320 CALIFORNIA FRUITS I HOW TO GROW THEM 



Institute Fair, in San Francisco, in September, 1877. The fruit was 

 grown on the south bank of Putah Creek, the northern boundary of 

 Solano County, the situation being slightly above the level of the plain 

 of the Sacramento Valley, which lies east of it. The plants were grown 

 by the late J. R. Wolfskill, from seed of commercial dates purchased in 

 San Francisco, and planted in 1858 or 1859. The seed germinated 

 readily, and the young plants were set out in a row about one hundred 

 feet south of Putah Creek, on a rich, fine, sandy loam lying about 

 twenty-five feet above the bed of the creek. The plants received good 

 cultivation but no irrigation. This treatment was combined after the 

 property passed into the hands of the late S. C. Wolfskill, the plants 

 being allowed to remain in the row as originally planted, and they have 

 attained great size, considering their crowded condition. 



Another bearing date palm stands about a mile eastward of the 

 situation just described, near the residence of the late J. R. Wolfskill. 

 It was grown from seed of the date of commerce, which was planted in 

 1863, and the tree bore its first fruit in 1880. Near it stands a taller 

 date palm, which bears staminate bloom. This latter tree was originally 

 one of the row previously described, and was successfully moved to its 

 present situation after attaining considerable size. 



The fruit of the two bearing palms differs notably in appearance. 

 That of the first mentioned tree is of bright yellow color and angular 

 outline ; that of the second tree is wine red, with smooth surface. 



During recent years the date has fruited at many places in California 

 and Arizona. There is little doubt that it will succeed in any of the in- 

 terior regions which have a sufficiently high summer temperature, and 

 even the so-called Colorado Desert may be dotted with groves of date 

 palms as portions of it now are with groves of the majestic fan palm 

 of California. 



Soils and Waters for the Date. Until recently the date palm 

 has only been planted on good orchard land, but, according to experi- 

 ence in date-growing countries, the tree does not require rich soil, but 

 on the contrary, will thrive in a soil poor in humus too poor and too 

 purely mineral for any other fruit tree ; and it produces the finest and 

 best flavored dates, nourished by water too alkaline for man and beast 

 to drink. These observations warrant the trials of the tree which are 

 now being made in situations not adapted to other fruits. 



PROPAGATION OF THE DATE 



The date palm grows readily from the seeds of the dried date of 

 commerce, and, as has been intimated, the trees now fruiting in this 

 State have been obtained in this way. By the use of seed one gets, 

 however, only seedlings, and the chance of thus securing a really fine 

 variety is probably not greater than with other fruit tree seedlings. In 

 date-growing countries the best varieties are propagated by rooting the 

 off-sets, sprouts, or suckers which appear at the base of the old palms, 

 To secure the best foreign varieties such plants must be imported. The 

 first successful enterprise of this kind was accomplished in the summer 



