The Imperial press., 1904-11-05
Date Culture

Ouine to thc general interest which is lpiuu manifested in the introduction ul date culture In California where sult- nllp coil. irrigation aud climatic con. shtions prevail, it scvms timely that rortr definite statement le nade re. par,line the status ul the industry and tbc chances ioi ns ultimate sucvcss. The establishment oi an experimental tlantatiou in the Saltuu basin, within the borders ol our state, has arous,si a lac.ine interest iu the enterprise winch threatens to assume daugcrvus 'bvom ,,rotottions. To allow this bDon Ia continue would result iu giving the iu- dustry a setback which t would take many years to overcome. shall lhcr'-' fore m the course ot what have |" say on the subject advise a cunscTNauNc anu careful consideration ui thc matter tt-- fore any extended planting Is decided npon.
 The impression that the date palm is adau,ed la all desert cuuditiCns-soit, alkali, trough, etc, is wholly rTrvnv- ms one. V hile palms WIll live and grow under excrt-da sly uuiaNurAole conditions they are not fruitful unless certain coalitions prevail. The one IuI- t.ortant condition Which should br kept in mind, above all others. Is ihc pres ence of an unfAiling aud abundant sup nlV of irrigation water. The date rt.- oulrrs enormous quantities Uf water in or,ier io ripcn Ii> fruit successfully Where A shortage Ii water Is liable Ia occur. the date Iuaim is a precari"iis cnltur,. to engage in. In order io give some idea of the quantity oi water i'ec- essary to carry on date culture success fullv 1 need only mention ibc iaci that inc French have found an average oi llO gallons per palm per day Ia be r''- ouirrd during ihe four months cunI- rrisine the hot season or ihe Sahara Desert
 While the date requires gool supply oi moisture around IIs roots the iol's will withstand the hottest, driesi wea- finer In fact. ii is only where a hot, dry climate prevails that the palm viii proy. profiinble. \ weli-known ATao nroy.rb runs "Tlle date palm, the queen of trees. must have her feet III running water and her head in the burning sky. From this II will bc seen that the date palln Is not essentially desert plant III ibe same sense that We consider tte cactus, the yucca, or other plants which prow and fruit on the desert situations with a minimum water supply.
 Another determining factor in the successful culture of the date palm is winter temperature. While the palm will withstand more cold than tn. orange tree ii is not as hardy As the peach and perhaps not so hardy as the fiy tree. Winter temperature, then is of prime importance, h-1cAuse II should not be iorgUtten that while The orange and the fig may be able to sproui again, if killed by lhe cold, there ls no such chance for the date palm. IL has only one growing bud and when that is de=- troyed the palm dies. We cannot lay too much stress upon this factor m the introduction of the date palm. It is a weIl-known fact that on our so-cAii.d deserts the temperatures are exee'7d- insly high in summer aud rather low in winter. IL will therefore be necessary to determine with certainty both the summer and winter temperatur-- Oe- fore we can hope to succeed with the date palm.
 It has come 10 orT notice that number of persons are thinking oi en- gazing in date culture, and some have gone 50 far as to order date palms from the Sahara Desert. IL is Ia caution these people that this article is written. While we do not in any way wish to interfere with the extension of the date :1,,.,~, |, d. as vet tDY early 10 Eay