268 Bulletin 38. 



It seems to be now fairly well established that dates of good 

 quality and in commercial quantities can be produced in the warmer 

 parts of Arizona. During the past year, three imported trees at 

 the Experiment Station farm near Phoenix bore over 500 pounds, 

 the fruit ripening between August and January. The portion 

 placed upon the market sold at 25 cents per pound wholesale, at 

 Phoenix. Thousands of pounds could have been sold at this price. 

 Packed in neat labeled boxes, they retailed at 50 to 70 cents per 

 pound. 



The seedling date trees in various parts of the Territory bore 

 last year 40 to 200 pounds per tree. Those of a good quality sold 

 for 25 cents a pound wholesale, at Phoenix. For some years yet, 

 the principal part of the dates grown in the region will be on seed- 

 ling trees. 



To secure the setting of the fruit of date trees and to bring it 

 to maturity, it is important that certain precautions be exercised. 

 To begin with the winter season, trees should be permitted to re- 

 main without water and to keep as nearly dormant as possible 

 during the coolest months, that they may be subjected to the 

 danger of frost as little as possible. About the first of March ir- 

 rigation may begin, water being applied copiously until the trees 

 bloom. An abundance of water about the roots is said to stimu- 

 late blossoming. When they have put forth their cluster of blos- 

 soms, water should be withheld until the fruit has set. 



In order to bring about the setting of the fruit, it is essential 

 that the female blossoms be pollenated. Date trees, unlike most 

 other fruit trees, bear the two essential parts of the flowers on dif- 

 ferent trees. Hence it is necessary either that pollen-bearing trees 

 be grown near fruit-bearing trees, or that pollen be brought to the 

 latter. Last year a large quantity of dates failed to fill out prop- 

 erly because of a want of information on this point, or because of 

 the inability of the owners of the trees to secure pollen at the 

 proper time. If pollen-bearing trees do not grow within 30 or 40 

 feet of fruit-bearing ones, it will be necessary to cut away clusters 

 of the pollen-bearing flowers and hang them in the fruit-bearing 

 trees. This must be done very soon after the female flowers ap- 

 pear, or it will be too late for fertilization to take place. If pollen- 

 ated too late, the result often is the development of a few of the 



