University of Arizona 



309 



DATE PROPAGATION 



The results secured in the propagation of the date, have not 

 been as satisfactory as was anticipated, and the matter has become 

 the subject of further investigation. The off-shoots placed in the 

 propagating house at the Yuma Date Orchard and Horticultural 

 Station in the summer of 1917 were a complete failure but this can, 

 however, be attributed to soil conditions. The soil being heavy and 

 not well drained it remained cool, whereas the temperature during 

 summer was very high, making extremely adverse conditions for 

 root development. In the summer of 1918 this house was removed 

 to a location where the soil is sandy and well drained, and as a result 

 the off-shoots arc rooting satisfactorily. A careful examination in 

 the latter part of November showed that out of 237 oft'-shoots placed 

 in the house only }>7 failed to show evidence of growth. Several indi- 

 v^iduals were observed as having developed a good root system, 

 whereas suckers on the outside of the house, although alive, showed 

 no signs of root formation. In the case of suckers placed in an ordi- 

 nary cutting bench in the green house, where there was a daily 

 range of temperature from 90 to 114 degrees, roots two to four 

 inches long were formed in six weeks. 



Following is a summary of the temperature of the atmosphere 

 and soil inside the date propagating house at the Yuma Date 

 Orchard and Horticultural Station as compared with the outside 

 temperature during the months of August, September, October, and 

 November — readings made daily at 12:30 P. M. 



TABLE III. AIR AND SOIL TEMPERATURE IN' DATE PROPAGATING 



HOUSE, YUMA 

 Temp, inside propagating house 1 Temp, outside propagating houat 



Month 



Atmospliere 



Soil 



August . . 

 September 

 October . . 

 November 



Degrees Fahr. 



115 

 110 



97 



79 



Degrees Fahr. 



90 

 86 

 73 



59 



Atmosphere 

 Degrees Fahr. 



103 

 100 



90 



72 



Soil 



Degrees Fahr. 



84 

 83 

 74 

 61 



It will be remembered that while a large number of off-shoots 

 on the inside of the propagating house had rooted by November 

 there was no sign of root development in the case of those planted 

 in an open bed on the outside. 



OLERICULTURE 



Attention was given during the past year to the maintenance 

 of an all-the-vear familv garden at the Yuma Date Orchard and 



