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HOCKINGS' GARDEN MANUAL. 



Propagation : They may all be propagated by seeds, 

 layers, cuttings, and grafting. The former is the most 

 general, and the latter is adopted for increasing approved 

 sorts. 



THE DATE PALM— (Phoenix Dactylifera). 



The date palm attains the height of forty feet. It 

 is perfectly hardy in the climate of Brisbane, and grows 

 very freely from the seed. It takes ten or twelve 

 years to arrive at maturity, and should be planted in 

 clumps or clusters, to make sure of having among them 

 at least one male plant, to fertilise the fruit blossoms, 

 which would otherwise be unproductive. 



In Persia they allot fifty female to two male plants, 

 and, as soon as the pollen is ripe, commence to impreg- 

 nate with the latter the blossoms of the former : 

 alleging that their proximity is not sufficient to insure 

 the production of fruit. 



The first Queensland dates seen by the Author were 

 grown at Gladstone, about the year 1849, and sent to 

 him by Sir Maurice (then Captain) O'Connell. They 

 are now less uncommon ; and, at the time of writing 

 (March, 1875), there is a tree in Edward Street, Bris- 

 bane, loaded with a fair crop. It is to be feared, 

 however, that the sure means of acclimatisation have 

 not always been kept in view, and that the seeds so 

 ripened have not been carefully re-sown for further 

 experiment. A superior sort, known as the Tafilat 

 date, imported by Mr. J. Smith Travers, of Hobart 

 Town, was intrusted by him to Mr. Walter Hill for 

 distribution here, in October, 1870, and, no doubt, 

 many plants from that seed are now under experiment. 

 The Author has three in his grounds, which are doing 

 well. 



Any good garden soil will suit the date. 



