University of Arizona 349 



house to house 2)cddhnij in nearby towns. During the past year 

 over $6000 without soHciting have been received for the product 

 of pahiis that could have been placed on about four acres. After 

 paying liberal wages and other operating expenses, exclusive of the 

 foreman's salary, a net profit of 'lO or 50 per cent on the gross sales 

 will be realized. Had the usual business policy of selling for 

 all the market would bear been followed, the gross sales 

 probably would have reached $10,000. The policy followed, how- 

 ever, has been to maintain a uniform, fair price, estimated safely 

 to cover expenses, and limit sales to the individual. A part of 

 the crop has been marketed in the east to introduce the product and 

 create a market for future growers. The immediate vicinity would 

 have consumed the crop many times over at even higher prices, 

 had limitations not been placed on sales to the individual. The 

 Experiment Station has proven at least some of the varieties that 

 are successful in Arizona ; climatic difficulties have been overcome 

 to the extent that losses due to this cause are almost negligible ; 

 and a market has been made that will take the output of a large 

 acreage at profitable prices. Fresh soft dates, such as Hayany, 

 Rhars, Tadala, and similar varieties, promise to become a staple 

 food as soon as they can be supplied in quantity, and may be carried 

 for months in dry cold storage without serious deterioration in 

 quality. Culls and stock that have been damaged for the fresh date 

 trade by weather conditions can be processed quickly for ordinary 

 commercial dried dates. The close of the war should mark the im- 

 portation of large numbers of Hayany offshoots from Egypt, and 

 the establishment of the date industry in Arizona on a firm basis. 



EDUCATIONAL AND EXTENSION WORK 



Altho the department is not identified with the Extension 

 Service, a large amount of correspondence regarding soils and irri- 

 gating waters is necessarily carried on with the farmers of the 

 State. These demands, as previously mentioned, often require 

 much analytical work. In February and March a four weeks' short 

 course for farmers was given, during which the Chemist conducted 

 a class in soils for two periods each week. A correspondence course 

 in soil physics is being given. In the College of Agriculture the 

 Chemist has conducted classes in soil physics and soil fertility. A 

 laboratory course in agricultural chemical analysis is also offered, 

 but due to temporary disarrangements has not been given. Two 

 new courses in household chemistry for young women in Home 



