The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1881-08-03
DeIand Volusa County, Florida Wednesday August 1891

characterized by an absence of rain
1t will not fruit Without it's roots are
well watered. renee, there is ma
tive proverb thai the date must
have its head in tie fire and its roots
in the water, proving the necessity of
frequent irrigation
In Algeria and Tunis the culture Of
the date occupies large surface of
the land, and is CARED on with great
care. The fruit is of the finest DUAL.
ity, and its cultivation one of the pro.
fitable industries Of the country. The
best trees are those produced from
slipped plants. Those raised from
seeds are much longer in arriving at
maturity. Whenthe slip, taken from
the root of the stem of an adult tree
is first planted. it must be watered
daily for five or six weeks. and every
other day tor the next month. After
this the trees are watered once a week
in summer and every month in wins
ter. In planting seeds they should
be chosen from those fully ripe, hav.
ing full large eyes, and such as have
been gathered from mature trees and
from clusters containing few fruits.
These, if carefully planted, are said
to insure timely sprouting and longs
evity, and unremitting fruittulness.
The seed taken from old trees have
small eyes, and tbs sprouts from such
seeds will be thin and weakly. The
seeds from very young trees are not
good. II is best to plant in an aIIu-
.vi"lhso sl..ss1st tSsFS Su;aSrUrS hers .aIloss
can have sufficient moisture.
In favorable situation the date
palm will begin to fruit at six years,
aud lasts 10 a hundred years and
more.
A date tree i'll full bearing will
produce from two hundred to iour
hundred pounds of fruit a year.
Although there are SO many varie-
ties OF the date, differing in size, form
and quality of the fruit, they may be
chiefly divided by color into three
classes, viz. red, yellow and whitish.
The dates, after having been gath
cred, are dried in the sun, may thus
be preserved for about two years.
In Turkey each proprietor has a
right to two hours water in the day
from the stream which passes by his
grounds, and this right is always spec,
fed in the title-deed by which he
holds his garden. Before the dates
are ripe, each family is bound 10 set
apart one tree, all the fruit of which
is consecrated to the service of the
mosque and the use Of the poor.
From the juice or sap Of the tree
there is made termented wine or
liquor, Of which the natives are very,
fond. 1t is produced by simple max
ing an incision in the top Of the tree.
i I
below the foliage, reaching the centre.
A tube is fitted, through which the
sap flows into vessel. The palm
thus yields about ten quarts every
day. The tree is bled every two
months, sometimes every day to pre-.
vent the healing of the wound. The
operation will kill the tree if contin>
ued too long, but cautiously practised
Tor a few days will often invigorate a
slckly or ill>bearipg palm.
Sugar and molasses are also made
from the sap, and by about the same
process as is employed in the North.
ern States in the manufacture of ma.
pie sugar and syrup.
1t is estimated that in Egvpt there
are 100000 date palms grown, and
and the annual production is about
100000 or 2O,OOO,OOO cwt., the
most OF which is locally consumed.