The Alamance gleaner
VOL. LIII. ' .
r==T=r^? - GRAHAM, IS, C., THURSDAY JUNE 30, 1927. ~ N(> 22
DOINGS OF THE WEEK I!
NEWS REVIEW OF
CURRENT EVENTS
Three Divergent Schemes
for Naval Limitation
Offered at Geneva.
By EDWARD W. PICKARD
THJEE great powers, In conference
at GenOva, through their repre
leutatives, tor the purpose of devis
ing further limitation of naval arma
ment. are considering three widely
divergent plans, and if they get to
gether on any scheme it will be only
by making big concessions and after
long debute. The initial positions of
the three powers may be succinctly
Mated thus:
United States?Extension of the
6-5-3 ratio to all warships, with def
inite tonnage limits for cruisers, de
itroyers and submarines.
tireat Britain?Further limitation
of battleships, reduction in size and
armament of both capital ships and
cruisers and extension of the 5-5-3
ratio to 10,000-ton cruisers, hut no
mention of application to auxiliaries.
Japan?A naval holiday on the basis
of the status quo, and a ban on battle
ship construction.
Ambassador Hugh Ulbsou opened the
conference and presided as chairman
because it was called by President
Coolidge. In submitting the Ameri
can plan lie suggested the following
allocation of tonnage:
Cruisers?United States and Great
Britain, 300,000 tons; Japan, 180,000
toes.
Destroyers ? United States and
Great Britain, 250,000 tons; Japan,
150,000 tons.
Submarines ? United States and
Great Britain, 90,000 tons; Japan, 54,
000 tons.
In polite terms, Mr. Gibson hinted
that if an agreement among the pow
ers for naval limitation was not
reached, the United States was pre
pared to resort to an extensive build
ing program.
According to American experts,
adoption of the British plan would
enable England in time of war to
swamp the American fighting ships
through utilization of her mercantile
marine as auxiliary cruisers; her big
passenger liners would be capable Qf
carrying airplanes and transporting
troops as well as mounting 6-inch
guns. In the Japanese proposal to
adopt the status quo the Americans
found a joker in the fact that Japan
possesses considerable more cruisers
and destroyers in commission or ca
pable of utilization than the United
States and the legalization of this
?trength would place Japan Just be
tow (Jreat Britain and above Amer
ica for these categories.
Admiral Sir Frederick Field, British
delegate, explained the British point
view. He declared Great Britain
Quires more light cruiser and de
stroyer tonnage than any other power
because England relies on its food
fcPply from overseas and also for
marketing the dominions' products and
lafeguardlng the long routes of com
munications.
AW this was set forth at length
?hen the proposals were turned over
a committee of expert technicians
?ho were instructed to try to find a
Amnion ground for discussion. The
nfitish claim to greater tonnage of
l|kht craft was supported by elaborate
Tarts showing how England's trade
routes and lines ot communication
<fla8-cross every body of navigable
fater on the globe.
?Naval experts in Washington openly
?hacked both the British and Jap
J*8* pluns, and their view was
^ by Congressman Britten of Illl
*? ranking member oK^the house
JJ^ittee on naval affairs. \Mr. Brlt
J* predicted that failure of the
rj*e?a conference will result in in
^a*e<l naval building by the -United
l** but this view is not shared by
'or Borah, chairman of the senate
relations committee. Mr.
