118 THE DATE PALM. 



also shown that the trees which bore fruits bore an average of 

 T30 Ib. of cured fruits per tree in the Multan garden and an 

 average of 413 Ib. per tree in that of MuzafTargarh. 



We expect the number of trees which bear fruits and the 

 amounts of fruits borne per tree to increase rapidly now until 

 the trees bear a full crop. Regarding adult plantations, it has 

 been already indicated that local Punjabi date trees generally get 

 no cultivation whatsoever except the removal of as many of the 

 old leaves as enable the people to get at the fruits or satisfy the 

 cultivators' wants. I, therefore, think that if date trees received 

 fair attention, we would be well within the mark if we assume 

 that the crop of green fruits per tree in these districts would be 

 20 to 30 seers, i.e., 12 to 18 seers of cured fruits vide para. 84, 

 page 111. 



If 139 good palms are planted per acre (trees 19 feet apart 

 in the rows, and the rows 16'4 feet apart see para. 39, page 77) 

 they are hand pollinated, 12 seers of cured fruits are got per tree, 

 and the value of the fruits is 1 anna per Ib. (see para. 97, page 142), 

 then allowing 4 male trees per acre, the gross income for fruits 

 would be Rs. 207-9-0 (13-16-9) and if 18 seers were got per tree, 

 the gross income would be Rs. 311-5-0 (20-15-1). We have 

 already seen in para. 86, page 115, that Muscat dates simply 

 packed in 1 Ib. cardboard boxes are selling in the Punjab at 

 annas 8 per Ib. ; that we could have sold all our 1915 crop of 

 fruits from the imported Arabian trees at Re. 0-10-0 per Ib., and 

 that Algerian dates packed in J Ib. packets in a way that will 

 preserve them for more than a year, are selling here at Re. 1-2-0 

 per Ib. Papers at my hand show that in America in 1912, some 

 dates grown in Indo-California were sold at Rs. 2-10-6 per Ib. 

 and that they sold at Rs. 3-2-0 per Ib. there in 1913. These 

 prices are for dates packed to have a more or less nice appearance 

 on the dinner table, or to preserve them for a lengthened period, 

 etc. ; but although they give some indication of the possibilities 

 of date culture, an extensive market could not be got for such 

 commodities at once. I, therefore, do not wish to take too much 



