I'O.MOLtHilf'AI, l)I\ ISION V. S. DEl'T, OF AOUICULTI UK. 19" " 



It is with great i)lea.siire that I can state that withui \h:\ past 

 few years I have been able to introduce from foreiii'u eoua- 

 tries several iViiits which have never appeared on this side the 

 great oceans except in their manufactured forms, and which give 

 promise of success in tliis country. Among these I might name 

 the Citron of commerce, whicli until within the past year has only 

 been represented by an occasional seedling tree in the southern 

 parts of Florida and California. Not one ounce of American 

 preserved citi'on is to be found, and yet there is no good reason 

 why all that is needed by our pecjple may not be grown withiu the' 

 United States. Thirteen of the very choicest named varieties- 

 were procured from Palermo and Catania, on the Island of Sicily, 

 and from Naples on the mainland of Italy. These were budded 

 from bearing trees at my special order given through the Depart- 

 ment of State. Other varieties have been ordered from Bastia, on 

 the Island of Corsica, where, it is said, the very best citrous are 

 grown and shipped to Leghoi'u, where they are preserved and 

 whence the product is sent to market. 



It may not be generally known that in the southern parts of 

 California, Arizona, NeAv Mexico, and Texas there are millions of 

 acres which can be made to produce Dates of as good quality as- 

 those grown in Arabia and Persia. Relieving this I sent to the ■ 

 date growing regions fm' rooted suckers from the best named 

 varieties in existence, and within less than one year from the date 

 of this order, which was also given through the Department of 

 State, sixty-three plants were safely landed on our shores, and are 

 now planted in the region before mentioned, without the loss of a; 

 single one. In due time it is expected that others will be received. 

 All former efforts to secure rooted suckers of the date have failed, 

 for the simple reason that they Avere not planted in tubs of earth 

 and well established and then sent in this condition. All the dates 

 growing in the United States, previous to this importation, are 

 seedlings, and, as is the case with other fruits, there is no certainty 

 as to what variety of fruit will be produced in this way ; and not 

 only this, but as the date is a dioecious tree there is no certainty 

 as to which sex will be produced. One case, in Florida, has come 

 under my notice, in which five trees were carefully watched until 

 the}^ grew to large size, when all proved to be males. Aside 

 from this, it is certainly advisable, if we begin the culture of the 

 date as an article of commerce, to begin w^here the Arabs, the 