Jp-1 'Wig there Is little likelihood
to* conference achieving real re
'>Dt "iat even If It does fail, this
, erument will not enter upon a
e Adding program.
| qrn,er* Shown How
I to Poimon Cutworm*
?The cutworm Is the
caterpillar, of the nlght-fl.v
? ^ His whole life Is made of
I * no's The exo*Ptlon I* observed
??<?>,/ ' gloom-cast days, when the
?Wl< |may ?me from a convenient
"ie ground to feast upon
? knder plant leaves and stalks,
?v J of cutworms go through
n,er lD the soil and begin work
? ' the soring In sddltlon
| pOLAND'S firm and dignified stand
j * against the demands of Russia in
connection with the murder of the
Russian minister in Wursaw seems
to have h6d good results, for It is now
reported that the two countries are in
a fair way to negotiate a treaty of
amity. But the Soviet government's
savage reprisal in the way of whole
sale executions of counter-revolution
ists and others accused of being spies
in the pay of foreign governments has
aroused widespread iudignation. An
Instance of this is the resolution
adopted by a joint meeting of the ex
executive committee of the British La
bor party and of the general council
of the British Trades Union congress.
"While recognizing the Soviet gov
ernment's indignation ut the murder
of M. Voikev," the resolution said,
"we-are obliged to protest against the
execution of persons innocent thereof
as a reprisal. We are of the opinion
that meeting murder by murder is a
degradation of the standards of civ
ilized lffe and can produce nothing
but harm to Soviet Russia."
In this connection it is Interesting
to read that Pope Pius XI in an allo
cution before a secret consistory de
nounced bolshevism as an insidious,
subversive doctrine that is permeating
the ignorant classes throughout the
world.. Basing his ranHTfcS"W~KirowTr~
edge coming to him through evidence
gathered by his diplomatic outposts,
the pope charged bolshevism with be
ing chiefly responsible not only for
the troubles in China but also in
Mexico.
V/f AKSHAL CHANG TSO-LlV is
now tlie absolute dictator of
northern China?though lie may not
enjoy that pre-eminence very long.
In a twenty-word speecli in Peking he
announced that he had assumed the
office of generalissimo in order to work
for the regeneration and unification
of the country. The diplomatic body
was absent from the brief ceremony
and so avoided official recognition of
Chang's new status. la a circular tele
gram to the provinces the marshal
pledged himself to fight against com
munism while breatli remains in his
body. He added that any seeking to
undermine the'nation's foundations or
acting in collusion witli foreigners
for a like object, will be regarded as
public enemies deserving death.
There are indications that the Han
kow and Nanking nationalist factious
will soon get together, at least for
tlie purpose of getting possession of
Peking and Shantung provinces. The
Shanghai bankers are reported to
have raised two-thirds of a $30,(100,000
luan to assist General Chiang in his
drive northward.
U>AIL'UItE to reconcile the National
P peasant and Liberal parties in Ru
mania resulted in the downfall of
Premier Babu Stirbey, favorite of
Queen Marie, who only recently was
elevated to that position. He handed
In his resignation and the former
premier, loan Hratiano, was called on
to form a new cabinet pending elec
tions. Tlie National peasants not only
refused to co-opefate witli tlie Lib
erals but announced that .they are
publishing a manifesto making scan
dalous revelations against tlie gov
ernment party.
PRESIDENT COOLIDOE. wtio
caught his first mess of rainbow
trout by using worms as bait, has
heard the sorrowful protests of the
Izaak Walton league members and
now is landing the fish with the regu
lation equipment of fiy and casting
rod. And Mrs. Coolidge has proved
herself no mean angler. The Chief
Executive has been receiving various
groups of citizens, including tlie mem
bers of the National Editorial associa
tion and their wives, and on Tuesday
he motored to Rapid City and re
viewed the South Dakota National
Guard at its camp near there. He
took back to the summer White House
as an over-night guest former Gov. S.
R. McKelvie of Nebraska, who is the
editor of a farm paiier. Mr. Coolidge
accepted an invitation to attend the
Belle Eourclie roundup on July 4.
which Is his birthday, and promised
to go to Ardniore on July 10 for a big
gathering of farmers from South Da
kota, Nebraska, Colorado and Wyo
mlng.
Governor General Wood of the
Philippines was the President's most
to vegetable crops they attack orna- i
mental plants and held crops.
It's a slow process, but cutworms I
piay be found individually and killed j
?after their night's damage is done.
