Brownsville herald. [volume], March 28, 1929, Page FIVE, Image 5

About Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current

Image provided by: University of North Texas; Denton, TX

                
Pollenize Now for
Dates, Says Stiles,
And Explains How
By HARVEY C. STILES
Horticulturist. Brownsville
This week begins the season for pollenizing the date palms through
cut the Valley so that they will produce and ripen their peerless fruit.
And if all are properly pollenized there will be this year many tons of
perfect, delicious ripe dates. The most delicious and wholesome of all
sweet fruits, and one of the most valuable of all the food fruits, for use
enner iresn, dried, or still better,'
dehydrated, like the splendid dehy
drated dates sent out by express,
parcel post and (now) mail, from
California.
For 25 years, I have not failed one
year to pollenize date palm trees in
South Texas. First at Rio Grande
City, then at Brownsville and Lar
edo, and since that time from every
section of semi-tropic Texas. From
Eyte Pass to Beaumont, and from
SCi Antonio to Brownsville, and
in several of the Mexican states.
The date industry, for all of this
vast semi-tropic region is now ab
solutely assured by these demonstra
tions.
Tens of thousands of date palm
trees have no wbeen planted, fol
lowing these demonstrations made
firs ton the few date trees I found
here in 1905, when I came here to
develop the semi-tropic acres of
this, that we call the Magic Val
ley—now grown in the citrus in
dustry alone to a hundred million
dollars value.
Tens of thousands of these date
jalms are to be planted this year.
And it will not be long now until
a million dollars yearly will come
to the Valley from fresh and dehy
drated dates, sent out to all parts
of the world, direct to the consumer.
Fresh ripe dates will keep and
ship for some time and long dis
tances, before becoming sofe enough
for eating. And when dehydrated,
will ship and keep indefinitely. So
much for the date fruit and its
value.
But still greater value will ac
t
crue to the Valley, and all semi
tropic Texas, from the remarkable
protective value of the date palm
tree, to the fully 100,000 acres of
citrus fruit trees now planted.
And, added still to this, the sur
passing charm and tropical beauty
of such vast numbers of this fin
est of all the palms that will succeed
here, is impossible to over-stress.
Pollenization Notes
The Pistillate date trees are eas
ily distinguished; and, as these are
the only ones producing, I will de
scribe the flowers of the pistillate
tree, so that no one need mistake
them from the staminate (male)
trees, that produce no fruit, but
are necessary for their pollen, with
out which, artificially applied, there
will be only abortive, worthless fruit.
I have contributed this data every
year, together with instructions how
to pollenize the date, for 25 years,
to the South Texas press, without
charge or hope of reward except the
desire to do a full share in bringing
the inevitable and wonderful devel
opment I knew would come to this
semi-tropic southland that I saw
clearly would inevitably finally sur
pass either Southern California or
Florida in magnitude and value of
its semi-tropic fruit industries.
But such vast numbers of new
home-makers and developers are
coming each month, that I am de
luged with resquests for detailed
data impossible to furnish personal
ly except by appointment and con
solation.
The flower pods are opening this
s
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Swift’s Premium
Hams
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JVhole ..... Per Pound
hln our Market you will find ^
young friers and nice fat hens. J*
Finest quality packing house
products will always be foimd ?
here. 9
weak. The flowerets of the huge
cluster emerging from the pod, from
this week continuing for a month
or more in the case of seedling trees
(and this is fortunate, because it
so safely extends the certainty of
crop from injury, both to bloom
and fruit, from weather conditions,
are easily distinguished; for each
floweret is a tiny rounded berry the
size of a small pea, yellowish-white
at first but soon turning green. Pol
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
it 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 if 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 use. For it would often have
all its bloom, both staminate and
pistillate (or 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 nover a much longer pe
riod and are therefore also safer
from weather conditions as to fruit
maturing.
And indeed it 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 one month, week,
or even one day, during either
blooming or 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 (or 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 soon 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
tion above or among the fruit clus
ters, 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
tion 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 abun
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 it from marauders, insects,
dusts, etc., especially if not protect
ed by a wire netting bag. When
fully ripe, not soft, the huge clus
ters are cut and carried to a warm,
dry room, where they will begin to
soften and become rich, sweet, de
licious bags of honey in a few days;
and continue to so ripen for weeks,
until all have been used up.
