Imperial Valley Press

LONG BEACH MAN CALLS ATTENTION TO DATE PALMS

El Centro and Imperial Valley may have a new industry, one which may grow to important proportions.

Herbert Lyons, of Long Beach, has been in correspondence with the El Centro Chamber of Commerce, relative to establishing a nursery for the propagation of date palms for ornamental plantings. It is a well settled fact that the reclaimed and irrigated desert areas are ideal for date growing, but interest here has principally been centered in the production of dates, with a view to commercial utilization of the fruit, and the growing here of date palms to be sold as ornamentals is a phase which has probably not been considered before.

Lyons is most enthusiastic over the opportunities which the project offers. In a late communication to the chamber of commerce he states:

"El Centro's location is ideal from the point of receiving the seeds or setting out the offshoots and for distribution. The trees would go to many parts of the United States. The demand for date palms as ornamentals will be greater than the supply for many years. The nursery would require from 50 acres upwards. A market is already developed and waiting."

It is expected that Lyons will come to El Centro in the near future to investigate further the desirability of establishing a palm nursery in this vicinity. He spent several days in El Centro in July, and stated he was convinced of the feasibility of the project.

The first of the year there were 155 acres of land set to dates in Imperial Valley, and this acreage was increased somewhat by spring plantings. Only offshoots were set out, however, as the growers were interested principally in production of fruit. Both here and in Coachella Valley date growing has become an important and increasing industry.

The handling and marketing of the product has been splendidly and efficiently done, with necessary attention given to the quality of the fruit, and the result has been an already stabilized and well established industry, with a constantly widening market.