142 THE DATE PALM 



DESCRIPTION OF PLATES. 



PLATE I. Old date palms at Hermosillo, northern Mexico. Orange trees, peppers, 

 and alfalfa are growing under the palms. December, 1899. Negative by the 

 author. 



PLATE II. Map of a portion of the Sahara Desert, in southern Algeria, showing the 

 principal centers of date culture, Zibane, Oued Rirh, Oued Souf , etc. Reduced from 

 1 : 800,000 map of Service geographique de FArrnee, Paris. Scale 1 : 2,400,000. 

 Localities where soil samples were secured are marked with a star. The fine 

 lines indicate caravan routes. The railway does not yet extend beyond Biskra. 



PLATE III. Map showing distribution of soil types and of alkali in the Imperial area 

 in the Salton Basin, California. Prepared by the Bureau of Soils, U. S. Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture, in 1903. 



PLATE IV. Relief map of California, showing the principal regions where dates can 

 be grown. Reduced from a drawing made after a photograph (furnished by 

 Prof. Alexander G. McAdie) of a relief map of California exhibited at the 

 World's Columbian Exposition, Chicago, 1893. 



PLATE V. Fig. 1. Date garden in Old Biskra, Algeria. Bunches of nearly ripe fruit 

 are seen on the taller palms; fig trees are growing underneath in the partial 

 shade. August, 1902. Negative by Thos. H. Kearney and Thos. H. Means. 

 Fig. 2. Date palms at Old Biskra, Algeria. To left, two old male date palms, 

 showing more abundant leaves and thicker trunks than the female trees beyond. 

 Negative by the author. 



PLATE VI. Fig. 1. Native gardeners (Rouara) at Ourlana, Algeria, putting date 

 offshoots into sacks, preparatory to shipment by camel back; to the right is seen 

 the corner of the date plantation. Soil samples (Ourlana, Station No. 1) were 

 obtained a few rods from here, May, 1900. Negative by Charles Trabut. Fig. 

 2. Caravan loaded with date palm offshoots for the Tempe garden, Arizona, 

 starting from Ourlana northward toward Biskra, Algeria, May, 1900; negative 

 by Charles Trabut. Fig. 3. Final trimming of date offshoots at Algiers, pre- 

 paratory to packing for shipment to America, June, 1900. Negative by the author. 



PLATE VII. Fig. 1. Flower cluster of male date palm just emerged from sheath; 

 flowers opening and letting pollen escape. (One-fifth natural size.) Fig. 2. 

 Three female flower clusters. To left, just opening, ready to pollinate; in center, 

 pollinated, male twig tied fast; to right, ten days after pollination. (One-fifth 

 natural size.) Fig. 3. Male and female flowers of the date palm, magnified: 

 Above, young fruits turning green a week or so after pollination; in middle, 

 female flowers ready to be pollinated; below, male flowers just shedding pollen. 

 (Three times natural size. ) Negatives by the author. 



PLATE VIII. Fig. 1. Forest of old date palms at Biskra, Algeria; an Arab has climbed 

 the tallest tree (in the background), and is pollinating the flowers, May, 1900. 

 Negative by the author. Fig. 2. Arab pollinating a date palm, Ramley, Egypt, 

 March 24, 1901; a rope passed around the trunk and attached to a broad belt at 

 the waist aids in climbing. Negative by D. G. Fairchild. Fig. 3. Arabs demon- 

 strating the operation of pollinating the date palm; the cluster of female flowers 

 is partly removed from the sheath and a sprig of male flowers is just being 

 inserted with the right hand; the fiber with which the flowers will be tied in 

 place is held in the mouth. Negative by the author. Fig. 4. Arabs demonstrat- 



