Show AN EGYPTIAN CUSTOM it mystified hot but modern in illicit fully it more M re than one thousand thou band years ago ago observed a custom in egypt ka apt says say prof drummond at a certain season heason of tile the year ays the alie washington wahington post the 1 went into the de desert ert cut off br branches inches from froin the vill wild pilm palm and brinin them back to their gardens waved laveti them over the flowers of nf tile the late date palm why they performed abi this ceremony they did not know but they knew that if they neglected it the late date crop would too lie poor or cor wholly lust lost herodotus offers the quaint nation eliat tit amalong alon with these brandies branches there came frum front the desert certain hies flies ro possessed ei c 1 of a viv ifie virtue which somehow tome how lent nn an exuberant fertility to the dates but ut the true rati rationale onlie to to the incantation is now explained palm balm trees trec like human betags are male and female the garden plants the date bearers were female females fema lei the desert de ert plants were males and tile waving indof of the bran brandies clie over the fe femi miles iles meant the transference of the fertilizing pollen from one t to 0 tit the C ot other he r |