Invariably they will burrow to a shal- i
low depth beside the plant on which f
they have fed. * j
Cutworms can be destroyed by 1
using a poisoned bran bait. A reliable j
mixture is one peck or fjve pounds
of bran, one-fourth*pound of white
arsenic or paris green, one pint of
sirup or molasses anil three or four I
1
important individual caller of the
week, having been invited to report on
conditions in the islands. Other vis
itors included several congressmen.
Representative w. r. green
of Iowa, chairman of the house
ways and means committee, went to
Washington for a conference with Sec
retary of the Treasury Mellon, and ,
told the correspondents* that there was
small hope of a substantial tar reduc- I
tion in 1928. Present indications, ac- |
cording to Mr. Green, are that, if there |
Is any surplus in the national treas
ury at the end of the fiscal year, It
will not be large enough to permit
such reductions as were made in the j
last revenue bill, which authorized
cuts aggregating 5400,900,000.
In this view Mr. Green takes sharp
issife with other Republican leaders,
notably Senators Kdge of New Jersey,
and Reed of IVnnsylvania, who have
predicted a surplus exceeding $300,
000,000, and probably running as high
as $400,000,01)0.
BECAUSE of his refusal to return
to the United States and testify
in the trial of Albert B. Fall and
Harry F. Sinclair in the Teapot Dome
oil lease fraud case, the Department
?of - -St ate has put Harry Mr Blackmer
much In the position of a "man with
out a country." The former chuirinan
of the Midwest Refining company has
been deprived of his passport by order
of the department and so is without
the protection of the government on
his travels. While his passport has
been revoked he has one chance to
recover it, namely, to apply for a
passport to return to the United
States. But as Blackmer evaded serv
ice of a subpoena for a long time and
finally actually refused service, offi
cials here do not believe he will seek
u chance to come home, kjiowing that
this would mean facing another sub
poena on landing, or arrest for con
tempt of court, or confiscation of his
American property under the drastic
Walsh law, recently enacted by con
gress to meet this very case.
COMMANDER BYRD and his three
fellow aviators waited all week
for weather conditions favorable to
the start of their flight to France in
the Fokker monoplane America. Heavy
fogs and fluctuating winds prevailed
over the north Atlantic, and Byrd
saw no object In starting as he was
not planning a record-breaking flight
or contemplating any sensational per
formance.
Colonel Lindbergh had a few days
to devote to his own affairs, and then
was summoned to Washington to con
fer with officials of tl?e Army, Navy
and Commerce departments. He flew
there from St. Louis in an army plane,
making oue stop, at Dayton, Ohio. A
committee of St. Louis business men
has offered Lindbergh the presidency
of a projected airplane manufacturing
company with large capital.
?
CITIZENS of Indianapolis grew tired
of the doings of the city ball ring
there and, being given the opportunity
at a special election, ttiey smashed It
by voting, five to one, in favor of abol
ishing. the council and mayoralty sys
tem and substituting the city manager
form of government. In March the
anti-manager forces persuaded the
legislature to amend the law so that
the change cannot b?? made before
January 1, If this legislative
action is held unconstitutional the city
manager will take office next New
Year's day.
Unqualified approval of the
Creat Lake?-St. Lawrence water
way project is given by the Joint New
Kngland-St. Lawrence waterway cpm
mittee of business men. financiers,
economists, and engineers in Massa
chusetts, New Hampshire, Ithode
Island. Vermont, Maine, and Connec
ticut.
After months of study this commit
tee has concluded that the all-Ameri
ran waterway route through New
York, proposed as an alternative to
the St. Lawrence route, is impractical
from a financial and engineering
standpoint, and in a formal report the
sjiokesinen for the six states urge the
i Washington government to initiate ne
gotlations with the Cunadian govern
ment upon a treaty which will speed
completion of the St. Lawrence project
i quarts qf water added to the mixture.
