STATUS OF DATE CULTURE IN SOUTHWESTERN STATES. 7 



bearing trees, and also in giving rise to a very small percentage of new 

 valuable varieties. Seedling dates, if grown alone, are not adapted 

 to commercial cidture but should be grown along with orchard 

 plantings of standard varieties, winch alone can be cured, packed, 

 and marketed efficiently. 



Extensive plantings of seedling dates alone should be made only by 

 those, having capital enough to afford to carry the plantation for a 

 king time without profit. Nom-esident mvestors should beware of 

 seedling date culture as a commercial proposition. 



The necessity of calling attention to the danger of loss thi'ough 

 plantmg inadequately tested date varieties or large-scale plantmg of 

 seedling dates must not be allowed to obscure the fact that there is a 

 prospect and a bright one for the establishment of a new and profit- 

 able orchard crop. Indeed, the present warmng has been rendered 

 necessary by the very fact that date growuig offers very unusual ad- 

 vantages to farmers residhig in certain valleys of the Southwest 

 and makhig a living by the culture of other crops, which has led to 

 hopes, for the most part unwarranted, on the part of nom-esidents 

 to secure large profits by engagmg in this industry, about which they 

 know little except through biased accounts issued by promoters. 

 The attempt by nom^esidents to reap anything like the same advan- 

 tages from date culture is very likely to lead to disappointment and 

 failure and so tend to discredit a promishig uew fruit industry. 



[Cir. 129J 



