A Fruitful Desert

The desert of Sahara is not all a desert. In 1892 more than 9,000,000 of sheep wintered in the Algeriaii Sahara, paying a duty of 1,763,000 francs ($302,000). These sheep wereworth 20 francs ($4) apiece, or in all 175,000,000 francs. The Sahara nourishes also 2,000,000 goats and 260,000 camels, paying a duty of 1,000,000 francs. In the oases palms, citrons and apricots abound; there are cultivated also onions, pimentos and various legnminous vegetables. The oases contain 1,500,000 date palms, on which the duty is 560,000 francs. The product of a date tree varies from 8 to 10 francs ; these of the desert sive