As A Windbreak
But the date palm is even more
valuable to the Rio Grande and all
the South Texas country, as protec
tion 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 deflect 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 it has grown, then, other,
more delicate growths can succeed.
It is most efficient in citrus grove
protection if interplanted, 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 deflecting it) from
hard wind, and protecting it also
from sunburn and cold—the ele
ments that we acknowledge as cut
ting citrus results 50 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 w^ays, at
Child-birth
fn/armatioiL
BooksYEEE;
T\7HEN the Little One ^
W arrives yon can have
that moment more free from
suffering than you have per
haps imagined. An eminent
physician, expert in the science of j
childbirth, has shown the way. It f
was he who first produced the great ,
remedy, "Mother's Friend.”
Mrs. C. J. Hartman, Scranton, Pa., I
writes: “With my first two children !
I had a doctor and a nurse and then |
they had to use instruments, but »
with my last two children I used J
“Mother's Friend” and had only a ^
nurse; we hnd no time to get a doc- i
tor because I wasn’t very sick—only j
about ten or fifteen minutes.”
Use “Mother’s Friend” as our
mothers and grandmothers did. Don’t
wait. Start today. “Mother’s Friend”
is sold by all drug stores—everywhere:
By all means get the booklet on
Things to Know Before Baby Comes.
One copy is yours, /res. Writ® for j
it NOW.
BradSeld Residahr Co., Dipt 11, Atlanta, Si. j
t
right angles throughout the citrus
grove at intervals of about 330 feet,
which corresponds to the usual, and
best length of irrigation blocks, is
the next system of protection. This
gives adequate wind protection but
of course not the same aggregate
date-fruit revenue and not the same
protection from sunburn, a sinter
planting, tree for tree.
Date Palm Beauty
No palm that succeeds in the
Valley equals the date palm in
beauty and grace. The Canary is
land or so-called “ornamental” or
"false date” is beautiful of foliage,
but ungraceful of trunk, that part
being swollen and grotesque; and it
should be planted only where it can
be allowed to assume its natural
low, sprawling growth; but never
along highway, roads, drives, or
chards or in restricted or valuable
small grounds.
Marketing the Date
The truly splendid dehydrated
dates we are now getting from the
date groves of California and Ari
zona, show question that there is no
limit as to market for such a prod
uct so delicious could go out yearly
by parcel post, express, etc., direct
ly to consumers.
Reducing the cost to the consum
er from the extravagant prices of
75 cents to $1 per pound, which
these California dates now cots, will
increase their consumption a thou
sand fold, they are so delicious, and
so wholesome and nourishing.
The transformation in beauty
that will come from the planting of
date palms throughout the Valley
can be easily forseen and the fame
of it also; for the date palm is what
is always meant, in classic or ori
ental literature when the palm is
mentioned; and its beauty so far
surpasses that of any of the fan
palms or the so-called “ornamen
tal” date, that it seems incredible
that either of these would be sub
stituted or used, where the true date
does so well.
I am always glad to assist at date
pollenizing time, by consultation,
advice or other means, in causing
as many as possible of the date
palms now in the Valley to be pol
lenized and so produce their splen
did fruit; and this particularly, that
more date palms shall be planted
until their beautiful presence shall
turn this fair land into a truly trop
ical landscape as well as produce
their splendid fruit and protect our
citrus groves.
No tree of any sort will grow and
give its wonderful beauty and de
licious fruit on lands so salty, \ra
ter-logged or “seeped,” as date
palms. Most surprising and con
vincing proofs of this statement
are in my possession and available
to all who want to help bring this
Valley to “its own.”
Date trees making good on soil
that is 40 per cent pure salt, and
on land with seepage water-table 8
inches from the surface; but of
course, they do their best there.
Hays And Sons Will
Build For Plumbing
Shop At San Benito
(Special to The Herald)
SAN BENlTO, March 28.—Bids
for the construction of a $15,000
building here for Hays & Sons,
plumbers of Brownsville, will be
opened April 15, and construction
will be started soon after that date,
E. H. Hays, manager of the com
pany here, announced today.
The building is to be located on
Stenger street, several blocks from
the main business section. The
property was purchased several
months ago by the company.
Plans for the building are being
drawn by Robert L. Vogler of Edin
burg, and bids will be opened at
his office.
The building will be 55 by 100
feet, with a solid plate glass front.
I twill be of brick, trimmed in stone,
with a tile floor, and wrill be one
i story.
