HORTICULTURE. 1079 



unless there are layers iii the soil with less than 0.6 i)er cent of alkali. The snrfaee 

 soil may, however, be very iniuli more salty and may even be covered with a tiiick 

 eriist of alkali, ll is prol>able that amounts of alkali below 0.5 per cent of the weight 

 of the soil exert no a])i)reciable injurious influence on the date ijalm." So far as 

 known, the date i)alm is more resistant to alkali than any other crop plant. 



The Colorado Desert, or Salton Basin, is believed to be peculiarly adapted to 

 date culture as it has a hotter, drier climate even than the Algerian and Tunisian 

 Sahara, where the famous Deglet Noor, the most highly valued variety of date palm 

 flourishes. The soil is also more fertile and the irrigation water of better quality. 

 The Deglet Noor is a long-season variety, and the Salton Basin would appear to be 

 about the only place in the United States where this variety can be successfully 

 grown on a commercial scale. Many other earlier and mid-season varieties can be 

 successfully grown in other regions of the Southwest and suital)le locations for these 

 sorts in California, Nevada, Arizona, New^ ^Mexico, and Texas are described in detail. 



It is believed that there would be considerable profit in the culture of the date 

 palm, particularly of the better varieties, and that little competition, if any, might be 

 expected from jNIexico, since in no place in Mexico or in the world, so far as known, 

 are the conditions so favorable for date-palm culture, particularly of the Deglet Noor 

 variety, as in the Salton Basin. 



Relative to the culture of second-class dates and the ordinary dates of commerce, 

 the author summarizes as follows: "It is very probal)le that the culture of the best 

 second-class dates, suitable for employment in confectionery and for household uses, 

 will prove a profitable industry in the Salt River Valley, Arizona, and it is possible 

 that the Deglet Noor variety may mature there. Even the growing of ordinary sorts 

 such as the oriental dates, which are imported into this country in enormous quanti- 

 ties, may pay in some favored regions, such as the flood plain of the Colorado River 

 in Arizona and Calfornia, where exuberantly fertile lands can be had cheaply, and 

 where the annual overflow and seepage from the river render artificial irrigation 

 unnecessary. Although date palms are likely to be grown first on soils too alkaline 

 for other crops, the culture of the finer sorts promises to be a most profitable fruit 

 industry that would warrant planting on the very best lands and the employment of 

 the most modern horticultural methods." 



The bulletin is accompanied by a notable collection of illustrations showing differ- 

 ent phases of date culture. 



Persian Gulf dates and their introduction into America, D. Cf. Fairchild 

 ( [/. (S'. Dept. Agr., Bureau of Plant Industry Bui. 54, pp- 30, pU. 4). — An account is 

 given of the date industry about the Persian Gulf, including soil, climate, irrigation, 

 descriptions of a number of the better varieties in the different date-producing dis- 

 tricts, notes on the date as food, etc. In connection with the discussion on the varie- 

 ties of dates their possible value for American conditions is jiointed out. 



Ripening persimmons {Florida Agr.; abs. in Queensland Agr. Jour., 14 {1904), 

 No. 3, p. IS'!). — A method which has been found successful is here given for the 

 hastening of the ripening of persimmons. In the exi)eriment recorded the fruit of 

 20 red persnnmons on a tree of 40 was punctured to the center about the middle of 

 Octol)er by the big blade of a j^ocketknife. Within 8 or 10 days all the j)unctured 

 persimmons were ripe while the other 20 persimmons on the tree were still red and 

 hard. The puncturing of the fruit did not affect the taste or shipping quality, as the 

 wound made soon closed up. 



French. V. American prunes and cherries, A. W. Touroke {U. S. Dept. Com. 

 and Labor, Mo. Consular R/)ls., 7.'j {1004), No. 2S4, pp. 352, 353). — The French prune 

 and ciierry industry is briefly spoken ot and the manufacture of brandied cherries 

 and maraschino cherries is described. 



Tests of small fruits, J. Troop {Indiana Sla. Bui. 99, pp. 61-6S) .—From 100 to 

 150 varieties of small fruits have been grown annually at the station dunng the past 

 15 years. From the data thus accumulated notes are given on a number of the 



