THE DATE. 657 



In 1890 a large number of offsets from several of the best 

 varieties were imported by the Department of Agriculture 

 from Algeria and Cairo and distributed throughout New 

 Mexico, Arizona, and California. When these come to matur- 

 ity the question of adaptation will be more definitely settled. 

 In the date-producing countries of the East trees often begin 

 to bear at six or eight years of age, but specimens in the 

 Southern States frequently have not flowered until after fifteen 

 or twenty years. Like other palms, all of which are greatly 

 retarded by mutilation of their roots in transplanting, it is 

 best to remove the seedlings either while very young, so that 

 the roots may be preserved intact, or to defer the operation 

 until the tree has acquired considerable size, when the roots 

 may be cut closely, and the top shortened-in to a single leaf. 

 If freely watered, new roots will start at once. A better way 

 still is to plant several seeds where the tree is to grow, re- 

 moving all but the best one a few months after they have 

 germinated. Seeds of the imported dates sprout in five or 

 six weeks after being placed in the ground. 

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