80 THE DATE PALM. 



from Basra in one consignment in 1910 ; were of similar appearance 

 and size and have received the same water and other treatment 

 throughout, the only difference being that the land on which 

 the plant in illustration No. 25 is growing was trenched and 

 heavily manured about a year or more before the trees in that 

 plot were planted, while the land on which the plant shown 

 in illustration No. 25a is growing was not. The trees on the 

 trenched land have grown much faster and are now practi- 

 cally all in bearing many having borne two or three crops 

 of fruits of considerable weight while many of the trees on the 

 un trenched lands are just coming into bearing or are not yet 

 bearing. About T 9 oths of the crop got so far from the garden 

 have been got from the trees on the trenched area. 



41. Usually the off-shoot is not quite straight, but has a slight 

 curve on it. Date-growers usually plant the 

 Plant shoots he ff " off-shoots so that their tops lean very slightly 

 towards the south and the inner side of the curve 

 on the stem is in that direction. The off-shoot is placed in the 

 centre of the hole in the position above described, and the earth 

 is filled in and pressed fairly firmly around it. A basin is usually 

 made round the plant and a watering is given immediately. 

 The basin should be about 2| feet in diameter and the level 

 of its bottom should be 1 to Ij inches lower than the bottom 

 of the irrigation channel which runs into it so as to trap a small 

 pool of water round the tree and irrigate the soil properly there 

 (see illustration No. 26 opposite). The water in the pool should 

 disappear within 6 to 8 hours after the irrigation. In planting, 

 a very important point to notice is that the crown of the off-shoot 

 (i.e., the position from which the bud of very young leaves start) 

 is at least 1 or 2 inches above the level of the irrigation water. 

 If the crown is below this level the irrigation water will get into 

 and kill the plant by rotting out the young terminal bud. 

 Frequently the off -shoots and the soil around it sink considerably 

 after the first few irrigations owing to the earth settling more 

 compactly in the hole dug at planting time, and the crown of 

 the plant may then become covered with water at each irrigation. 



