BLOOM OF THE DATE PALM 



381 



For convenience in irrigating", a shallow basin of earth should 

 be made about the sucker, in which, to lessen evaporation and 

 the rise of alkali, a mulch of fine barnyard litter three or four 

 inches deep should be spread. The soil about the newly trans- 

 planted suckers should be kept constantly wet by frequent irriga- 

 tions. Suckets should be cut and transplanted April to August, 

 inclusive, but not during or approaching cool weather. 



Bearing Age of the Date. There is much difference in the 

 ages at which the seedlings have come in fruit in the hands of 

 different growers. Fruit has been reported on seedlings six years 

 old and even on plants four years from the seed. Such early 

 maturity must not, however, be generally expected. 



Blooming of the Date. The date palm is dioecious, and, its 

 staminate (male) and pistillate (female) blooms appearing on 

 different trees, it requires the association of the two for perfect 

 fruiting. Growing plants from seed, as already stated, leaves 

 the grower in doubt as to the sex of his plants until they bloom. 

 Usually one obtains a large preponderance of male plants. In 

 propagating from suckers the new tree is of the same sex as the 

 parent. It is advised to have about one male to twenty female 

 trees. The pollen can be transported 'long distances and main- 

 tains its vitality for a long time. 



Artificial fertilization of the bloom of the bearing palm has 

 been found of advantage in this State and. was probably first prac- 

 ticed by J. R. Wolfskill. Though the staminate tree was but a 

 few feet away from the pistillate, the male bloom was broken in 

 pieces and hung to the leaves of the female tree near to the pistil- 

 late flowers. It was found that the parts of the date cluster which 

 are nearest to the suspended male blooms have more perfect fruit 

 than the more distant parts. Other California date growers have 

 had similar experience. 



In Winters the bearing date palms bloom in April and May, 

 and the fruit ripens in November. 



Beauty of the Date Palm. The date palm in fruit is a beau- 

 tiful sight. The glaucous green pinnate leaves arch outward. 

 Between two of these emerge the bright orange-yellow polished 

 fruit stalks, which divide into a spray of slender bright yellow 

 stems a foot or so in length ; and thickly set upon these in clusters 

 are the various colored fruits covered with a rich bloom. It is a 

 sight not easily forgotten by a lover of nature, and especially by 

 one reared in a northern zone, the characteristic vegetation of 

 which is so different. 



