CHAPTER XIII 

 PROFITS OF DATE GROWING 



No question of the industry is more interesting 

 than the possible or probable profits to be derived; 

 yet none is less susceptible of a definite answer to 

 which some one may not oppose an objection. The 

 profits will be pretty nearly what the grower himself 

 makes them. The only guidance that can be given is 

 to point out what has been done, here and elsewhere, 

 and what conditions may change these results in the 

 future. 



In the first place, I assume that the grower has 

 a reasonably good piece of land, plenty of water, 

 and palms of standard varieties which will produce 

 uniform fruit of first quality. I assume, too, that he 

 manages his own plantation, that he has given some 

 study to the industry, and that he means business. 

 He may get a manager who will be satisfactory, but 

 he may not, for such men are scarce in any agricul- 

 tural enterprise, and are not likely to be attracted by 

 the ardent summer climate of a date-growing region. 

 They are likely to feel as a newly-arrived Turkish 

 governor of Baghdad is alleged to have done. He spent 

 the whole of his first day complaining of the heat: 



"But, your excellency," his attendants assured 

 him, "we need this heat to ripen the dates." 



"Oh, you do, do you?" he exploded, "I'll not 

 suffer on such a flimsy excuse as that. Order all the 

 palms cut down at once!" 



Date growing is not a "get-rich-quick scheme," 

 but if a man gives to it the attention that would be 



