460 



DATE 



DATURA 



they are to remain, as a second chance for loss occurs 

 when they are planted in a nursery and later moved to 

 the position that they are finally to occupy. A 2-inch 

 chisel, well sharpened, and an appropriate mallet are 

 the important tools to use in removing suckers. The 

 leafstalks should be cut away, exposing the bulb of the 

 sucker, care being taken not to injure the bulb in re- 

 moving. One should cut in rather deeply at either side, 

 not being afraid of injuring the old plant, cutting out a 

 V-shaped portion extending from the base of the bulb 

 downward for a foot or more, and being careful to se- 

 cure in uninjured condition all the attached roots. If 

 the position of the sucker be not too high above the 

 ground the V-shaped portion should be continued down- 

 ward into the soil, that all established roots be obtained. 



Under proper cultivation the Date palm should pro- 

 duce from 10 to 14 leaves each year. A well developed 

 tree will have at one time from 30 to 60 leaves, the old 

 ones dying away below while new ones are forming at 

 the top. The different varieties show great variation in 

 rapidity of growth, form and length of leaves, size of 

 stem, and general aspect of plant. The stem of the 

 Date palm is very elastic, and when it reaches a height 

 of 10 or more feet it is frequently necessary to tie the 

 growing bunches of Dates securely to the lower leaf- 

 stalks, that they be not broken and injured by the wind 

 before maturity. 



For further information, consult Bull. 29, Arizona 

 Ex P- Sta. j. w. TOUMEY. 



A successful method of propagation of Date trees is 

 to bank up earth about the base of the parent tree and 

 above the base of the suckers, and keep moist by wa- 

 tering daily to induce formation of roots. Suckers may be 

 partially severed from the old stock before the banking 

 is done, or after the roots have started. When the roots 

 are well grown, the suckers may be transplanted with 

 little loss. 



For purposes of pollination the Arabs usually plant 

 about one male tree to 25 female or fruit-bearing trees. 

 In order to secure perfect pollination, they cut sprays 

 of male blossoms, when the pollen is in the best condi- 

 tion, and tie them to the leaf -stems above the pistillate 

 flowers at the time they are opening. If this were done 

 in cases where isolated female Date trees are growing 

 in America, there would be much perfect and delicious 

 fruit where now there is that which is worthless, be- 

 cause of the lack of pollination. 



In the earlier importations the agents were imposed 

 upon by either ignorant or designing natives of Egypt, 

 by sending seedlings instead of rooted suckers, which 

 were specifically ordered. The varieties from Algeria 

 and Arabia were suckers from the best varieties, but un- 

 fortunately, most of them have died. At least two are 

 yet living at the Calif ornia Experiment Station atTulare. 

 This year, 1899, the Department of Agriculture at Wash- 

 ington has succeeded in importing, through a special 

 agent sent to Algeria, a number of suckers from the best 

 bearing trees in that country, and further efforts are be- 

 ing made to secure more plants from there, and from 

 other famous Date-growing countries. 



H. E. VAN DEMAN. 



DATE PLUM. Another name of Persimmon. 



DATURA (Arabic name). Includes Brugmansia. 

 Solanacece. This genus contains the widespread James- 

 town Weed and several plants cultivated for their 

 huge trumpet-like flowers, which have an odor that is 

 very pleasant to some. The genus has perhaps 25 

 species, widely dispersed in warm and temperate re- 

 gions. Herbs, shrubs and trees : Ivs. large, entire or 

 wavy-toothed: fls. large, solitary, erect or pendulous, 

 mostly white, with more or less violet, rarely red or 

 yellow: fr. spiny. The most popular kind in northern 

 gardens is commonly called D. cornucopia (Fig. 681), 

 which is especially interesting when its flowers develop 

 2 or 3 well-defined trumpets, one within another. Some- 

 times, however, these double flowers are a confused 

 mass of petalage. Double and triple forms are likely to 

 occur in any of the species described below. The Horn 

 of Plenty, D. cornucopia, has been especially popular 

 in America since about 1895, when it was found in South 

 America by an orchid collector of the United States 



Nursery Company, and soon became widely distributed 

 in "yellow, white, blue and deep carmine," all double 

 forms. The "yellow" was probably a dull, creamy shade, 

 and the "blue," a violet. The disseminators assert 

 that seeds started in January, February or March will 

 produce 200-300 fragrant flowers in a season. 



Daturas contain strong narcotics. Large doses are poi- 

 sonous, small doses medicinal. Separate preparations of 

 Stramonium seed and leaves are commonly sold in the 

 drug stores. D. Stramonium (Fig. 682) is the Thorn 

 Apple or Jamestown Weed, the latter name being cor- 

 rupted into Jimpson Weed. Its foul, rank herbage and 

 large spiny fruits are often seen in rubbish heaps. At 

 the first successful settlement in America Jamestown, 

 Va., 1607 it is said that the men ate these thorn apples 

 with curious results. Capt. John Smith's account of their 

 mad antics is very entertaining. It has been conjectured 

 that this same plant was used by the priests at Delphi to 

 produce oracular ravings. The seeds of D. sangttinea 

 are said to have been used by Peruvian priests that were 

 believed to have prophetic power. The Arabs of central 

 Africa are said to smoke parts of the dried plant for 

 asthma and influenza. 



Daturas are of easy culture. Some are treated as 

 tender annuals. In the north the woody species can be 

 grown outdoors in summer, and stored in cellars during 

 the winter; in the south and in S. California they are 

 almost everblooming. Daturas are sometimes kept 

 in cool conservatories the year round, in which case 

 they should be planted in the border, as Daturas rarely 

 flower well in pots, their roots being large and spread- 

 ing and requiring a constant supply of moisture. This 

 method produces great quantities of bloom in spring. 

 After flowering, the plants should be cut in to the main 

 limbs, or a very straggling and unsightly growth will 

 result. 



A. Flowers red. 



sanguinea, Ruiz. & Pav. Tree-like shrub, 4-12 ft. high : 

 branches fragile, leafy at the apex: Ivs. clustered, 5-7 

 from the same point, ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, almost 

 7 in. long, 2K-2/4 in. wide, pubescent on both sides, 

 shining green above, paler beneath, the lower Ivs. wavy 

 or angled, upper one entire; petioles 2% in. long, chan- 

 neled, pubescent : peduncles terminal : fls. pendulous, 

 brilliant orange red, about 8 in. long; calyx ovate, 5- 

 angled, variegated, inflated. Peru. B.R. 20:1739. F.S. 

 18: 1883. Franceschi says it is more erect-growing 

 than D. cornigera and D. suaveolens, with smaller, less 

 open and not fragrant fls. All the other species are 

 said to be easily raised from cuttings, but this is very 

 slow to take root. 



681. A triple form of Datura fastuosa, commonly known 

 as D. cornucopia. 



AA. Flowers yellotc. 



chlorantha, Hook. Shrub, glabrous throughout: Ivs. 

 broadly ovate, almost triangular; margin wavy, with 

 short, rather sharp, very distinct teeth: peduncles axil- 

 lary, very short: fls. pendulous, yellow; calyx tubular, 

 with 5 nearly uniform, short, triangular teeth. Habitat 

 unknown. B.M. 5128. Gn. 46: 988 and 49, p. 379. -Datura 

 "Golden Queen" is presumably a horticultural variety 

 of this species. While this species is horticurally dis- 

 tinct by reason of its yellow fls., it is a very doubtful 