I United State* entomologist* warn
that it i* necessary thoroughly to mix
I the poison and the bran ho that each
particle will carry enough polaon to
kill. The sirup and water should be
mixed and then added to the mixed
bran and poison. Stirring should be
done slowly.
The bait should be placed along the
rows or about the base of the plant In
the evening. <Care should be taken to
keep the mixture away from animals
or irresponsible persona.
WHEN
MOTHER TOOK
A VACATION
->?
IIS by L>. J. Walsh.)
CAROLINE BENTON sat od her
porch darning stockings that
bright fall afternoon. Glancing
up, she saw her friend Eliz
abeth Cady coming slowly down West
stTeet. Caroline watched Elizabeth
and was glad when she came up her
front walk and as she mounted the
steps Caroline met her with out
stretched hand, and placing a rocking
chair bade her sit down. Elizabeth
complied with her request and sank
wearily into the chair.
"Why, Elizabeth!" said Caroline,
"you look all beat out. Whatever
have you been doing?"
"1 um tired," Elizabeth answered,
"every bone in my body is aching tit
to kill. I get so discouraged some
times I feel as if 1 couldn't stand it
another minute. 1 ought to be home
this very minute Ironing Catherine's
pink orgundie. She said she wanted
it for tonight, but, land knows, she
don't need it; she's got plenty of oth
er dresses she can wear. 1 wish I
had one, for I'm all out of everything.
I get so tired of sewing that when it
comes to making anything for myself
I can't set myself to do it. I'd rather
go without than make the effort. I
couldn't think of anything I could
bear to do, so 1 Just ran over here
for a while. I thought maybe I'd feel
different when 1 went hack home."
"Where is Catherine?" asked Mrs.
Benton mildly.
"Oh, she's home. The Carter girls
ure over and Tommy Shack, onlj
Catherine says I mustn't call him
Tommy, and Ered Keutor and Mar
jory Valle telephoned that they were
coming in later. They are going to
make candy for the Young I'eople's
club tomorrow night I expect the
kitchen will be a sight when I get
home. Oh, bum?well, young folks
will kn ??
TV III UC J UUIIj, 1UI KB.
"Yes," said Mrs. Benton rutlier
sharply, "young folks will be young
folks, but Elizabeth, there Is no use
In their belDg seltlsh. I think you
are spoiling Catherine. What will
become of her If she gets married?
Slie won't know enough to feed her
self, let alone feeding a husband. 1
think you've made a mistake In wait
ing on her the way you have."
"1 suppose I have, but she is so
awkward whenever I do ask her to
do anything that she always makes
a mess of it. It is easier for me to
do it myself. And besides, she hates
housework. She says it ruins her
hunds. Why, if she so much as wipes
a mess of dishes In the steamy kitch
en, the crimp Is all out of tier hair,
> and it Isn't as if her huir curled nat
urally, and she lius to do it up aguln
before she can go anywhere. Then
she never knows when some one is
coming In, especially now that Tommy
?no, Tom Shack Is paying lier so
much attention."
"Nevertheless," went on Caroline,
"I think you are making a big mls
tuke, Elizabeth. Sou are robbing
Catherine of the chance to show what
she can do. Land, when you were
her age you could run a house al
most as well as your mother. And
I guess it came In quite us haudy
after you were married as Catherine's
dancing, primping and fudge-making
will. Why, she wouldn't know enough
to dress herself without you. You are
ruining a fine girl and making your
self sick in the bargain."
"1 suppose I am," sighed Elizabeth
with a shake of her head. Then,
changing the subject, she told Mrs.
Kenton about a letter she had received
the day before from an old school
friend who was making a cross
| couutry trip in order to visit her old
home for a few days. She was plan
ning to go on farther East and wished
Elizabeth to accompany lier. "1 will
be in Midvale on Tuesday afternoon."
the woman had written, "and I will
stay two days. Then If you are all
right I shall pick you up. Elizabeth.
