PREFACE 



The importance of introducing the commercial culture of the date 

 palm into Arizona and California led to the establishment of the coop- 

 erative date orchard at Tempe, Ariz., where already more varieties 

 of this palm are gathered together than are to be found in an3 T other 

 one place in the world. To the original orchard additions have been 

 made from time to time, one of the most important being the collec- 

 tion of Persian varieties presented to the Department of Agriculture 

 by Mr. Barbour Lathrop and described in the present bulletin. For- 

 tunately, many of the suckers sent from Persia are alive and will in 

 time enable the Department to distribute the best of these varieties in 

 suitable regions of our arid Southwest. 



Mr. Fairchild's statements regarding the manner in which the Per- 

 sian dates are packed furnishes an additional incentive for pushing 

 the work of introduction, so that the home market may be supplied 

 with clean, wholesome dates. 



In securing much of the information which is contained in this bul- 

 letin and in the procuring of the young date palms Mr. Fairchild is 

 indebted to the American vice-consul, Mr. A. Mackirdy, of Maskat, 

 Mr. Rudolf Hurner, vice-consul, of Bagdad, Mr. O. Gaskin, British 

 vice-consul, of Bahrein, and especially for unusual courtesies and aid 

 to Mr. H. P. Chalk, of Bassorah. 



A. J. PlETERS, 



Botanist in Charge. 

 Office of Botanist in Charge of Seed 



and Plant Introduction and Distribution, 



Washington, D. C, September 17, 1903. 



