206 MANUAL OF TROPICAL AND SUBTROPICAL FRUITS 



between the rows of palms, especially while the latter are young 

 and making no financial return. 



The soil in which date palms are usually grown is of a kind 

 that benefits by the incorporation of rough material, and stable 

 manure is, therefore, the fertilizer of first choice. Wheat-straw 

 or similar loose stuff is frequently added with advantage. An 

 annual application of fertilizer is required in most localities, 

 and if the soil is sandy the grower must be more liberal. For 

 palms producing offshoots, half a cubic yard a year is advised ; 

 for older palms a full yard is desirable : both in addition to such 

 cover-crop as the grower may select. 



In regard to irrigation, it is to be borne in mind that the soil 

 must be kept moist during the entire year, and that the roots 

 of the palm go deep. The character of the soil must be carefully 

 and experimentally studied before the grower can be certain 

 that he has arrived at the correct method for irrigation. The 

 amount of water that the palm can stand in well-drained land 

 is strikingly illustrated in the great plantings around Basrah, 

 where fresh water is backed into the gardens by tidal flow, so 

 that there are two automatic irrigations each day throughout 

 the year. 



In the Coachella Valley, with furrow irrigation, a twenty- 

 four-hour flow each twelve days from April to November has 

 generally been satisfactory, although in many soils weekly 

 irrigation is required. During the winter the rainfall usually 

 suffices. Each application of fertilizer must be followed 

 promptly by several irrigations. 



Pruning is not so important with date palms as with many 

 fruit-trees. Dead leaves should be removed from young palms,, 

 and if the top growth is heavy the two lower rows of leaves may 

 be removed when the palm is four years old. Regular pruning 

 should begin about the sixth year, after which one row of leaves 

 is usually removed at each midwinter. Drummond advises 

 that "the leaves should not be pruned higher than the fruit 



