872 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



arc as early varieties as will i)r()ve jjeiieraily i)r(ilital>le in the State when planted in 

 sliiiipin*.' ()iiantities. The cliief (h'maii<l at the present time in Arkansas seems to be 

 for yellow free-stone jteaches. Tlie varieties of peaches that liave proved profitable 

 lor shipi)inj; are in order of commereial valne Ell)erta, Salway, Mountain Rose, 

 Emma, Family Favorite, and Heath Clinj;. Detailed direetions are given for the 

 loeation of i)eai'h (inliards, and the i)lantin>;, <rr<>win,<r, liarvestin<r, an<l marketing of 

 the fruit. 



llelalive to the root i)runin<; of young trees at transplanting, the author states that 

 as a result of trials, close root pruning, such as is observed in the Stringfellow method, 

 has proved less satisfactory at the station than planting with only moderate pruning 

 of the roots. 



A lesson in pollination, C. G. r.\TTE.v ( Tnois. Joira Hurl. Soc.,SS {190.i),])j). S7'2- 

 374). — Pollen of Winter Nellis pears was put up by the author in California, shipped 

 to Iowa, and used to fertilize blossoms of Keiffer pears about 30 days later. The 

 I»ollen was spread out on unprinted paper as soon as gathered, and placed in a 

 darkened corner of a room near a stove, where it was left until fully ripened and 

 dried. This required about 35 hours. It was then placed in several envelopes to 

 exclude the air, and shipped. The blossoms of the Keiffer pears fertilized with this 

 pollen were the only ones that matured fruit on the tree during the season. 



The Calimyrna fig, CI. C. Roeding {Pacific Rural PrcsK, 67 {1904), -Ao. G,])- ^'<4)-— 

 The author states that the California crop of Calimyrna figs in 1903 was 65 tons. 

 The cost of distributing Capri figs throughout the orchards for the purpose of polli- 

 nating the Smyrna figs was $1.15 per acre. The cost of drying and handling the 

 Smyrna figs is stated to be considerably less than that required for Adriatic figs. The 

 ojiening prices for dried Adriatics in 1903 was 3i cts. jjer lb., while that for Calimyrna 

 figs was 6 cts. per lb. The top grafting of California Adriatic figs with Smyrna 

 varieties is recommended. 



The date-palm orchard, R. II. Forbes {Arizona Sta. Rpt. 1903, pp. 324-32S, figs. 

 2). — A further report of progress is given on the condition of the date-palm orchard 

 up to July, 1903 (E. S. R., 14, p. 761). During the year the number of new suckers 

 increased from 321 to 422, 60 trees blossomed, and the 4 varieties, Rhars, Deglet 

 Noor, Amari, and Arechti fruited. The Rhars variety produced the ])ulk of the 

 crop, whicli began to ripen August 30 and matured mostly ])etween October 1 and 

 10. This appears to be a soft date of good flavor, but required drying to about 85 

 per cent of its original weight in order to keep and handle well. This may be done 

 either artificially or in dry, quiet weather on the tree. It is now thought probable 

 that the Deglet Noor variety will not ripen in the Salt River Valley. 



The Amari variety has proved to be a small, dark date of very ordinary (juality. 

 About 60 per cent of the importations from Arabia and Beluchistan in June, 1902, 

 have died and it is thought that about 10 per cent more will be lost. This heavy 

 loss is bt'lieved to be due to the small size of the suckers imported. They averaged 

 only 5 lbs. in weight, and it is believed tliat 30 lbs. is about the weight best suited 

 f(jr importation, combining economy in freight with a high-growing percentage. 



In a sunnnary of all the work thus far done at the station with imported dates, it 

 is shown that 41 ])er cent of all the trees imported have been lost. Specimens of 68 

 varieties are now growing on the station grounds. The losses from a commercial 

 point of view are heavy. On the basis of the station work it has cost, under favor- 

 able circumstances, not less than $4 each to deliver 25-lb. suckers from Africa to the 

 station. On account of this excessive cost it is believed that many growers will 

 prefer to plant seeds in the expectation of obtaining a small percentage of good fruit- 

 bearing jialms. Relative to the growing of palms from seed, the author states that 

 "the seeds may be made to grow promptly by first stratifying them for 3 or 4 

 months. This con.sists in burying them under about 20 in. of well-drained moist 

 sand or sandy soil, and keeping them moist for the time stated. They will then be 



