THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



iarity of the date tree in their wars. One 

 tribe or band making a raid upon another, 

 if successful is almost sure to burn the 

 male date trees in order that no pollen 

 may be obtainable for the fructification of 

 flowers of the bearing trees, and by this 

 means the fruit supply is cut off and star- 

 vation, or at least the material reduction 

 of their food supply is certain. But in 

 order to prevent such a calamity, those 

 who are forsighted enough to do so. take 

 the male flowers when in proper condition, 

 wrap them up carefully in cloth or other 

 material which will protect them and bury 

 them in some secret place where they can 

 be dug up, dampened and used in case of 

 necessity. The pollen -thus kept in the 

 flowers retains its vitality for several 

 years, and it seems to us a remarkable 

 fact that the Arabs, whom we have often 

 considered unscientific people, have long 

 been able to take advantage of this. 



There are regions in Southern California 

 and Arizonia where the date can be grown 

 perhaps as well as anywhere in Europe. 

 Asia or Africa, and steps are being taken 

 to undertake its culture or an extensive 

 scale. Some twelve years ago when in the 

 government service in Washington City I 

 imported plants which were taken up as 

 suckers from some of the best bearing 

 trees in Algeria, Arabia and Egypt, and 

 had thpin planted near Phoenix, Arizona, 

 and in several places in California, where 

 they are now in bearing condition. This 

 is the only way in which the date can be 

 properly propagated, because to grow seed- 

 lings would be very uncertain as to which 

 sex would be produced, and the varieties 

 would not likely be of much value, as is 

 the case with seedlings of other kinds of 

 fruits. Bat when suckers or slips are 



taken from the base of bearing trees they 

 are sure to bear fruit of exactly the same 

 character as that grown upon the original 

 trees. This is the method always followed 

 in date growing regions. The United 

 States Department of Agriculture, under 

 its present able management by Secretary 

 Wilson and his assistants, is following up 

 this idea by importing thousands of small 

 plants from the regions just mentioned 

 and plantations are being established in 

 the arid regions of Arizonia and California. 

 The soil and climate best suited to date 

 trees are just such as are found in the 

 hottest parts of those states, where rain 

 rarely falls and where the soil is quite 

 sandy, with abundant opportunity to irri- 

 gate. The Arab saying that "the date 

 tree needs fire at the head and water at 

 the feet," which means that the climate 

 should be very hot and dry, but the soil 

 should be moist. 



Although a little fruit has been pro- 

 duced on trees in various parts of the sec- 

 tions mentioned, yet there has never been 

 any of it dried and packed until last year 

 at the Agricultural Experiment Station at 

 Phoenix, 'Arizona, where a number of 

 varieties were thus treated. There is a 

 case of this fruit now on exhibition in the 

 horticulteral building at the Pan American 

 Exposition, on the Arizona space, where 

 it may be seen. This marks a notable 

 event in date culture in the Western 

 Hemisphere. There 'is no good reason 

 why we should not produce in this country 

 all the dates which our people need, and it 

 is a matter of great satisfaction to those 

 who are interested in this line of work to 

 note the progress which is being made. 

 H. E. Van Deman. 



