Imperial Valley press., 1913-06-23

ICLuCuy Out W VIC w ehC "SSo
either sell them at sacrifice or, more
probably, destroy them outright.
When we remember that offshoots Of
good varieties cost from five to ten
| times as much as grated plants Of
other fruit trees and that to establish
them in the field amounts to the roofing
Of a cutting in open ground, which is
very costly operation requiring great
skill and the most scrupulous attention.
we realize that to bring date palms into
hearing costs very much more per acre
| than to grow any other orchard crop.
1t is then obvious that growers who
| have only a limited capital to invest
can scarcely afford to experiment with
untested varieties. 1t is not enough
| that the varieties should be valuable in
their native country, and it is not even
enough that they should fruit success
| fully in this country. 1t must be proved
| that their culture can be carried on
commercially with reasonable certain
| ty Of success. Many otherwise desir-
able date varieties do not cure We'll.
and consequently are hard to market.
! Each date variety must be studied most
carefully over term of years before
| It's culture on a commercial scale can
| be recommended.
At present less than a dozen vari-
cites among the 200 or more on trial
at the government date gardens in the
Southwest can be said to be well
enough known to warrant planting on
a1 scala Tho npulpf
and the TazizaOOt can be recommended
for orchard planting in the Coachella
and Imperial valleys of California; the
Halawi, the Khadrawi, the Maktum and
the Birket ell Hadji are promising for
cooler regions, such as the Salt river
valley Of Arizona, and may be planted
in the California dale regions on a
scale not too large for the early mar
kets: the Rhars is excellent for home
use as a fresh date. hut is Of little
commercial value: the Theory is a dry
date Of great promise. but it is as yet
doubtful whether dry dates can be
marketed advantageously on large
scale without an expensive publicity
| campaign.
1t must be clearly understood that to
| plant other varieties that are new or
| inaiequately tested involves consid-
cradle element of risk. The fact that
| tii'F uPpCul CutlSlutlpIN III lilt Ditl
world deserts is no guarantee thai
! they will grow. bear and rpen fruit
| properly in the Southwest or that their
| fruit will be acceptable to American
| buyers. Any planting of a variety on
a large scale before it has been thor
Oughly tested must be considered as
a speculation, since the planter runs
the risk of finding out that the variety
is unsuited to his conditions. These
having the means and the interest to
test out such little known varieties
under IS many different soil and eli
matte conditions as possible will render
valuable service to their community.
1t would be much safer for those
who expect to grow dates on a com
mercial scale to limit themselves at
! first TO those varieties that have been
tested by the department Of agriculture
and to learn all phases OF the culture,
curing. packing and marketing Of the
fruit Of one or more Of the standard
varieties. This is the best possible
preparation for the efficient culture Of
new sorts when they have been tested
enough in the government or other
adequately supervised testing gardens
to render it desirable to test them ON
commercial scale in private culture.
Much misinformation has been
spread in regard to Seeding dates. For
some years the department OF agricul-
ture has been furnishing gratis seeds
ers SO that the latter could at slight
expense famliarize themselves with
the culture Of date palms. Up to June,
1911. imported OffshOots We're offered
as bonus to those who set out seed
ling dates in prescribed form. In this
way it was possible for farmer to
learn date culture and even to obtain
OffshOOts of choice imported varieties
a. little or no cash outlay, since it was
p1ssible to set out a seeding date
orchard by plowing up and planting
tC dates narrow strips in fields planted
to alfalfa or other field crops.
The quality Of the seed distributed
by the department Of agriculture has
steadily improved as it became possible
to use pedigreed male palms in pol
lination Of the date palms that fur
niShed the seed. 1t is hoped in the
case Of the Deglet Moor that the de-
partment will be able in o few years
to supply seed Of the best attainable
breeding qualify. e., giving the high
est attainable percentage Of seedlings
Of the Deglet Moor type.
Every grower of seeding dates has
a chance Of originating new and Supe-
riOr varieties. though it must be said
that only very small percentage Of
the seeding dates are good enough
to warrant prOpagating the variety. Al
ready a number of valuable seeding
dates have been originated in the SaltOn
basin, and doubtless many more will
come to light within the next few
years when tens of thousands Of seed
ling dates now being grown come into
full bearing. Another very important
advantage of seeding dates is that if
kept properly isolated from imported
date palms they are absolutely free
from all Parlatoria and PhoenicOcoccus
scales that infest most, il not all, the
imported palms.
Seeding dates, however, are very
poorly adapted to familiarizing the
grower with the best methods Of cur
tree is different, the crop varies greatly
in quality and time Of ripening and it
IS practically impossible to put any
standard brands on the market. The
proper marketing Of dates can be
learned much more easily by the grow
er Of standard varieties prOpagated
from OffshoOts. Every Seeding date
grower should plant as soon as posi-
BILE an orchard with OffshOOtS of Deglet
Moor or other standard variety adapted
to his conditions, so he can familiarize
himself with the vitally important pro-
cesses Of curing, packing and market
ing dates.
On the other hand, every grower of
imported dates should plant a seeding
date orchard in. the hope Of originating
valuable new varieties, to secure sup
ply of male trees to supply pollen,
and to have plants upon which to eX
pertinent in transplanting, cutting Off