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== The Palm of Egypt ==
== The Palm of Egypt ==
Finding myself for several months in the most beautiful countryside of Basso – Egypt, owned by the late Mr. Serra and adorned with six thousand Palms sown by him, I had the idea of getting information from the indigenous people on something that is ignored in Europe, about a majestic, unique, and most useful plant.  
Finding myself for several months in the most beautiful countryside of Basso – Egypt, owned by the late Mr. Serra and adorned with six thousand Palms sown by him, I had the idea of getting information from the indigenous people on something that is ignored in Europe, about a majestic, unique, and most useful plant.  
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The two sexes are known to flower, though the flowers of the male or those of the female may be in the ''''cuss'''' (vase) or a kind of pouch from which then the female's are also produced; they are the same as the male's but longer and thinner. By a tradition of the wise ancient Egyptians, the hard-working Arab man, who obtains the biggest and best fruit, cuts the ''''Dakar'''' (the male flower) from the male pouch, splits it into various pieces, and puts one in the center of the ''''Nitaie'''' (the female flower). He then ties it so it does not fall and so that the air, agitating them both, lets dust into the female flowers to fertilize them, creating a forced union instead of having to wait for the spontaneous arrival of the season's winds. This way, one male can fertilize hundreds of females.
The two sexes are known to flower, though the flowers of the male or those of the female may be in the ''''cuss'''' (vase) or a kind of pouch from which then the female's are also produced; they are the same as the male's but longer and thinner. By a tradition of the wise ancient Egyptians, the hard-working Arab man, who obtains the biggest and best fruit, cuts the ''''Dakar'''' (the male flower) from the male pouch, splits it into various pieces, and puts one in the center of the ''''Nitaie'''' (the female flower). He then ties it so it does not fall and so that the air, agitating them both, lets dust into the female flowers to fertilize them, creating a forced union instead of having to wait for the spontaneous arrival of the season's winds. This way, one male can fertilize hundreds of females.
The pollen of the male palm smells similar to its sperm, the Arabs thought of it, therefore, as an aphrodisiac and would sometimes eat it.  
The pollen of the male palm smells similar to its sperm, the Arabs thought of it, therefore, as an aphrodisiac and would sometimes eat it.  
The female pollen was able to be fertilized by the male from even from a far distance because of a strong, fundamental attraction between them from the universe. If this procedure were carried out in Europe, fruit would be produced as a result of this phenomenon of attraction.  
The female pollen was able to be fertilized by the male even from a far distance because of a strong, fundamental attraction between them from the universe. If this procedure were carried out in Europe, fruit would be produced as a result of this phenomenon of attraction.  
=== Metamorphosis of the Palm ===
=== Metamorphosis of the Palm ===
I was assured by many palm growers that they had seen a male plant become female, and had even seen some become hermaphroditic; in Arabic, ''''Hente'''' ,that is, ''''half male and half female.''''
I was assured by many palm growers that they had seen a male plant become female, and had even seen some become hermaphroditic; in Arabic, ''''Hente'''' ,that is, ''''half male and half female.''''
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=== A Coptic Tale ===
=== A Coptic Tale ===
There is a belief among Coptic and Arabic farmers of palms that the male plant has a bladder under its root, the same as that of animals known as ''''Bedten'''' (two eggs), and by removing them, the male becomes female.  
There is a belief among Coptic and Arabic farmers of palms that the male plant has a bladder under its root, the same as that of animals known as ''''Bedten'''' (two eggs), and by removing them, the male becomes female.  
I dug up the ground of various palms of different developmental stages and I found nothing. If they were lost during the transplantation process then these trees would all be female, and if this were true, everyone would extract the eggs of the male to make it female given that one female is enough to fertilize many plants. Ultimately, the immoral people of mid-Egypt would want a male palm, make it an immovable man, and others of the Basso, almost as though they were more moral, say ''''Kalam battal di'''' and this and speaking badly, that is, wanting to say that it is not true; but everyone maintains that no one finds it.  
I dug up the ground of various palms of different developmental stages and I found nothing. If they were lost during the transplantation process then these trees would all be female, and if this were true, everyone would extract the eggs of the male to make it female given that one female is enough to fertilize many plants. Ultimately, the dishonest people of mid-Egypt would want a male palm to make it immoral, and others of the Basso, who are generally more honest, say ''''Kalam battal di'''' to this and would speak badly of it. They would want to say it was not true; everyone, however, claims that no one can find it.  
=== Cultivation of the Palm===
=== Cultivation of the Palm===
In some small, abandoned oases in the Arabic desert, I saw some palm groves which had all of their branches that nature had given them, and so they had a strange and awkward appearance. The cultivated palm has a thin, sturdy appearance and grows larger each year. The ''''gerit'''' (branches) are cut, and the industrious Arab creates so many useful domestic objects out of them that there would be too many to list.  
In some small, abandoned oases in the Arabic desert, I saw several palm groves with all of their branches that nature had given them, and because of this they had a strange and awkward appearance. The cultivated palm has a thin, sturdy appearance and grows larger each year; the ''''gerit'''' (branches) are cut, and the industrious Arab is able to create so many useful domestic objects out of them that there would be too many to list.  
Around the top of the trunk, the large parts of the cut branches are left in order to tether the heavy bunches. These branches, called ''''Gahf'''', are cut the year after. They are either burned or made into ''''magascia'''' (brooms). Under the ''''gahf'''' there is ''''eldiffa'''', a cinnamon-colored canvas that is beautifully outlined by nature, out of which various kinds of ropes are made. It is possible that this material gave primitive men the idea to weave and create the first articles of clothing; only one piece of this fabric is enough to cover oneself, which is something even barbarians did, as seen by the peoples at the first flood gates.
Around the top of the trunk, the large parts of the cut branches are left to be able to tether heavy bunches to them. These branches, called ''''Gahf'''', are cut the year after. They are either burned or made into ''''magascia'''' (brooms). Under the ''''gahf'''' one finds the ''''eldiffa'''', a cinnamon-colored canvas that is designed beautifully by nature, out of which various kinds of ropes are made. This material may have given primitive men the idea to weave and create the first articles of clothing; just a single piece of this fabric is enough to cover oneself, which is something even barbarians did as seen by the people at the first waterfalls.