LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL 



U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, 



BUREAU OF PLANT INDUSTRY, 



OFFICE OF THE CHIEF, 

 Washington, D. C., March 1, 1906. 



SIR: I have the honor to transmit herewith, and to recommend 

 for publication as Bulletin No. 92 of the series of this Bureau, the 

 accompanying manuscript, entitled " Date Varieties and Date Cul- 

 ture in Tunis," by Thomas H. Kearney, Physiologist, Plant Breed- 

 ing Investigations. 



The importance of this bulletin lies in the fact that it presents a 

 key to the principal varieties of date palms the first available to 

 Americans interested in this fruit. It gives, further, an accurate 

 picture of the conditions under which profitable date culture is car- 

 ried on in the northern edge of the Sahara, and can not fail to be of 

 value to all prospective date growers. 



Acknowledgment is made of the courteous cooperation uniformly 

 extended to Mr. Kearney by the authorities during his stay in Tunis. 

 The valuable assistance rendered him by M. Hugon, director of 

 agriculture and commerce, and by MM. Chervin, Minangoin, and 

 Tellier, of the direction of agriculture, as well as by the controleurs 

 civils at Tozer, Gafsa, Sfax, and Gabes, and by the caids of Tozer 

 and Kebili, should be especially mentioned. The hospitality ex- 

 tended by Captain Donau, commandant superieur at Kebili, and the 

 great service rendered by him to the Department of Agriculture in 

 having collected, prepared, and forwarded to Tozer 175 offshoots 

 of the best varieties found in the Nefzaoua, merit especial acknowl- 

 edgment. Prof. Milton Whitney, Chief of the Bureau of Soils, and 

 Drs. F. K. Cameron and L. J. Briggs, of that Bureau, obligingly 

 cooperated in furnishing mechanical analyses of the soil samples 

 collected and chemical analyses of the soil and water samples. 



This paper has been submitted by the Botanist in Charge of Seed 

 and Plant Introduction and Distribution, and was prepared as a 

 result of Mr. Kearney's expedition to the oases of Tunis in search 

 of new varieties of dates. 



The illustrations which accompany this paper are considered essen- 

 tial to a full understanding of the text. 



Respectfully, B. T. GALLOWAY, 



Chief of Bureau. 



Hon. JAMES WILSON, 



Secretary of Agriculture. 

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