70 THE DATE PALM. 



34. When suckers are transported long distances and a 

 Care of off-shoots considerable time elapses before they can be 

 parenfc rem tr v c a e untu Panted, it is imperative that their leaf systems 

 planted - should be severely cut back. It is also advisable 



to coat the bases of the plants with mud and cover them 

 with palm fibre, grass and straw, or matting, leaving the crown 

 of the off-shoot exposed. The palm fibre, etc., should be kept 

 damp by occasional sprinkling with water. The water must 

 be applied lightly, otherwise the mud tends to be washed off 

 the palms. The mud used should have rather more sand than 

 clay in it, and should be about as thick as cream when applied. 

 The coating is done in a box or in a hole in the ground which 

 should be at least 6 inches wider than the diameter of the 

 largest sucker and 6 inches deeper than the largest base to be 

 coated. The box or hole is filled with mud and a sucker is placed 

 into it and withdrawn. It is then immediately bound in wet 

 fibre, straw, etc. If many trees are to be treated a larger hole 

 is much better, as it has to be re-filled with mud less frequently. 

 Care is taken not to admit the mud into the crown of the plant. 

 This process is called '' puddling " by gardeners. Suckers 

 have been known to keep healthy for about thre'e months when 

 treated in this manner. (Gaskin.) The bases of the off-shoots 

 may be simply bound up with a covering of palm fibre to protect 

 them during transport to where they are to be transplanted. 

 More frequently no packing of any sort is done. Whether the 

 plants are to be specially packed or not, it is very important 

 that their lower ends not higher than the base of the central bud 

 should be placed in water on the same day as they are removed 

 from the parent tree. They should be left there until the moment 

 for packing or transport has arrived. Also as soon as they 

 arrive at their destination they should again be similarly placed 

 in w r ater. If the off-shoots are strong and they are kept in water 

 in this way, or are kept damp, little harm seems to happen to 

 them if they are not planted for a month. We have repeatedly 

 had off-shoots sent here from Basra which on being cut from their 

 parents were stood in water till ready for transport ; were sent 

 without any packing the journey occupying about 10 days ; 



