Arizona republican., 1917-03-25

The supply of tree sand shoots in this country is almost negligible. The trees are raised from shoots. which are sold at from s7 to s10 each, and a tree will cost aboat $50 although it is not usual to transplant the oldec trees. So it is seen that tie matter of raising a date orchard, as deter mined by the long time required to get the trees into bearing. becomes largely one of financial resources And of course the grower must know the peculiaTities of the plant
 The Hayani trees of Egypt arc hardier than the Deglet Moor. and with careful cultivation will produce from 2c0 to 800 pounds a year. The price received for thre fruit is lower, but MT Johnson thinks this type may eventually De the great producer if the industry becomes established in the United States. This tree has been thoroughly tested out at Tempe, in the Salt river valley near Phoe- nix, Arizona. It propaSates faster than the DeSlet Moor, producing near ly double the ,number of offshoots each wear, and win come into bearing one or two years earlier The mar ket price for Hayani dates would probably run about 10 cents a pourd. and this would be somewhat reduced when a good many dates were at first put on the market and later should rise again as the people become edu- cated to a greater consumption.
 The Dromedary dates now raised on the Persian gulf can be shipped, when boat is chartered, in lots ot two or three thousand tons at about s5 ton, and in the last 10 years with this product coming steadily into America tfe price has doubled. In 19G23 these dates could be purchased in New York markets for or cents, and quite recently they cold for z and s. This is due to the fact that the demand has increased faster than the supply These statistics are of importance in considering local pro- duction. It is interesting to note that recently the price of Dromedary dates has risen to 12 and 15 cents Upon being asked as to this, MT Johnson said that perhaps the transportation facilities were interfered with on ac. count of the upset affairs of the European countries that handle this business. The dates may be higher priced merely to keep :n line with the rising market for all food products which is at present felt. Other wise, the quotation ought to real lower, as the consumption in central Europe
 
 great extent because of the war. There are some 40,100, ,000 bearing trees or the Persian gulf and they bear 40 to 90 bounds to the tree. This low output per tree, as compared to what is expected from the well-tend ed trees in Arizona. iss accounted for by the lack of attention by many of the inferior peoples in Arabia who raise dates as a mattr of course.
 The polenizing of date trees as now practiced is strictly ont of the ordinary in the field of agriculture It is commonly understood that dates have to be pollenized,' out the de tails of the why and the when of this process are not a matter of general knowledge. The fruit grows 3n the female tree and when the bloom ap pears small branch or twig of the blossom of the male tree is tried onto that of the female tree. This must be done within four or five days after the bloom appears and needs prompt and painstaking attention is a good crop is to be taken off. One twig thus used will pollenize a stem oi dates and the rule is to have l male tree to 200 or 300 of the producing trees