Omaha daily bee., 1899-08-20
AN ATTRACTIVE INDUSTRY
The Palm Of the Ancients is Likely to Be-
come Plentiful in the Southwest
DATE GROWING IN THE UNITED STATES
Progress of Experiments In the Intro
duction of Useful Foreign
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. the
Eject of Alkali.

WASHINGTON, Aug, 1S,-(Correspondeuce
Of The Bee.)-The United States mails are
sometimes used for rather curious purposes,
A number of years ago several wagons drove
up TO the postofice at Washington. d. C.,
and deposited a humble Of large tubs con-
tanning handsome palms. Having delivered
themselves Of their freight the wagons drove
OF. The postoffice people went out to SEQ
what the performance meant and found to
their surprise that these palms were TO DO
sent through the mails. The local superin-
tendent at first said that the office would not
send them. 1t was preposterous, he maiu-
tanned, to mail such things. Each tub, full
OF moist earth and a good sized palm, was
as much as two men could handle, and on
account of the foliage they could not be
packed to any advantage. Nevertheless,
there were the tags on the tubs, containing
the frank Of the Department of Agricul-
ture and the proper addresses-Las Cruces,
n. M; Phoenix and Yuma, Ariz.; Pomona,
Tulare. etc, California-and the only thing
for the Washington postoiice officials to do
was to mail them. So this was done, al
though 1t necessitated special arrangements
to care for and water the palms. Thus
practically commenced date growing in the
United States.
or these trees, about forty are now living
and thriving, fifteen of them having bios
somed. Only seven of these, however. are
pistillate or fruit bearing trees. Since this
first attempt at American date culture the
Agricultural department. has followed up
the question and Secretary Wilson, during
the last year, has had an expert in Algeria.
Mr.. Swingle, making a thorough study of
this subject and sending home plants. The
secretary proposes to spent perhaps &c. 900
during the next two years of the money al
lotted him by congress for the introduction
OF useful foreign plants. The dates now be-
ing secured in Algeria and Morocco are of
the very finest kinds and are shipped in tubs,
the same as was done in the original i'm
portation. Secretary Wilson states 1t as his
belief that another American industry will
result from this experiment, as he believes
that dates will thrive as we'll in America as
in Arabia.
Where they Thrive.
The regions in which the date palm reaches
perfection are characterized by deficiency Of
rain and a wide variation of temperature.
Inc summer heat is intense, 115 degrees or
more, though In winter the temperature may
iall as low as 16 degrees above zero.
Although the date palm requires intense heat
in summer it will withstand in winter a
temperature that would be fatal to the fig
or the orange. These climatic conditions
are practically identical with those that OBJ
tain In the more southern portions of the
great Colorado desert. So great is the SINH
larity in fact. Mr.. Wilson says, that so far
as climate is concerned. we may reasonably
expect the date palm to fruit satisfactorily
IN the arid regions Of the southwest. The
experiments carried on through the depart
ment show that probably the soil best
adapted to the date palm is one containing
a small percentage of clay, fairly free from
humus and charged with alkali. Irrigation
and heat are all important conditions.
Water is Indispensable. The roots should
be moist at all times. An old Arabian
proverb says that "The date must have its
head in fire and Its roots in the water"
The water used may advantageously be
quite warm and contain considerable alkali.
Dates may, however, be planted along
streams, or by springs or flood basins, and
in such situations will grow we'll, adding
much to the landscape by their graceful
pinnate foliage. The future of the date in
dustry in the United States, however. de-
ponds upon irrigation, and upon irrigation
which will not fail in the dryest seasons.
Irrigation in the Sahara has greatly in
creased the date areas OF Africa, and the
conditions are so similar in our own south
west under artificial watering that the sue
cess of the industry there seems assured.
Varieties Of dates are almost innumerable.
They differ greatly in their color, size,
sweetness, delicacy of flavor and length OF
time required to mature. The dates OF COM
merce are usually light colored, these being
better shippers. The male and female flow
ers Of the palm are borne on different
plants, the females only bearing the fruit.
The blossoming period is a long one,
usually about six weeks, but 1t is always
"a . thtd Ganynfn H. lzl
erage yield of a tree Is eight punches, each
weighing about seventeen pounds, although
a bunch may weigh as much as forty
pounds. In arizona, under irrigation, seed
ling trees, seven years old, have produced
upwards of 200 pounds In a single season.
misunderstanding Plants.
1t Is frequently assumed that where soil
shows surface incrustations of alkali salts,
it Is valueless for agricultural purposes.
This is shown not to be the case by some
experiments made by the Wyoming Govern
ment Experiment station. There are, how
ever, few plants so alkall-proof as to -four
ish under these conditions. Incrustation OF
ordinary white alkali on the surface Is
usually marked, at least during dry weather.
where there is as much as ~ or 2 per
cent OF salts in the top two inches OF soil.
Such an amount OF salts will prevent the
growth of any OF the cereals or OF alfalfa.
Barley or rye seem to stand more alkall
than wheat or oats.
In the termination Of seeds 1t was found
that the influence OF small amounts OF
alkali hastens sprouting and also assists
in the life Of the plant, either stimulating
growth or acting directly as plant food"
1t did not appear that any of the salts
except common soda eXerted directly poison
Gus or corrosive effects on the seeds. The
injury appeared due to the fact that tho
salts in solution interfered with the alb
sorption by the seed of the water neces-
sary for termination. Two important
plants which have been successfully tested
as alkali-resisting are sugar beets and
Bakhara or white sweet clover. English
rape Is also found In the same class.
E~duivocnI sympathy.
Detroit Free Press; Jack-So you spent
last evening with the colonel. How did you
enjoy yourself?