vin DATES IN NORTH AMERICA 89 



In the next two chapters we shall consider how 

 the Americans have had to toil in order to introduce 

 dates and figs into North America. 



CHAPTER VIII 



INTRODUCING DATES INTO NORTH AMERICA 



THE Arabs grow dates so well and make so much 

 use of them that the idea of introducing the date- 

 palm into other countries with a suitable climate 

 has naturally occurred to many people. So far as 

 regards the Old World, however, it is remarkable 

 that, ancient as is the cultivation of the date-palm, 

 the area over which it is grown with success has 

 always been limited. Thus, at different times, date- 

 palms have been taken to China, a country of very 

 skilful cultivators, but it has never been grown 

 there on a large scale, and is not grown at all now. 

 It was introduced by the Moors into Spain, but the 

 date-palms of Spain are not to be compared with 

 those of North Africa. Perhaps this is in part due 

 to the fact that the date-palm is very particular as 

 to climate, but it must also in part be due to the 

 fact that it is difficult to grow. 



The people round the eastern and southern parts 



