74 THE DATE PALM. 



being nearly always submerged and the water standing to a depth 

 of several feet up their stems in summer. They bear most 

 miserable crops of fruits, while the date trees seen in the back- 

 ground of the photo., growing on land, the level of which is about 

 5 feet higher, bear passable crops. Adult palms appear to stand 

 the bases of their stems being flooded for considerable periods 

 however without much apparent harm. In parts of Egypt, for 

 example, water often to a depth of several feet stands round 

 the trees during September and October every year. Colonel 

 Scott-Moncrieff, E.E., Under -Secretary of State, Public Works 

 Department, Egypt, in a resume of. notes on Date Culture in Egypt, 

 writes : "Water may remain over the roots for 70 days, a longer 

 period will damage the produce " (vide letter dated 4th July 

 1 887, from Dr. Bonavia to the Secretary to Government, North- 

 West Provinces and Oudh). 



We usually find the roots of date trees descending into ordinary 

 loamy soils to a depth of 7 to 10 feet (see page 1, para. 2), 

 and if the land is not well drained naturally to about that depth, 

 this should be done artificially if practicable by means of open 

 ditches or by other means. Adult trees may be seen growing 

 luxuriantly without any irrigation where the subsoil water- 

 level is about 14 feet from the soil surface. Where the water- 

 level is at 20 feet depth and no artificial waterings are given, 

 the trees generally look more or less stunted and, although they 

 may exist, they do not bear their maximum crops of fruits. Where, 

 however, irrigations are given to trees in such situations, or where 

 the water-level is rather higher, there is the advantage that if the 

 irrigations are unavoidably or carelessly delayed, the trees will 

 suffer less than they would if the subsoil water was beyond the 

 reach of the roots altogether. 



Water in soaking into a soil which is not water -logged fills 

 up the interspaces between the earth's particles, displacing the 

 air from these, and as the liquid descends leaving these inter- 

 spaces again, fresh air from the atmosphere is drawn into them. 

 Fresh water also contains a certain amount of oxygen dissolved 

 in it. Water is therefore a powerful aerating agent, and 



