PROPAGATION BY SEEDS. 



85 



firmly established and will require water less often, the number 

 of waterings depending on the character of soil, the amount 

 of surface hoeing or mulching done, the climate, the height 

 of the permanent water table or the amount of percolation 

 of water if near a river, canal or other body of water (see also 

 page 73, para. 38). 



50. In Basra the Arabs like to plant date off-shoots in 

 Water require- spring when the wheat ripens and thev consider 



ments of young plan- 

 tations in Basra. the following waterings necessary : 



(a) First 40 days after planting one watering daily. 

 (6) Next 40 days one watering every alternate day. -. 



(c) Then one watering every 4 days till end of November. 



(d) One watering per week in December, January and 



February . 



(e) One watering every 4 days during the hot weather. 

 (/) Then once in 10 to 14 days. 



(cj) After two hot seasons and one winter the trees are 



\y / 



established and require a watering once in 15 to 30 

 days. 



51. If off-shoots are planted in spring in Multan or 

 The effects of neighbouring districts, the above waterings as far 



younj g ^ntatlon as ( e ) would probably be fairly suitable for them 

 to dry up. a j go y an( j g wou \^ depend on the depth of the 



subsoil water table (see page 73, para. 38). Up to the time the 

 off-shoots have developed the first few well grown leaves they 

 require the most careful and constant attention. If the soil in the 

 basins around the plants has been allowed to dry up once during 

 that time, the death-rate among the plants may be many times 

 multiplied. A remarkably long time elapses before a palm shows 

 very obvious signs of the damage done to it by \vant of water and 

 it frequently happens that -the soil has been, kept in excellent 

 condition as regards water for months after the time it was 

 allowed to dry up, before the plant actually withers up completely. 

 The very small proportion of parenchymatous (soft thin walled) 

 tissue in the leaf- blade ; its excessively strong framework of scle- 

 renchyma (hard fibrous tissue) and the thick strong cuticle (skin) 



