THE PALMS OF BRITISH INDIA AND CEYLON. 691 



filled in, the offshoot being set in the centre of this hole. In doing 

 this it is most important that the bud in the centre of the leafstalks 

 and young leaves should not be choked by being covered with soil. 

 For this reason the offshoot should be planted with the bud two or 

 three inches above the general level of the ground and a circular 

 trench a foot in width be dug round it for the purpose of irrigation. 

 The offshoots should be watered every day for the first month, twice 

 a week for the second month, and thenceforward every month for 

 at least a year." No general rule can be given with regard to the 

 amount of water required. This depends on local conditions; 

 further, the palm needs more water during certain seasons of the 

 year than others. Generally, at the time of flowering (February 

 to March) little or no water should be given ; from May till the 

 fruit ripens water should be given liberally. 



The time of flowering is determined by climate and soil, and 

 the amount of water applied to the trees. Generally speaking, 

 eight years in the case of propagation by seed, and four or five 

 years after being detached from the parent stem in the case of 

 propagation by offshoots, may be considered to be the age at which 

 appreciable quantities of fruit are produced. The male inflorescence 

 with its enclosing spathe is cut from the tree usually immediately 

 before, but sometimes immediately after the splitting of the spathe. 

 One inflorescence consists of over 100 slender branches, of which 

 one or two bear sufficient pollen to fertilize a whole female inflo- 

 rescence. When the female inflorescence becomes visible between 

 the separating parts of its spathe, one or two branches of the male 

 inflorescence are inserted among its branches. The enclosing- 

 branches of the female inflorescence are then loosely bound together 

 with a thin strip of a palm leaf or string. This is regularly done 

 in Arabia, but not in Sind. 



About the beginning of June it is advisable to remove some 

 clusters of fruit from the tree in order to increase the supply of 

 good material to the remainder. One inflorescence will develop 

 from 10 to 40 lbs. of ripe dates; a whole tree yields from 50 to 

 -500 lbs., on the average 120 lbs. 



The dates of one bunch do not ripen at the same time. In spite 

 of this the bunch is usually cut off bodily when about half of the 



