ILLUSTRATIONS 



Fifty-Three Pounds of Dates Frontispiece 



Egyptian Dates in Arizona 33 



After a Hard Freeze 37 



Setting Out Offshoots 41 



Seedungs in California 45 



Painting Offshoot Bases 49 



Baghdad Date Grower 57 



Wrapping Offshoots for Shipment 65 



Trimming Offshoot Bases 73 



Loading Offshoots on Tigris River 81 



Nursery of 13,000 Offshoots 89 



Protection for Offshoots 97 



Offshoots Ready for Shipment 105 



Buying Offshoots ev the Sahara 113 



Nomads Encamped by a Clump of Palms 1 21 



Eight- Year-Old Deglet Nur 1 29 



Flowers of the Palm 137 



Protection from Insects 145 



Disinfecting Offshoots 153 



To Insure a Good Crop 1 61 



Ravages of Palm Borer 1 69 



Curing Dates on Housetop 1 77 



