PROPAGATION BY SfcfcDS. 9l 



How far this tendency of the younger parts of date stems 

 to form suckers and roots when in continued damp conditions, 

 after the older more basal parts have ceased to do so, can be made 

 real practical use of to get suckers from old trees, to save trees 

 which have been uprooted by river floods, etc., is being further 

 investigated. 



57. As has already been explained in paragraph 38 



(page 73) the number of waterings required by 



Water require- . . 



ments of adult adult date trees varies with the height of the 

 permanent water table, the amount of percolation, 

 the character of the soil, climatic conditions, etc., so that no 

 general rule can be given with regard to the amount of water -to 

 be applied artificially. It is, however, agreed that the palm 

 requires more water in the fruit-developing period than it does 

 at other times of the year. When the plants are artificially 

 watered here, they should receive liberal supplies between the 

 1st May and the time when the fruits stop developing in July 

 or August. At the flowering time no water, as a rule, is recom- 

 mended, as it is believed that an excess of water at that time 

 prevents the proper setting of the fruit. The main aim in watering 

 adult date palms should be to give abundant water in the fruit- 

 developing season and to keep the soil well aerated. Where the 

 plants are not growing in these conditions the crop of fruits will 

 be reduced, the size of the fruits will be smaller and their quality 

 inferior. (See also page 111, para. 84, and page 99, para. 72.) 



58. If no crops are grown between the trees, it would 

 Treatment of the s tiM be an advantage to irrigate the whole of the 



trees wherTno crops land ancl P lou g n > harrow, or otherwise stir its 

 are grown. surf ace up occasionally. If alkali is present, the 



occasional irrigations would prevent it collecting in great strength 

 on the surface of the land by washing it down and re-distributing 

 it in the soil, and the ploughings or hairowings would eradicate 

 weeds and retard evaporation. For crops grown between the trees 

 (see paragraph 46, page 83, and paragraph 53, page 87). When 

 salts accumulate at the soil surface in a plantation, these 

 should be scraped off and carted away (see page 19, para. 14) 



