172 



THIRTY-FOURTH FRUIT-GROWERS ' CONVENTION. 



in Texas. In the cooler portions of this territory only the early, quick 

 matnring sorts could be expected to succeed, while in the hotter portions 

 of the loAver Colorado Valley and the Salton Basin it has been demon- 

 strated that many of the varieties requirin^r the lonjrest season may 

 be successfully matured. 



But though at home in the fiercest heat in which any vegetation 

 grows the date palm endures a greater degree of cold than the orange, 

 possibly about the same as the olive, a fact probably due to the tough, 

 fibrous nature of the leaves and tissues and the protected position of 

 its single terminal bud. There are a number of date palms about 

 Indio that arc known to have survived a minimum of 15 degrees F. 

 with little if any injury, and old seedling trees are growing in the 

 neighborhood of Phfjenix and Tempe. in Arizona, where minima of 12 

 and 13 degrees have been recorded during their history. 



From the heat requirements of the date palm it is natural to conclude 

 that it is also a drought resistant plant, but it is not more so than the 

 AA^ishingtonia or desert fan palm of Southern California, which, while 

 a native of the hottest canyons and washes surrounding the Salton 

 Basin, delights to grow with its roots in a snow fed streamlet which may 

 sink into the sands a mile farther out. but lacking this will be found 

 where there is a slow seepage and permanent moisture, though this may 

 be of too salt}^ or alkaline a character for the traveler's use. 



Like the fan palm, the date palm must have an assured supply of 

 moisture in order to exist and a generous supply if fruit is to be per- 

 fected. Its root system closely resembles that of the Washingtonia, as 

 it develops in a few years' time a powerful system of round cord-like 

 roots of great penetrating power, and able to reach considerable depths 

 for a water supply. Seedling date trees near Indio, which have had no 

 irrigation for a year and a half, have continued to make good growth, 

 bore fruit last year, and are flowering and setting fruit at the present 

 time. These are along the line of a heavy mesquite growth, and it is 

 known that surface wells are obtained at a depth of from fifteen to 

 twenty feet. It is only reasonable to suppose that the date roots have 

 penetrated to layers of permanent moisture. 



The nature of the soil will have much to do with the water supply 

 demanded by a date plantation, the very sandy soil at the Mecca garden 

 requiring much more frequent irrigation than soils of a clay or adobe 

 nature. The well provided for this 10-acre tract is an artesian well, 

 bored about 500 feet deep and with a SVo-inch casing, inside diameter. 

 The flow is approximately 150 gallons per minute, or 216,000 gallons 

 per day of 24 hours. This is equivalent to 12io miner's inches, as 

 usually reckoned. It has seldom heen necessary to operate the well for 

 more than the 8-hour day. even during greatest summer heat, but as 

 the trees develop in size the demand will be greater. Dr. Swingle 

 quotes French authority for the daily need of date trees in northern 

 Sahara as from 126 to 180 gallons per tree per day. at the source 

 of supply, but with a considerable loss calculated for seepage and 

 evaporation.^ With the water distributed in pipes, or tile or cement 



*A report from Mr. B. F. Cliumard, in charge of a plantation of Deglet Noor 

 date trees, on hea^'^^ adobe land near Heber, in the Imperial Valley, indicates that he 

 uses approximately 126 gallons a tree daily during the growing season of six months, 

 May to October, inclusive, applied direct to the orchard without allowance for seepage 

 -or loss. 



