176 DATEGROWING 



atmosphere of Muhammad's home we might do even 

 better, for Faqir Amin al Madani says, "we have 

 seen and bear witness as to palms, that some palms 

 bear, each one, verily, three ardabs* of dates." 



With 100 pounds per tree and 50 trees to the acre 

 we have an annual yield of 5000 pounds, or two and 

 one-half tons, of dates to the acre. The price at 

 which these will sell has been the subject of much 

 difference of opinion. At present it is not difficult to 

 sell the highest grade of dates, well packed, at $1.00 

 or more a pound in California. There is no reason 

 why this price should not be maintained for some 

 years yet, while home-grown dates are still a novelty. 

 It certainly will not be maintained permanently, but 

 there will always be a demand for the finest dates, 

 packed like confectionery, at confectionery prices; 

 and even if such a demand is limited, it will probably 

 be big enough to offset the quantity of second-grade 

 dates which must be sold at 10 or 15 cents a pound. 

 As to the bulk of a crop of dates from palms of standard 

 varieties, properly handled, my own idea is that the 

 price is never likely to fall below 20 cents a pound to 

 the grower. This I offer as an average price — there 

 will be many culls that must go at a lower figure, but 

 there should also be a considerable amount of fancy 

 fruit which will bring two or three times the sum 

 mentioned. Taking the average at 20 cents a pound 

 to the grower, with the conservative estimate of 100 

 pounds to a tree and 50 palms to the acre, we may 

 calculate on a gross annual return from a well- 

 managed plantation of $1000 per acre. 



*As a measure of volume, an ardab is slightly more than five 

 bushels. As a measure of weight, it varies according to the commod- 

 ity; the ardab of dates is now 320 pounds. 