! and take you with me for ten days
1 I am coming in my little roadster and
; there will be just you and L and we
will have the time of our lives. Imn't
I let anything Interfere, just be ready
I when I come."
"Of course you will go," Caroline
said firmly.
"Of course I can't," said Elizabeth
i with a sigh. "How in the world can
; i?"
"Why. just go," said Mrs. Benton.
"Xow is your chance, Elizabeth. If
yon stay on here without a chance
to rest or a bit of a change, you are
going to get flat down In bed. That's
what. The Bible says, "Sli days
shalt thou labor?the seventh, rest."
Now. when have yon had a day of
rest? Not in foor years that I know
of. and yon don't even rest nights
what with all this sitting np looking
after Catherine and waiting on young
folks who are ruining their stomachs
eating all boors of the night. Too are
asking more of your bod; than a man
would of a piece of machinery."
"Well, I will think about It," said
Mrs. Cady us she arose and, bidding
her friend good-by, wended her wuj
wearily down the street.
"Thut woman Is lu for a good sick
spell," thought Curollne as she
watched her disappear around the
corner of West and liuinbridge
streets. And she was right, for the
very next day Catherine telephoned
ber thut Iter mother had gone to bed
with a raging headache and a tem
perature und the doctor whom she
hnd called said she must not get up
for several days. "And what a
shame!" added Curheriue In a peevish
voice, "when 1 have Invited the crowd
lu for supper and cards, and, worst of
all, mother Is looking for Mrs. Walsh
every minutfe."
"Too bad, Catherine," said Curollne,
"that you didn't see your mother was
getting sick before she got tlut down
in J>ed. I should think you wuuld
have to call the 'crowd' olT und get
busy tuking care of your mother, aud
as for Mrs. Wulsh, If Funny Wulsh
is a bit like she used to be she will
look after her herself." Aud Caro
line hung up the receiver.
Mrs. Wulsh, true to her schedule,
came In due time und at ouce as
sumed the cure of Mrs. Cudy. She
tilled the place of nurse so well that
site hud her friend out of bed und
quite herself in four duys und then
she simply packed her up and bundled
her Into the big roadster and curried
iici uvuu; uwuj. aiju a gitrui muv ^
they had, too. They visited many old j
scenes made dear to their hearts by
their girlhood days together. And
the ten days lengthened into three
weeks. At the end of the three
weeks tbej came hack to the Cady
home sunburned and tlred^ but re
freshed in mind and body. Catherine
looked witli amazement ut the plump,
happy-faced woman with the spar
kling eyes und smiling face who sprang
out of the car. She could scarcely be
lieve her eyes?surely this never |
could be her little, fagged-out mother,
this radiant womun who luughed like
a girl and who seemed absolutely to
be without nerves.
As for Catherine herself, she never
told her mother of the' tunny lasting
lessons she had learned or the trials
she had endured during the three
weeks she had been left in charge of
the house. Of course, futher and the
boys had been good as gold, but they |
could not see why Catherine without
effort on tier purt could not keep
tilings going as smoothly as mother
had always done, lint one there was
who knew and she had stood nobly
by and that was Caroline Benton.
Slie had spent hours at the Cady
house and she and Catherine had/be
come fast friends. It was due to her
help and training that Elizabeth,
when she stepped from the car, eu
tered a well-ordered house and met
a daughter who would henceforth ap
preciate and help her mot tier ami in
the near future be able to go to her
own home confident that she could
cope with any situation that might
arise.
