Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1929-03-28

az 4AoO bUb DULL Jul llI1lS SICCll. VI
lenating must be done as soon as
the pod opens, and while the tiny
stigmaS on the top of the berries
are fresh and in condition to receive
each a grain of pollen and convey
1t down to the ovary that, when so
pollenated (and only if pollenate),
becomes the rich date fruit.
Usually this must be done the Sec
ond day after the flowerets emerge
from the pod. But II there is rain,
or cool, wet weather that day, there
Is little use to pollenize date blooms.
And this illustrates the useleSsness
Of a single variety of date tree for
our Isl For it would often have
all its bloom, both staminate and
pistillate Cor either) destroyed by
unfavorable weather.
However, as stated, seeding date
palms usually bloom for several
weeks, much longer than "offset"
or variety" trees, propagated on
the female line solelyl. And they
also ripe mover a much longer pc
Rod and r therefore also safer
from weather conditions as to fruit
maturing.
And indeed 1t should be under
stood that any single variety date,
propagated from offsets, as has been
fallaciously advocated, will be many
times more cetarin to fail because
Of weather conditions, affecting
bloom as well as fruit. For there
is absolutely not month, week,
or even n day, during either
blooming " fruit maturing time,
in which there may not be rain,
that might affect somewhat the pol
lenizing Of bloom and final matur-
ing Of fruit.
But to these risks, seedlings, with
their long season of both bloom and
maturity, will be far less susceptible
than the special dry country" var
iety, advocated by a certain writer.
The Staminate tree is also easily
distinguished when the flower pod
opens Cor earlier If one cares to
cut open the pod) for examination,
will show which sex it is; as the
floweretS have only petals and sta
menS-no berries .
The staminate flowers are ready
for use in pollenizing, as 500 as
the fine ,yellowish-white, dust-like
pollen can be seen.
The easiest way, then, is to cut
off the entire cluster, enclose in a
paper bag, carry to the pistillate
fruiting) tree, and shake the pollen
over and among the flowers clusters
that are then ready. After this is
done as completely as practical, it
is well to tear the used pollen clus-
ter into pieces, and fasten a por-
ton above or among the fruit clus-
tiers, for utilizing pollen grains not
yet fallen, or fruit-floWers not yet
quite ready, the next day or later.
AS, on seedlings, the blooming
time is fortunately long extended,
IS necessary to repeat the polleniza-
ton work at intervals Of three or
four days as long as new clusters
come On the pistillate tree.
A supply of pollen should be as
sured, by cutting and drying the
Staminate flower clusters, shaking
out and drying the pollen, so that
pollen is ready for use when the
fruit flowers are ready.
Branches below the fruit clusters,
usually dead or at least, ripe. and
useless to the tree, should be kept
cut off, so the clusters can hang
free from tangled (tho one branch
sometimes IS used to support its
weight) and so that a fine wire
mesh bag may be slipped over the
entire bunch, and tied tight around
the stem. to protect it from birds
and animals. insects dust filth of
all sorts and plundering, as it nears
maturity
Irrigation
Give the fruiting date trees album
dant irrigation, from the time the
fruit Is the size of peas until fully
grown; but none after fully grown.
Do not gather the fruit until it is
fully mature as Is usually done to
save 1t from marauders, insects,
dusts, etc., especially if not protect
ed by a wire netting bag. When
fully ripe, not soft, the huge clus-
tiers are cut and carried to a warm,
dry room, where they will begin to
soften and become rich, sweet, de-
llc1ouS bags OF honey in a few days;
n continue to so ripen for weeks,
until all have been used up.
As A Windbreak
But the date palm is even o
valuable to the Rio Grande and all
the South Texas country, as protec-
ton for our seven million citrus
fruit treets, from wind, sunburn
and cold, than for its splendid fruit.
No solid obstruction or structure
can either break or defect the wind.
That Is why Athel fails and the date
palm endures as a windbreak. It
resists the tearing sweeping gales
OF both coaSt-plains, and desert.
And after 1t has grown, then, other.
more delicate groWthS car succeed.
1t Is most efficient in citrus grove
protection II Unexplained, tree for
tree, In the north and south citrus
tree rows; one for each citrus, US
ing the same number Of citrus as if
the dates were not there; for in four
or five years, their tops are raised
clear above the citrus trees, then
making for all time the mots perfect
protection (by DETECTING it, from
hard wind, and protecting it also
from sunburn and cold-the ele-
mentS that we acknowledge as cut
ting citrus results so per cent. This
protection will double the value of
the citrus crop. And as the date
trees will produce fruit equal in
value to the citrus, the protection
Of citrus groves by date palms is
too logical for the sound thinking
investor to ignore.
Double-row (staggered) belts of
date palms planted both ways, at