The sun., 1903-12-27
HOW ARIZONA COR DATES.
Pioneer Put Seeds In His Pocket al a Dinner
In san Francisco.
From the Baltimore sun.

From the baltimore sun.
PHGNIx, Ariz, Dec 2O.-lt was by II curious
accident that the first date trees were grown
here One OF the pioneer residents of the
Salt River Valley was visiting in San Fran
cisco twenty years ago One evening some
imported dates we're passed around at a social
gathering AT which he was a g7lest
The polite disposition Of the date pits
bothered him for a few minutes. until he
decided not to swallow them or throw them
on the carpet. but to put them in his pocket
When he returned in Phoenix some weeks
later his wife discovered the date pits
reposing in the coat pocket where he had
placed them. When she was told what
they were. and how they came to be there
she was inspired to plant them, to see If they
! would grow.
With no idea that fruit would ever come
of it, the date pits were planted and care
fully tended As was natural in an rri
gated country. the planting was done along
II ditch through which water was distrib-
buted from the canal to the thirsty land
The seeds sprouted and the sprouts grew
Years Went by and the palms Increased in
size. until finally they blossomed
BY this time the owners had become enough
Interested to seek all the available informa-
ton on date culture. 1t was found that in
their native country the date trees have u
distinct sex and unless the blossoms are
properly pollenized they will not mature
| perfect fruit Ordinarily the male trees
keps IN m'd the "s eyStea oreSards % S %he1 the he
| female trees are in blossom. bloom from
! the male trees ia sought. cut on and hung
| bees transfer its pollen to the other bios
SONS. The result is the perfect fruit of
commerce
| were both male and female trees among
| those which grew from the pits and II was
an easy matter TO po!!eniAe the blossoms
| hat IL, fnrn
| the trees came into bearing thoy put forth
! suckers or shoots sprouting FROM the stem,
ably in circle about the parent tree. SO that
| the good varieties were readily distinguished
and the poor ones allowed to die out. One
| of the rginal trees was removed several
| yards from the spot where il had made it's
| nrst six or seven years growth and. aside
il Is now fionrisi.ing as well as any In ali,
twenty-five trees Of all ages and all sprung
The blossoms are sent OF from below the
oldest leaves on The trrSH; a1r ana as me fri,
y. rIo SSns s Ike Se s1o asys hans
like stems. on which the dates grow t'ickly
the stem ia called broom, ard 1t looks not
unlkc that common household article As
tho dates 20 on toward maturity they become
| heavier. until the stem Ia bent oownward
| in a curve and the straws hang st<aight down
with their burden Of fruit. ~
brown. , the dates ripen and the flavor Of
| the date fresh from the tire" Il as different
| from that Of the dried article OF commerce
| as is the fresh graye from the rnisin.
| Some of the lunches OF dates attain n
weight OF forty to fifty pounds. and half
| dozen may grow on tree IL is common for a
| tree to bear 100 pounds Of fruit IN season
| Ordinarily the trees bear fruit every other
year. although some are known TO bear every
| year with an oCasional rNc"ntion.
must have it, head in the IRE and its ''-s roots
| in the water" or, In other words. be grown
in an arid region with little rainfall. but with
| an abundance Of moisture ut the roots These
| conditions 1re found in the Salt River Valley,
| and for that reason the government has estab.
| lshed an experimental farm, Of ten Hcrcs
ture As the dates do not grow true to seed,
| following the habit OF other fruits In that
! respect. IL has been found more satisfactory
| TO grow the palms from suckers
| These were brought from Arabia planted,
! and now some OF the varieties are maturing
/ fruit As there are only limited number
! OF suckers from each tree, in order TO es-
| tablish the date growing industry on large
scale II VIII be necessary necessary to- 1S import large
! done with success until the experiments
! now being carried on show which varieties
| will do best in their new environment
In the case Of seeding trees. the plants
| may be cultivated for several years. until
/ they blossom, before IL can be determined
to which sex they belong, and then the va
| riety may not he good one. The sex of u
sucker is the same as the plant from which
| it is taken, so that once the desirable variety
| Ia determined it is only question OF remov-
| ing the suckers and planting them in order
| to perpetuate II.