Europeans. About 200 hectares were planted with the vine in 1884 and 1885, and almost the whole Enfida is well adapted to its favorable production. The olive is also cultivated there, and apiculture is practiced. The district is comparable to the valley of the Nile. The society has other domains in Tunis, notably at SidiTabet, and made a fine exhibit of its products in the Tunisian pavilion, consisting of excellent wheat, barley of large grain, blackbearded rye, yellow maize, sorghum, fèves, and pois chiches.

Mr. Th. Pilter, an Englishman residing at Paris, made an inter