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


suckers went to California. and some
nave been sent to an extensive date
region which is now being tested near
Laredo, Texas. Not a few SO imported
are growing in the Imperial valley of
southern California. Mr.. SWingle tells
me that dates may be grown IN Cali
fornia as far north as Sacramento.
but that the finest varieties Will sue
ceed best about Yuma, Ariz., and on
the SOuthernmOst edge of California.
There is no use attempting TO grow
them where the temperature falls be-
low 5 Fahrenheit, and the hotter the
better. There are some regions in
Nevada where dates might grow, and
this is 50 also in New Mexico and
all long the hot Rio Grande river N
Texas with tie exception Of a short
distance near the mouth where the
moist winds from the Gulf of Mexico
make the summer too cool to ripen
the fruit
1t is a singular thing that the fruit
seems to thrive on an alkali soil. In
some Of the orchards which are now
weeds will not spring up on it and
nothing but desert plants can be
grown.
Breeding Fine Dates.
Mr. Swingle expects that the United
States will some day produce dates
superior to any now grown. The
Arabs have tried to perpetuate the
old varieties, using the shoot OF
suckers Of the date trees rather thar
seedlings for planting new groves
| This has been the same IN Persia anC
elsewhere 1t is different in our date
gardens Of the West. The scientist
there are taking the best Of the ole
varieties and breeding new ones. They
have hundreds Of different kinds and
/ are producing others each year. The
trees are male and female, and Uncle
Sans match makers are marrying
! the best specimens Of each variety
with an idea that the children tha,
come from the seeds will have the
best qualities Of each parent With
this view the Department Of Agricul-
ture is sending out thousands Of seeds
and urging the farmers Of those hot
arid regions to set out date gard
| This is comparatively cheap when the
trees are grown from the seeds and
the date orchards once in bearing
| prove enormously profitable. The
trees begin to fruit in three years. and
the dates sell at retail for from 1C
to so cents pound, according tc
quality. The average yield Of a Degle
| Moor palm is put at from 88 to 81
| pounds, and an estimate Of $50 profi
| per acre a year is not out Of the way
Even counting only Is pounds to g
| tree, an acre should yield 1000 cr s.
600 pounds wear.
There is no doubt but that the de-
mand for dates can be greatly in
creased The California Fruit Grow
ers' Association has by advertising G
and marketing added 33 per cent tc
| the demand for oranges in Iowa. and
it is spending 100000 this year tC
| increase the sale of that fnuit in
Illinois, Wisconsin and other States
The same may be done with the date
This fruit is the great dessert food
of France, and a box Of fine dates
forms the chief Christmas present
there The Agricultural Department
believes that the time will come wheI
dates will be consumed by our peo-
Pile much as oranges are now. anG
they tell me that we have the sol
anC climate which can supply any
demand.
Our Big Fig Crop.
Another tropical fruit which is now
affecting California, Arizona and
Texas, as we'll as other parts Of TIE
West is the Smyrna fig. This frui
can be raised over great area. ano
there is no doubt but that we coult
produce all we consume. Neverthe.
less. nine tenths Of our figs still come
from abroad and we are importing
100000 pounds every year. Cali
fornia has long realized the money
that might be made out Of the bust
ness, and it has tried again and agair
| to go into it. 1t did not succeed. how
ever. until Mr. Swingle brought here
!from Asia Minor the blastophagas
land trained it to work in the harnes:
of the horticulturist
| I wonder If you have ever heard ot