Pomona Coi.lege Journal op Economic Botany. 345 



protection has been given; the matter of soil humus has been absolutely 

 ignored. By proper experimentation, varieties might be found that would 

 bear prolifically. The industry is in an embryonic stage, but has devel- 

 oped to that point where fairly accurate conclusions may be drawn as to 

 its future. Modern methods of culture, with the choice of the interior 

 situations, should make a combination hard to beat. 



DATES* 



About 7,000 date oif-shoots have been imported into the United States 

 since the beginning of the date industry. Dr. Coit says that all of the 

 requisite conditions for the successful growing of dates may be found in 

 many places throughout the Imperial, Coachella, and Colorado Valleys, and 

 the country around Palo Verde and Blythe, Riverside County. The Imperial, 

 Coachella, and Colorado Valleys, are the regions in which date culture has 

 proved its worth, and where are now to be found bearing orchards and 

 thousands of newly-planted off-shoots. Dates are so far subject to pests, only 

 as imported on the young plants and subsequently scattered. This infesta- 

 tion is in the form of scale of two distinct varieties — the Marlatt and Par- 

 latoria. A spray has been found that will kill these scales, thus eliminating 

 all future danger from outside infection and making possible its eradication. 

 Spraying and burning with a gasoline torch have proved to be effective 

 means of destroying scale on old and established palms. 



The date is not particular as to the soil in which it grows, and will 

 thrive in considerable alkali. Light and heavy soil alike seem to produce 

 dates. While the date is a desert palm and requires a long period of intense 

 heat for proper development and ripening, the roots require an abundance 

 of water. Dr. Coit says that one miner's inch of continual flow is sufficient 

 to maintain a five-acre orchard of bearing dates. 



The off-shoots are set 25 feet by 30 feet apart, or about 60 trees to 

 the acre, and begin to bear at the ages of from three to five years. Seedlings 

 are somewhat uncertain, but off-shoots always come true to the parent. A 

 conservative estimate of the bearing capacity of a ten-year-old tree would 

 be 100 pounds. Some will bear as high as 400 pounds to the tree. A 

 leading Los Angeles grocer has placed the retail price for fresh California 

 dates at from 50c to 75c a pound. They bring from 15c to as much as $1 

 a pound to the grower. Fruit matures here /rom September through 

 December, some varieties ripening on the trees, others requiring artificial 

 heat. The Deglet Noor is very popular among growers at present, as it will 

 ripen on the tree before the cold weather comes, and is of unusual delicacy 

 of flavor. 



A palm reaches its maximum bearing capacity at ten years and will 

 continue to produce for one hundred. One palm sometimes bears as high as 



*The portion of this article which treats of the date has already been published 

 with other articles on the same subject and with many illustrations, by Out West, 

 of Los Angeles, and may be purchased at half price by subscribers to this Journal. 