Lapland'I Black Bread
Of all (J ark-colored breads the
blackest Is the palt brod. or rye bread
of Luplund. northern Scandinavia and
Russia. The inhabitants of cold coun
tries seem to prefer dark bread, be
lieving that with fur garment* on the
outside and black bread on the In
side, they are equipped to withstand
the rigors of a long, cold winter. The
Indians in the Southwest of the
United' States artificially Color their I
bread. Various kinds of flour are used
in making bread. Corn Is preferred In
Mexico and Central America and also j
by many In North America. Dried fish
pounded to meal is the popular bread I
base of Iceland. Potato bread Is |>op- j
ular In Ireland and chestnuts are used !
in Italy. In lean years Russia resorts ,
to flour ground from tree bark.?Men
tor Magazine.
Famous English Beauties
?iV lunninga. Elizabeth and .Ma
ria. were celebrated and fashionable
beauties of the middle of the Eight
eenth century. They ure often men
tioned by Horace Wolpole in his cor
respondence. The familiar reference
to I.ady Mary, "To him she was aa
beautiful a* the Gunnings und witty
as I.ady Mary." when it nppliea to
this era, is always the abbreviation
of the name I.ady Mnry Montagu,
Iw'D 10S0 and died lTfli. I.tidy Mary
was a celebrated beauty and wit.
Picking Egg*
The word "pick" as used In the
phrase "picking eggs," i< a colloquial
ism used only in certain sections of
the country. Some people "get the
eggs" and others "hunt the eggs."
From the standpoint of good English
"gather the eggs" Is preferable to the
other phrases, although the colloquial
isms are permissible in ordinary con
versation.
Chineee Reckoning
The Chinese have no Sabbath and
there Is no week, aa we reckon time;
only tin day of the mouth, or moon.
? -
Harvesting Dates in Sahara Oasis.
irrepurx'i nv in?- .<uu'm?i
Society. W??hln*toi.. D. C.)
OF THE dut?? palm* now thriv
ing and bearing fruit In the
hot desert regions of Arixona
and California, some of the
most valuable plants were brought
frotn the Jerid. famous "Land of the
Balms," a small group of oases situ
ated at the northern edge of the Sa
hura and distant about 250 miles
south westward from the city of Tunis.
The Jerid Is reached-hy means of a
railway which crosses southern Tunis
from the busy little seaport of Sfax,
on the east const, to the rlMi phos
phate mines of Metluoul near the Al
gerian frontier. Southward from Sfax
one passes thnmgh a desolate country,
wonderfully like the high plains of
eastern Colorado and New Mexico.
An occasional cluster of "gourbls,"
or tents of skins, an occasional flock
of multicolored sheep and goats,
tended by half wild Bedouin children,
are the only signs of life in the mo
notonous landscape. The vegetation
consists chiefly of brown clump* of
the grass called "nlfn" or "esparto,"
the long tough leaves of which are
(lulled hy hand and ship(?ed in bales
to Europe for making baskets, straw
hats, and paper of fine quality.
From Metlaoul, formerly the termi
nus of the railway, the line has been
extended In recent years all the way
to Tozer. fh-st of the -lin(>ortant oasis
towns. This final stretch Is through
blazing sands and on either qhta are
the sharp forms of desert mountflusi
devoid of mill and trees. In Tozer
lives the French administrator of the
Jerid region. The town Is Just out
side the oasis on higher ground. After
leuvlrig Its outskirts and crossing a
few rods of hare send, one prungc.s
directly Into the on si*.
| - Jungle of Date PHIfnt.
The transition from the blinding
j dare outside to the cool shade of ttie
gardens Is delightful. Kach is a Jun
gle of date palriis. planted In no ap
parent order, .some so close that the
sterns almost touch, and In other
places far enough apart to leave room
for little patches of vegetables and
lucem and tender young barley. Be
neath the tall palms are other trees
figs, apricots, and olives.
It Is interesting to watch the har
vest which begins In October. Date*
grow in lurge bunches, weighing from
10 to 40 pounds, which Ifnng beneath
I lie crown of leaves on long yellow
>r orange-colored stalks, hard and pol
ished as Ivory. An expert workman,
known as the "getan." climbs to the
top of the palm, gripping the scaly
hark with his bare toe*. He is armed
with a "inengel," nn Iron knife, hav
ing a heavy serrated Made at right
angle* to the shank, which Is set in
a wooden handle.
