The Placer herald., 1869-09-25
HOUSE AND FARM.
The DATE PALM TREE.

from whence it was distributed. in the ear
hest period of civilization, to Arabia, India
Africa and southern Europa, aud in more
modern times, to America Though belong
ing to the very numerous family Of palms,
which exist in tropical countries, it is TO be
lound to perfection Only in comparatively
high Iatitudes, and is, therefore. adapted to
the Sacramento valley, which is nearly the
same, as to climate, as northern Egypt,
where il is considered almost a necessity,
from the uses they pot it TO. ASIDE from
the date as food, they mako n conserve OF 1t
With sugar. and grind the s:oue AS food ioi
their cames. From the leaves they nake
baskets. bags, mats brushes. etc. The fih-ls
Of the leaves make ropes, The center OF the
trunk is also good to eat. The young sh' OTIS
resemble asparagus. The sap is distilled in
10 "arrack." Van Martins SAYS, "Ihe date
tree has ever been considered the beneiactor
Of mankind The life Of the wandering tribes
in the desert circles around the date tree;
and the Arabian poets ascribed such impor-
tance to it, that they maintain that the no
be tree WAS not formed with the other plants
but from tho cods that remained after the
creat ton OF A dam" The Persians consecra-
ted it to the sun, and the fruit is named
beloch From the great value Of the tree,
and its ages Of cultivation, it has now sixty
varieties Il grows very slow, and comes
into bearing at ten years Of age, and cooin-
ues for over two hundred years. Ii Is a
very lofty tree, growing upwards of sky
feet high, with rugged trunk, mpered
with leaves six or eight feet long, with pr-
ra three feet long and an inch wide. The
Bowers OF both sexes which grow on seper-
ate trees, come out in very long bunches
from the trunk between the leaves, and are
covered with a spaba, which opens and
wihers. Those Of the male tree bave six
short stamens, with narrow, four cornered
anlhers, filed with pollen. The female flow
ers have roundish germ, with a thick pulp,
enclosing a hard oblong stone. This berry
is the fruit known as the date, upon which
many millions Of people exist. A sing tree
will bear from one hundred TO three hundred
pounds season. Being diCerians, the sta
mems aud pstls occurring in ,lferen trees,
the crops fail. If formulation is prevent ed.
The male flowers viii keep year; and yet
il shaken over the female flowers AT the pro-
per time will readily impregnate the tree.
II likes a gravelly, mi watery soil, yet in
n dry year the fruit is best and il will -four
ish in the most avid regions TO raise this
tree successfully, The following must be at
tended to Plant the seeds upright in q
sandy soil, well manured with anything but
goat dung well MIXED with common salt
This must not be omitted, as salt is very iur
portant to all of the palms, to insure any
thing like a healthy growth. The writer Of
this has three trees which have successfully
stood the changes OF the climate for three
years. and they are in a perfect state Of
health, and will in time be large trees. This
valley should be filled with them, for their
fruit, and also as an orDament-ther beauty
to a landscape all travellers in tropical or
sem-iropical countries will testify to. 10
answer to the plea, ",hey grow so very slow,
we will never eat the fruit Of them consi-
der the words Of the ancient Californian
Chief, Galgacus, "'lbpk Of prosterily." Let
all plant p few date stones for their children
TO gather the fruit
"Allah ii Allah,r he sings his psalm,
80 'er lhe Indian sea, by the isles OF balm
"Thanks to Allah, who gives the palm?'
Cor. Sacramento Union.
MS with many very rare ornamental! plants,
but as yet very few choice fruits. The Japan
pear, however, will without doubt soon be
come popular, not altogether for It's excel ept
qualities as a fruit, but for the beauty of the
tree, which in statelness Of growth aud lux
uriant foliage scarcely has an equal even
among ornamental trees. The leaves are
very large. often six inches in length and
three broad, Of a dark, glossy green color.
IN form it is ovato-ocuminate, aud the ser
nature brslle pointed. It's coloi when fully
ripe is deep yellow with a deep orange tinge;
skin more or less covered with russet.
The flesh lsra,her coarse and gritty scarce
ly eatable in its raw state but excellent for
cooking. having n flavor intermediate be-
tween pair and ounce. The Japan pear is,
no doubt nearly related to the Chinese sand
pear, well known to our potuologists; but
the tree is more vigorous, leaves longer, and
the fruit is of a far richer color We saw
specimens Of this fruit at the New Jersey State
Fair last year, and were so much pleased
with its appearance that we lately visited
the pear orchard of Mr. p T. @ linn, Of n, W.
ark, N. j. and obtained specimen. -
Hearth d Home.
WHAT MuLcu Is-A mulch is any loose
lying substance, which, distributed over the
surface of the ground, will keep the surface
most: dry leaves, chopped hay or straw
(bettsr than long straw, coarse manure,
sawdust, tan-batk, or even coarse pebbles,
will form mulch. mulch is never to be
dug an, but has effect, from its position upon
the top Of the ground.
SMALL PUMPKIN.-The Los Angeles News
says:
1--WE saw pumpkin at the store Of A.
Sangerber, Esq, at Anahiem, grown upon
the farm of Theo. Schmidt, that measured
six feet one inch in circumference, and weigh
ed ia pounds; there were eigat upon the
vine, which weighed in the aggregate 500
pounds.
J. II. FLIoKIINGER, of Santa Cruz valley,
raised 200 tons Of beets last year, which
averaged twenty-five beets to the ton. There