182 TROPICAL FRUITS 



down to freezing point. An annual rainfall of 5 to 10 inches is 

 sufficient, but no rain should fall during the fruiting period, viz., 

 June to October. The palm requires, however, a constant supply 

 of water at the roots, and the water may be brackish, but not stag- 

 nant. The trees are planted about 25 ft. apart each way, or 70 

 trees to the acre. Before planting, deep and sunken pits for the 

 plants should be prepared ; these are at first only partially filled, 

 preferably by light rich soil. The plants should be shaded and 

 protected after planting, and the soil kept moist by watering until 

 they have become established, and put on fresh leaves. The best 

 time for planting is at the commencement of the rainy season. 

 The Date-palm has of late been largely planted in the Southern 

 United States and Queensland. Its cultivation in Northern India 

 is reported to be only partially successful, whilst in Ceylon and 

 the Straits it has so far proved a failure. A Date-palm in the 

 Royal Botanic Gardens, Peradeniya, has grown to a height of 

 about seventy feet, being now some 65 years old, but has never 

 flowered. Propagation may be effected by seeds or off-shoots, the 

 latter means being usually adopted, as seedlings cannot be relied 

 upon for the quality of fruit produced, nor can the male be distin- 

 guished from the female plants until they have flowered. Only female 

 trees are productive, and their flowers must be fertilised by those 

 of the male tree. The trees bear off-shoots as a rule only between 

 the ages of six and sixteen years. Off-shoots are not removed 

 from their parents until three to five years old. When planting 

 these out, one male off-shoot is planted to every 50 or 100 ''females," 

 this proportion being considered sufficient to secure the fertili- 

 sation of the flowers of the latter. The latter process is some- 

 times assisted by hanging the male inflorescence above the 

 flowers of the female tree for a few days ; the dates are ripe and 

 ready to gather about four months after pollination of the flowers. 

 The palms come into bearing in 5 to 7 years, but are not in their 

 prime until 20 years old. A good tree will produce from 150 to 200 

 Ib. of fruit per annum, and may continue productive until it has 

 reached the age of 80 or 100 years. After attaining this age the 

 palms are used only for extracting toddy (fermented juice), \vhich 

 is obtained by means of incisions made in the crown of the tree. 

 The toddy, being fermented and distilled, yields an intoxicating 

 beverage or arrack. There is a large number of varieties of dates 

 in cultivation, amongst the best being Dcglel Noor, Khadramee, 

 Hallawee, Sayer, Zahdee, and Dcrec. 



