CROPS OF THE COLONY. 69 



from 1.5 to -2 :u-re-inches of water is used at an application. If the 

 soil is vcrv permeable, as is the case in the Blida region, the orchard 

 must l)e watered every week. Otherwise, an irrigation every two 

 weeks suffices. As to cultivation, a plowing in March to a depth of 

 1 foot, a second plowing in May, and a cultivation in August are rec- 

 ommended. 



DATES." 



Except in a single locality, where peculiar conditions exist, the date 

 palm does not i-ipen its fruit freely in the coast region. Nor is the 

 high plateau, with its cold winters, adapted to this tree. The true 

 home of the palm is the desert region, particularly the low, eastern 

 part. (See Pis. 1 and III.) In the oases of the Oued Rirh district the 

 finest varieties of dates— notably the celebrated Deglet Noor— reach 

 the acme of their development. 



The environment in which the date flourishes is a peculiar one. It 

 I can not grow in the dry desert if the ground water is l)eyond the reach 

 of its roots unless it is copiously irrigated. To ripen the fruit of the 

 best varieties, frequent sunmier temperatures of 105° to 110° F., 

 together with a very dry atmosphere and a very small rainfall, espe- 

 cially in the autumn, appear to be necessary. It is obvious that this 

 combination of conditions is not to be met with everywhere. The 

 area which possesses the needed climatic requirements is almost limit- 

 less, but an abundant supply of water for natural or artificial irriga- 

 tion is of rare occurrence in the desert. 



There are a o-i eat number of varieties of the date palm in the oases of 

 Algeria— probalily at least 15(). These are usually easily distinguished 

 by the character of the fruit, whether long or short, thick or thin, 

 light or dark, with a large or small stone, etc. One of the couunonest 

 types is Khars, an early-ripening- soft, sweet date not suita])le for 

 exportation, but very popular among the inhal)itants of the Sahara. 

 Dates of this kind are either eaten fresh or, pressed into a compact 

 mass, are stored and carried from place to place, usually in leather 

 bags. The Deglet Noor is the date which is most extensively grown 

 for the European trade. Put up in small wooden boxes, with the 

 dates attached to the branch upon which they grew, this fruit bears 

 shipment admirably, retaining without difficulty its shape and firm 

 texture. It is one of the finest of table dates, not only because of its 

 flavor but for the reason that it is clean and easily handled. The fine 

 color and the transparency of the flesh add further to its attractive- 

 ness. During the last two decades the two French companies that are 



a For a full discussion of this interesting sul)ject by Mr. W. T. Swingle, see the 

 Yearbook of the United States Department of Agriculture for 1900, p. 453, and 

 Bulletin No. 53 of the Bureau of Plant Industry, 1904. 



