92 DATE GROWING 



many questions; or If it does, the present state of our 

 knowledge is not sufficiently advanced to permit us 

 to know it. The future may hold some important 

 discoveries, but at present both theory and practice 

 may almost be summed up in two words, "stable 

 manure." This is because the soil in most date grow- 

 ing regions is more deficient in humus than in any- 

 thing else, and because chemical fertilizers are so quick- 

 ly washed out of the land by the constant irrigation 

 that they hardly have a chance to return interest on 

 the investment their cost represents. 



The Fardh growers of Oman are again most 

 advanced among Arabs in this respect, for they work 

 into the soil a donkey load per tree of well-rotted 

 manure and straw twice a year. In other oriental com- 

 munities once a year is considered liberal, and at Busreh 

 once in two years is the rule, and even then the in- 

 gredient is the coarsest kind of straw and reeds, 

 animals being scarce. The general practice is to apply 

 manure at the beginning of winter, so that it has a 

 chance to rot thoroughly and become incorporated 

 with the soil before the growing period in spring; but 

 if it is well rotted before it is applied, early spring 

 would probably be better, as there would be less loss 

 from leaching. It should be well worked into the soil. 



If a grower knows that his soil is lacking in any 

 particular element, he should of course supply the 

 deficiency, as he would with any other crop. Other- 

 wise he may as well depend on stable manure, or some 

 other form of humus. The leaf mould found under 

 mesquite bushes in the southwestern United States 

 is excellent, and far too valuable to be wasted by 

 burning, as is often done when a new piece of land is 

 cleared. So far as I know, inoculation of the soil with 