NABS MAN UNDER BED
ST. PAUL, Minn.—Mrs. J. C.
Johnstone pulled a burglar from
under her bed and marched him
to the police station.
MILE ICE
JAM FOUGHT
_
Water Backed Up For Miles
Inundates Farms In
North Dakota
BISMARCK. N. D., March 28.—
Army engineers in charge of efforts
to break the ice gorge in the Mis
souri river south of here today es
timated 50,000,000 tons of ice are
obstructing the flow of water. The
jam was estimated to be 20 miles
in length.
While gauge readings here indi
! cated the high water mark of the
| flood season had been passed, down
stream the level was higher than
at any other time since the gorge
formed.
Major G. R. Young, in charge of
operations, who estimate* the
weight of the ice .arranged to make
another survey flight over the ice
field with a view to determining
the most effective methods of con
tinuing dynamiting.
Wednesday 1,000 pounds of dyna
mite was exploded and army offi
cials declared operations must be
continued. Although the great
weight of water pressing rown on
the gorge is slowly breaking it up,
they said, unless the work is speed- i
ed, the flow of water may be block- \
ed for days.
Lowlands in this vicinity re- i
mained inundated as the level con- i
tinned above the 15.2 foot flood •
stage. The crest of 18.5 feet was
reached Wednesday.
-—-i
Keeping children well is easy
when mother can read the early
symptoms of childhood's ills.
If little ones are fretful, pale,
languid, won’t eat and want to be
mothered; when they often get
colds and sore throat and seem
feverish, depend upon it the bowels
are sluggish. You notice unpleasant
breath when you kiss them—sure
sign of constipation and a sour
stomach.
Give a little alifornia Fig Syrup
to purify the system and see how
quickly it restores strength, appe
tite and joyous spirits. It acts
without pain and gently cleanses
the bowels cf constipated Waste
which causes feverishness, sours the
digestion and keeps the little one
sickly and backward.
If you suspect measles or some
other children’s disease, give a dose
cf California Fig Syrup without
delay. The doctor will praise your
forethought. California Fig Syrup
is the finest laxative in the world
for children. It suits them per
fectly and they love its delicious
taste. For a child who is habitual
ly constipated there is no other
remedy to equal California Fig Sy
rup for coaxing the bowels back to
healthy regularity. If you have a
child who is troublesome in this
way try California Fig Syrup. Get
a bottle today. All drug stores
have it.
California Fig Syrup has been
trusted by the world's mothers fox
over 30 years. That is why the
word “California” should be em
phasized when buying.
INDEPENDENT
GROCERS j
I MAY NOW TAKE ADVANTAGE OF |
1 THIS OPPORTUNITY TO BUY AT |
§ THE SAME RATES AS THE CHAIN |
1 STORE §
If Our line of groceries represents about
« 70 % of the most important merchandise
fi that you handle and we offer them at
1; lower prices than any other wholesale
j house in this territory.
| You may buy your groceries from us in
| smaller quantities and still get the same
■J rates that larger firms get by buying in
i larger quantities.
I Garcia-Gomez & Co. |
s Brownsville, Texas
3 Free Delivery to Any Part of the Valley
-. ... — ■ ■' - ■■3
t|a !||| 1-Pound Can (The 5%Op ]||
La Coffee that lets you sleep) .Uvlf ja
jL p Folger’s, | p i||
fiala 1-Pound can .U 8 y |g§
. , —It.-r ~*.‘Tk <sr1 n -■>-- ta'■TOtpmgriMBl’ynW «P*?i»mmrilA;l!W3'TW.JtlWltU»MiirgqnaMMI—BPMBS^Wi
^ 1
P P
No. 2 Can, I
Van Camps,
|i|j g in our Sanitary Markets at BROWNSVILLE, SAN BEN- || j|9
K . | ITO and HARLINGEN we offer the following specials | |1
1| | FRIDAY and SATURDAY, MARCH 29 and 30th. 11
pjj | uraanM-*. | H
STEW MEAT, per pound.. 15c 11
I I FISH FILET, boneless, per pound.33c j j|
Ij BACON, sliced, rindless, per pound.32c 9
I ROAST, Baby Beef, per pound ...22c I
8 I PICNIC HAMS, per pound . .19c |
| We Also Carry Dressed Poultry and Fresh Fish H
^aggfflgjgr/gsaftmiiiwinjtrw-btosim————
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