Imperial Valley press., 1912-10-25
DATES GENERALLY OF GOOD
QUANTITY AND FINE FLAVOR


season when the important facts about
the date industry are being proven
and demonstrated. At private orchards
and at the government gardens the
! harvest season is on in earnest. Some
of the earlier varieties are all pick ID
by this time, but the choice large va
rieties from Algeria, Tunis and other
North African countries are now at
| their best.
The Deglet Moor is showing up in
! first order. Being the most common
and best known variety, it has had an
especial chance to demonstrate its
| commercial qualities. The offshoots of
| this variety of palm are bearing in
! splendid style. It's seedlings, all over
| the valley, are producing marketable
fruit and occasionally one finds a seed
ling that is equal if not the superior
Of the expensive imported offshoots.
At the Mecca date garden, where
the government officials are carrying
on numerous experiments, there are a
number of Deglet Moor palms raised
from offshoots that are bearing a
good quantity of fruit this year. The
/ quality is excellent An occasional
bunch of fruit is found infested by
the red spider, but preventive that
is both inexpensive and effective has
been found. Early in the season a
spray of warm water will eliminate
them completely. These palms have
been heavily fertilized for three years
with stable manure. Their growth and
fruit show the result of such attention.
The Deglet Moor is classed as a semi
dry date. There is another variety
called the Thory. This is a dry date
and is pronounced as of an excellent
flavor by many who have tried it. In
fact, probably a majority of people
prefer the dry dates. The Thory this
year is bearing an abundant crop.
Another well known variety of date
is the Rhars. This date is at present
imported into this country in small
quantities and is one of the best dates
ever coming on to the American mar
ket. The really high class dates never
are shipped to this country for general
market. The Rhars offshoots are max
ing a good growth, but until this year
considerable difficulty has been expert
enced with polarization This season
a successful method was discovered,
and it bore a large crop of fruit. The
Rhars is a very early variety and
classed as a soft date. 1t is the most
difficult to handle of all the northern
African varieties experimental with so
far. The Rhars seedlings on private
grounds are doing very we'll Many
of them approach the standard of quail
ity of the parent tree.
very striking picture is presented
by the Hamraya date palm in fruit
ing season. The dates are of a bright
red color and exceedingly pretty. The
Hamraya palms at Mecca are eight
years old and have borne in previous
seasons, but this year are doing espe-
cially well. However, this date is a
poor keeper and for that reason may
not be very popular later.
The propagation of dates from seed
was at first looked upon as futile.
However, the seedlings have demon
strated their value more and more ev-
cry year since the first ones came into
bearing. There is a great deal of vari-
alton in the quality of the fruit pro-
duced by seedlings grown even from
seeds from the same tree. The Deg
let Moor has shown the greatest vari
alton in its seedlings fruit However,
there seems to be less variation than
formerly in this palm. Some other
varieties show much less variation
when produced from seed, notably the
larger North African varieties, such as
the Taflat.
The Tim joohert, a large date native
to the oasis of Mzab, Algeria, is also
doing very well here. One palm prop
agated from an offshoot imported
several years ago is bearing well this
year The Timjoohert is much supe-
rior to the Rhars, which is classed as
a second class date. However, many
Rhars seedlings excel the parent tree
somewhat.
The Tim joohert is a red date. There
are seven bearing trees at Mecca. It
is the largest of the red varieties, and
sensitive to rain and damp weather in
summer, but a very good keeper after
being picked.
Another date from Mzab is bearing
good fruit. 1t is the Tafaseveen.
Most of these names are hard TO
pronounce, but here's one many will
be familiar with, Keerbosh. This palm
is bearing only light crop. The
fruit is of a medium large size and
round in shape.
There are two Kesba trees. One has
seven large punches and the other
eight. They are heavily loaded and a
promising variety.
There is a similar date, also from
Mzab, Algeria. 1t is the Kseba.
Nearby a healthy looking tree is
bearing a good crop of fruit. The
dates are small and of a light color
This is the A'ooshet
One of the most priced varieties of
> orchard iS the TaZiZa'nnt
This is a large date, and the trees
are bearing a fair crop this year. Hith-
erto they have been a complete fail
ure on account of the Marlatt scale
This scale is now under absolute con-
troll, and will in short time be COM
pletely eradicated. The Taziza'oot is
a very pretty tree and the foliage has
no thorns.
There are also a few Egyptian palms
bearing, but the Egyptian varieties are
not showing up as well as they might.
They are not first class date.
The Tunsian varieties are making a
splendid growth this season. Several
have borne previously, but a better
test is obtained this year. Among
them is the lone palm of the famous
Menaker variety. 1t is a very rare
Date ana almost eNllHcl III IT'S HdLlNt
home. The fruit is large in size and
thought to be superior to the Deglet
Moor.
The Menaker is bearing an excellent
quality of fruit this season. The palm
at Mecca is seven years old and large
for it's age. 1t bears a very beautiful
foliage.
The ordinary cheap date of commerce
which reaches this country is the Fard.
There are no Fard offshoots in the
Coachella valley, but there are few
at the Tempe, Ariz, government sta
ton. The Fard seedlings are showing
up well.
Seeding propagators will be inter-
ested in knowing that so far no fe-
male Seeding of the northern African
varieties has failed to produce market
able fruit, even though they are often
times a little inferior to the offshoots.
Up to this time the highest class of