234 DATEGftOWING 



Offshoots of the Fardh palm are invariably 

 small in size, and those used by native growers 

 rarely weigh more than five pounds. Such an 

 offshoot is good to plant as soon as taken from the 

 tree, but of course does not stand shipment as well 

 as a larger one would, and this may be one of the 

 reasons why the variety has not been established 

 far from its original home. Several attempts have 

 been unsuccessfully made to start it in the United 

 States; during the present year, however, it was 

 introduced on a large enough scale to give every 

 chance of success. The variety certainly receives 

 a great deal of care from its owners, and probably 

 needs the same treatment in the United States, 

 irrigation, cultivation and fertilization not being 

 stinted. While no fruit has yet been produced 

 from offshoot Fardhs in this country, seedlings have 

 given good results in Arizona, the product in more 

 than one case being better than that which is imported; 

 and there is a particularly good reason to expect 

 satisfactory results from seedlings of this variety, 

 since it is so much cultivated in the few places 

 where it is grown that there is every chance that the 

 male by which the tree was pollinated was also a 

 Fardh, of seedling origin. Because of its early 

 maturity and shipping qualities the variety will be 

 valuable to the United States; yet it cannot be con- 

 sidered as a date of high quality, if flavor alone be 

 considered, and it can never compete with such varie- 

 ties as Maktum or Khadhrawi, far less Khalaseh or 

 Deglet Nur. 



The berry may be technically described as 

 follows: Very dark brown, one and one-fourth 

 inch long, three-quarters inch wide, broadest near 



