Arizona republican., 1900-08-06

| ton, by which the department is to
 bear all the expense of importa tion
 while the station undertakes to prop erly care for them. The first shipment
 8 small one, was received a year ago
 and planted, and has just been followed by the present large one, consisting of 450 palms of twenty-siX different va ! rieties gathered in the oases I of Bihra, Ourlaua, Mzab and oth- CTS in the French possessions of north 1 Africa. The entire cost of the ship
 ment thus far is estimated at about $4,-
 900.
 The consignment was secured and
 shipped by MT. Walter T. Swingle az
 ricuitural explorer for the department, who was in Arizona last December
 studying the situation with reference | to date culture. Shortly after leaving Arizona he proceeded to Algeria and
 resumed the work he had begun one year before in securing suckers from | the most desirable varieties of da;e palms. It was first planned to ship the
 suckers rooted and growing in tubs of 1 earth, but on account of the great cost 1 in freight of this method the suckers
 were finally packed in boxes, for the
 most part with damp sphagnum moss about the butts.
 Two cases were packed in charcoal and one was sent through with no pack 1 ing whatever.
 The shipment, consisting of twenty three eases, weighing eight tons, left Algiers June Il, reached New York city July ? and was transported from there to Maricopa via New Orleans, free of charge by the Southern Pacific com pany. and from Maricopa to Petersen's by the M &r P. &S s. R. V. railroad in te the same liberal manner, finally ar irving at thair destination July + in most excellent condition.
 Only those plants packed in charcoal seemed to have suffered at all and these not seriously. Some of the others ap- p5ared actually to have been pushing their roots into the moss packing dur ing the journey.
 At Petersen's the palms were taken in
 charge by Director Forbes and the workmen of the experiment station. hauled to the orchard, unpacked, fumigated to destroy scale and noXi- ous insects, the butts soaked in water and the palms then planted as rapidly as possible. Two cars of thirty-five suckers, after Immigration. were re- packed and shipped to Berkeley and Pomona, California, and twenty suckers more were taken to the experimental farm northeast of Phoenix. The re maining 400 occupy a space of about six acres, being planted in two sections, the first section quincunX, twenty feet apart; the second section in the same order thirty feet apart.
 In planting great care was taken not to get the hearts or central cabbages of the palms below the ground level. This error would have caused the rot ting and loss of the suckers. It is also a maxim of the Arabs that for the first fifty days after planting the suckers must be watered every day. In the present arid condition of the irrigation ditches this was no easy task, but the water level is fortunately not far be- low the surface at the orchard tract and a we'll developed abundant water at eight feet, a four-inch San Jose pump and a water wagon now enable a workman to water the palms every day whether the ditches run or not. This will be continued until the critical pSIlOu IOllCNlllS pldLlluS Is past anu the palms have safely rooted and commenced to grow.
 The present condition of the suckers is excellent and a very large percentage bid fair to live and thrive. Much of the Parlatoria scale was found on the young trees, but the fumigatiOns ap- pear to have killed most of this and subsequent fumiga tions in the field will doubtless complete the disinfection.
 Contrary to ones natural judgment the alkali ground in which the palm orchard is located is most excellent for the purpose. It is stated that the quality of the fruit is improved by the alkali, and, indeed, the Arabs are said to collect alkali and place it around their trees. The orchard tract, again, is for tunate in being submerged even at the present extremely dry time, thus les sening the labor of hand irrigation.
 The significance of this experimental orchard especially to the alkaline districts of the warmer southwest, is very great. The date Is a great staple fruit, being the principal food stuff of whole tribes in northern Africa and western Asia. The best dates at the high prices commanded for a good artl- cle should apparently yield as good profits as oranges. If, therefore, these choice imported trees succeed in Ari- | zona, alkali land will be greatly en- hanced in value and an important use discovered for such lands.
 It will ba some three or four years before the trees commence to bear, be- l fore suckers will be available for dis ! tribution to the public, but the date | palm, though slow. is long lived and l extre.s: ly hardy when once estab- lished.