Severing'the stalk with a stroke of
his knife, he give* the heavy cluster
to the man who straddles the trunk
just under him. It Is then passed
from hand to hand by men and boys
who cling to the tree, one helow the
other, until It reaches the ground.
Only the best varieties of dates are
handled thus carefully; for the ordi
nary sorts It suffices to toss the clus
? ter to the ground, where they are
caught In sheets. They are then
[tacked In skins or baskets to be kept
for local consumption, or they are
exchanged for wheat and barley,
which the nomads of the high central
plateaus of Tunis and Algeria bring
down to the oases In the fall on the
backs of their camels.
?' ~j?m .nwir unit's. in wnirn
the Jerld export* from one to two
million pound* every year, are pre
pared for shipment In-fore leaving rtie
gardens. No curing I* found necessary.
Has Its Traffic Prcb'cms.
During the harvest season the Jerld
garden* have t rattle problem* a*
marked a* those In many a western
elty. one can make hut slow progress
because of the crowds that throng
tlie bridle paths. Here and there at
noonday, where two roads cross, are
*t a toned venders of "broad beans."
The beans, almost as large a* chest
nuts and not unlike them in flavor,
are boiled in petroleum tin* over chn^
eoal fires and are sold hot to laborer*
and Idlers.
In the cool twilight one can ap
preciate the full beauty of the nasi4.
The level rays of the sort-ing sun
light up the palm tops, turning the
dull purple* and maroon* of the fr-gift
rlusters to glowing crimson and their
stalk* to burnished gold. AgtMnst th ?
clear beryl green of the eastern sky
the feathery leaf crown* are silhou
etted. Overhead a star or two begin*
to glisten In the azure that I* fast
changing to dusky violet.
The Jerld oases are four In number.
To7.er and. Nefta. whl^h comprise about
O.OOO acres each, are the largest They
are separated one from another by
a few miles of sandy desert, where
stunted gray bushes are the only vete
tatlon during the greater part of the
year. Immediately behind the onsc*
rises a^teep bluff, which here form*
the northern Ixiundary of the Sahara.
The date gardens occupy a g**ntly
sloping shelf about one mile wide be
tween this and the Shott el Jeri?t a
great shallow pond. usually covered
with a glittering crust of salt and '??>re
taining water for only a brief tirt*-?
after the Infrequent winter rains
There ore said to be nearly one nil!
lion date trees in the Jerid. K:h!i
oasis Is a den<e forest, of which the
ownership is much divided. The indi
vidual holdings range In sir.e fmr.i a
few square rods to several acres and
are separted by Tobias*.*" walls of
dried mud surmounted by a paUsad1
of the Thorny palm leaves.
Water Supply Abundant
Numerous springs, gushing forth at
the base of the escarpment that shel
ters the oases from the north winds,
furnish an abundant and constant sup
ply of water for Irrigation At WHt?>
the spring* arc situated in a ,h*?->
hastn. of which the sides are much
higher than the tallest palm In th
heaullful grove that covers its (hew
This Is the '"Ras el Aln? (head of the
spring), which the French call the
?Corbellle" or basket
At Torer and al Nefta the water
of (he springs Is gathered Into one
large canal. It Is then diverted by
means of dams situated at convenient
points Into the Irrigating ditches that
penetrate every corner of the oasis.
More than one hundred distinct va
rieties of dates are grown In these
four smnll oases. There Ls a bewil
dering amount of diversity In the
shape, color, and flavor of the fruit*.
Some are round as apples, others egg
shaped. other Anger-shaped. They
range In size from that of a small
hazelnut to the bigness of a maw's
thumb. When ripe they are of every
Imaginable hoe. from golden hrowa
la prone purple, and svan Jet Mack.