Phoenix weekly herald., 1897-10-28
FIFE DATE.
Able Paper Read Before the Agricui-
 tural Society.

l a tural Society.
 Paper read by Mrs S. D. Lount Oct. 15th.] In bringing date culture before sh' society our obiect is nos to give you lengthy discourse bns to stats 8 fev facts and bring the subjsos before thu
 society so that those present who have expsrimented iu date culture can aiv' us the benefit of their experience. W.
 want pFsesfcsl information, and we
 want 1t in such 8 way that it can be sd
 ded to from year to year so that Is vii
 make foundation foE new beginners tc
 start from.
 There is no doubt that the date will
 be one of the most profitable crops in
 onr valley.
 In oranges we have California to con-
 pete with. but in no other portion of
 she Uaited States except Arizona has 1 she fruit ever fully mstured. The dry heat of ouF deserts and our
 long summers seem to be just what is
 needed 60 bring it to perfection, and 1 besides it requires less care than any other fFuia we pro1uce. Now for few
 facts which we have learned this year. l Az the Indian school thsrs were seven large punches, I should gay at least three hundred pounds. but as usual all l gone before we could sample them. This date was the first one in the val ley to bear fruit and ib has had no of years.
 At the experimental station, No. bore last year but did not bloom this year, the oshsrs which bloomed were msles. Nos. 4, ' and have nob bloom ed, therefore sheiF sex is unknogn.
 Two suckers from the Ksles place were obsaiaed-ons died from too much water, the other is growing finely. All of the imported plants grew rapidly the pRss SC sson.
 We have sustained great loss in the Kales date. Is was, by an unfortunate accident, ruined while it wss being moved 60 the Daunis' Additioz, and all we have left of ons of the fnast dates sveF grown sre perhaps five or six suck efe
 We found one at Mrs. RIokeKson's, in the Woatg Addition, which had two large punches of fFuit but they had not been fertiiizsd. end we can only say from the taste of the unmatursd fruit 1t will be fne when fertilized. It is seven years from the seed and bloomed for the first time this year.
 Al E. s. Arthur's place above Tempe, we found several plants; are in full bearin g, from which two large punches were shipped east to show what we could do. Several plants which Mrs Arthur raised from seed bore when five years old.
 At She Kloss place, one halt mile east of Mc. AFthur's there is one in bsaring i've years from seed. It hss thres large punches Of untertiiizsd dates.
 Mr NJ R. Moore of Ariz1la has one 1 four years old from seed. Gle plsnted l 5hs seed and is sure of it's age). IL oloomed May 10, 1897, and he ssnt to the Experimental Station for trollen, which he received Msy l3 and he has dates from that fertilization
 There is date palm one half mile 'onth of the station, five years from ieed, which bore thiFtsen untersiiized ] lates this year.
 The R. R Agent at Tsmpe has one in lis yard, 8 very large and ehvifty palm. t has never blossomed, probably be- iause it has been trimmed too much. rim very little and never above the old blooms
 Only one blOomed st the Lount plscs nd that one some days after the male blossoms were Rll gone. It WAS feFti- ized with she dry palIen and there weFs hree small punches, say ten pounds in Il.
 We have not heard from Yuma this ear so do not know what they have lone. At the Adams ranch they have six or iRht date palms all fine, large plants, 7ith fiue punches of fruit that ws esti- hated would weigh from fifty to three urdrsd pounds to the tgee, but for one reason they ere maturing letsr bis fall that usual. Judging from the izs of the fruit at present thsy will quel she best in the vsllsy. Mir. Adams has large nursery of aedlings which he will place permsn- ;, ntly next spring, thus showing his aith in the date as profitable inveet- lsnt. There are great many things we ave to fi1d out and chief among them whether the suckers will bsaF trans Isntng or must they be set where they re to be lefs for truis. That ie, csn 1ey be put in the nursery to start them nd after Wecds be removed. And sgaIr an ths plants from the seed be moved , advantage after one years growth.
 MRS. s. D. L0UNT.
 THE GOLD STANDARD. t