The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-08-22

Tvcnty Million Pounds OF Dates
Grown Last Year-The Palm Gar
dcis of Arizona-The Date Trees
of the Sahara and the Persian Gulf
How the Fruit Was Introduced
breeding New Varieties-AH About
the Fig and the BlaStOphagas,
Little Insect Whose Eggs Are Worth
tlilions-Thc Masiin Fig Orchard.
Copyright, 1911, by Frank G.. Car
penter)
Washington, D. c., Aug. 19-Uncle
Sam raised enough dates last year to
give every man, woman and child
in the country a handful and leave
some to spare. The amount was TO-,
000 900 pounds, and the fruit was as
fine as that which comes from the
GASES of the Sahara. Much Of it was
raised about the Salton sea- in south
trn california, where it is to hot that
the hens are said to lay boiled eggs
and where. as is alleged by others,
there Is only a sheet Of brown paper
between it and the lower regions.
Other dates were grown IN the Rio
Grande valley Of Texas, and others
on the scOrching sands of southern
Arizona. The Arabs say that the date
palm must have it's feet in the water
and its head in the burning sun
Those are the conditions in many
parts Of our great Southwest The
sun IS white hot, but by irrigation
the palms are kept moist, and they
produce this delicious fruit, which
contains more sugar than any other
on earth. These potential date regions
are very extensive. I have been in
uuMing about them Of the Agricul-
turai department, and Mr.. Walter T.
oWlngle, who has special charge Of
thls industry, tells me that we have
SeVeral million acres that will raise
excellent dates. and that we could, if
we would supply all the dates that
are eaten by man.
The Dates of the Sahara.
BUT before I give you my talk with
PROFESSOR Swingle. let me take you
tnrough some of the date countries
OF the world. Many Of our dates
come from the Sahara, that great
stretch of desert which runs across
t'orth Africa, covering almost as much
iahd as the whole United States. I
nave VISITED number Of it's GASES,
ana have picked dates from the
trees.
ult Lhe oases are garden spots in this
vast region Of sand and rock There
are $4,000 square miles of them, a
terrltory equal to twice that of Ohio,
hentucky and Virginia, and upon all
oi them the chief crop is dates.
Gach oasis is measured, not by it's
area, but by the number of date trees
- contains, and the French Of Moroc-
20 ana Algeria tax the people accord
ing to the size Of ther orchards
Dates have the same place in the
oahara that our wheat has in the
North and cotton in the South II
Is the money crop, and the chief sup
port OF the people. 1t is the date
mat loads the caravans of camels
tnat move to and fro over the desert
~ might also be called the bread
OF the Sahara, for in some places
oeing led to the camels and even
to dogs.
Ihis date stock feed. however, is
ai1erent from the fruit We have in
america The GASES have as many
hlhuS or dates as we have apples
mere are more than 100 different
cate palms in the Sahara, and many
Others in the Persian gulf region
Inc dates we eat are full of sugar
and are so soft and juicy that they
must be drained before being pack
ed. The favorite date of the Sahara
IS dry date. which can be kept 8
long time. and which is som etimes
puiVerized and so cooked. Another
GATE Is deliciousiy sweet. It is Of 9
yellow color, and is as plump as 6
prune before 1T is pressed.
Persian Gulf Dates.
One Of the most interesting dat,
regions Of the world is about tn,
Persian Gulf in the valley of the Eu
pnrates. not far from where tht
rover of Babel once stood. and neal
the supposed location Of the Garder
or Eden. I have talked about thi
country with Mr. David Fairchild. th'
agricultural explorer. who has gone
around the world, like watch spring