DATE 



DATE 



967 



Arizona Station. Studies of conditions in the Saharan 

 region and the importation of varieties by the United 

 States Department of Agriculture, were made in 1899 

 and 1900. These results were set forth in Bulletin No. 



53 of the Bureau of Plant Industry, by Swingle. Sta- 

 tions for testing the introductions were provided by 

 Arizona in 1899, by California in 1904, and by Texas 

 in 1907. Subsequent large importations were made by 

 Fairchild and Kearney, as described in Bulletins Nos. 



54 and 92 of the Bureau of Plant Industry of the 

 national Department of Agriculture. 



Dates unquestionably can be grown profitably in 

 many of the hot dry irrigated valleys in the south- 

 western parts of the United States. The Salton Basin 

 in southern California promises particularly well for 

 date-culture because of the high temperature, and 

 here even the famous Deglet Noor date of the Sahara 

 will ripen fully, even in cool seasons. Considerable 

 attention is also being given to dates in the newly 

 developing Imperial Valley. In northern California, 

 the date can undoubtedly be grown for home use in 

 many regions, even north of San Francisco; it finds 

 good conditions for commercial culture in parts of 

 Arizona; and there are probably adaptable regions in 

 Texas. The date can endure more alkali than any 

 other profitable fruit crop, and this fact will extend 

 the range of its usefulness. When once well established, 

 brief temperatures as low as 10 F. do not do serious 

 harm to date palms. 



While date trees have been grown in the United 

 States and Mexico for certainly more than a century, 

 and while much fruit has been produced incidentally 

 here and there, largely as a by-product, nevertheless 

 date-growing on a commercial scale is yet a new and 

 experimental industry in this country. Although it 

 promises well, the business requires experience and 

 skill, and it must be established only in those regions 

 which are particularly adapted to it, especially those 

 that have an extremely hot summer climate. As yet, 

 the returns from date-culture are almost impossible 

 of determination. As nearly always happens with new 

 and promising industries, doubtful claims have been 

 made for profits of date-culture by interested parties. 

 It must be borne in mind that practically all the varie- 

 ties now recommended for commercial cultivation 

 in this country are of Old World origin. Although many 

 seedlings are being raised, it is yet too early to desig- 

 nate any one of them as superior for general orchard 

 planting. It is advisable that in the regions in Cali- 

 fornia and Arizona, and elsewhere, that are adapted to 

 dates, numbers of seedlings should be raised from the 

 best varieties, care being taken that they have been 

 pollinated from the best males; in this way the chance 

 will be increased of originating varieties that are 

 especially adapted to the region. The business must be 

 developed by residents and those who study the con- 

 ditions closely from year to year. 



According to Swingle, at present less than a dozen 

 varieties among the 200 or more on trial at the govern- 

 ment date-gardens in the Southwest can be said to be 

 well enough known to warrant planting on a commer- 

 i cial scale. The Deglet Noor and the Tazizaoot can be 

 " recommended for orchard planting in the Coachella 

 and Imperial Valleys of California; the Halawy, the 

 Khadrawy, the Maktoom, and the Hayany are prom- 

 ising for cooler regions, such as the Salt River Valley 

 of Arizona, and may be planted in the California 

 date regions on a scale not too large for the early 

 markets; the Rhars is excellent for home use as a 

 fresh date, but is of little commercial value; the Thoory 

 is a dry date of great promise, but it is as yet doubtful 

 whether dry dates can be marketed advantageously on 

 a large scale without an expensive publicity campaign. 

 To plant other varieties that are new or inadequately 

 tested, involves a considerable element of risk. The 

 fact that they appear satisfactory in the Old World 



deserts is no guarantee that they will grow, bear, and 

 ripen fruit properly in the Southwest or that their fruit 

 will prove acceptable to American buyers. Any plant- 

 ing of a variety on a large scale before it has been 

 thoroughly tested must be considered as a speculation. 

 It would be much safer for those who expect to grow 

 dates on a commercial scale to limit themselves at first 

 to those varieties that have been tested by public and 

 private agencies, and to learn all phases of the culture, 

 curing, packing, and marketing of the fruit of one 

 or more of the standard varieties. This is the best 

 possible preparation for the efficient culture of new sorts 

 when they have been sufficiently tested in the govern- 

 ment or other adequately supervised testing-gardens to 

 render it desirable to test them on a commercial scale 



1223. Young date palm, with growing suckers or offshoots. 



in private culture. The government, through the 

 Department of Agriculture, has taken special pains to 

 safeguard the young industry. 



Propagation. 



It is always preferable to propagate dates from 

 suckers unless one desires to originate new varieties, 

 not only on account of the knowledge of the sex (it 

 being hardly necessary to state that the sex of a sucker 

 is the same as that of the plant from which it is taken), 

 but on account of the ability to make a selection in 

 the variety and quality of the fruit. 



Dates are easily grown from seed if the ovules 

 have been properly pollinated. Seeds may be planted 

 in any month immediately after they are taken from 

 the fruit, particularly in the mild climates of the 

 Salton Basin, Lower Colorado Valley, and Salt River 

 Valley. Unless the conditions are good, however, it 

 is better to stratify them in a box between layers of 

 moist sand and allow them to remain for three to six 

 weeks in order that the seed-coats may be softened. 

 It is important, however, that in the stratifying-box 

 the seeds do not sprout, as they are easily damaged 

 after sprouting takes place. The seed may be sown in 

 nursery rows and the young seedlings transplanted 

 after one, two or three years; or if the field is well 

 prepared, and has good irrigation, the seed may be 

 planted directly in the fields where the palms are 

 permanently to remain. If they are placed directly 

 in the field, it is well to plant them in rows 25 to 

 30 feet apart and to allow the young plants to stand 



