COMMON ALMOND-TREE. 227 



queen of the coimtry, Phyllis. He won her heart, and became her husband ; 

 but scarcely were they united, when the death of his father recalled Demophoon 

 to Athens ; and he left Phyllis, promising to return to her in a month. When 

 the given time had expired, the unfortunate qneen wandered daily on the sea- 

 shore, looking in vain for hr l)emo])lioon : and when, at last, winter came, and 

 still he returned not, after gazing some time upon the sea, in an agony of despair, 

 she fell dead on the shore, and was changed by the pitying gods into an almond- 

 tree. Demophoon shortly after returned; and, being told what had occurred, 

 flew to the tree, and clasped it in his arms, when the stronir attachment of I^hyl- 

 lis, unable even then to restrain himself, caused the tree, though bare of leaves, 

 to burst forth into blossoms." 



Virgil, in his " Georgics," welcomes the almond, when profusely covered with 

 flowers, as the sign of a fruitful season. 



Soil, Situation^ ^'c. The Amygdalus communis does not prosper unless the 

 soil be dry, sandy, or calcareous, and of considerable depth : but all the varieties 

 will succeed well in any free soil, that is not too moist, wlien grafted or inocu- 

 lated on stocks of the domestic cultivated plum, and perhaps on those of the 

 Prunus americana. The situation should be sheltered, on account of the liability 

 of the branches to be broken off by high winds. In liritain, plants of the almond 

 are seldom raised from nuts, but are generally propagated by budding or grafting. 

 In France, it is much grown by nurserymen as a stock to graft the apricot and 

 the peach upon. For this purpose, a vigorous-growing variety of the sweet 

 almond is preferred near Paris, instead of a bitter variety, which was formerly 

 employed. The kernels are sown in rows, in March, with the sharp ends down- 

 wards, and the plants are budded the following August. The great advantage 

 of these stocks to the nurseryman is, that, as they may be budded the very first 

 year of their growth on the spot where they are sown, a grafted tree may be 

 obtained Avith them at the least possible expense. As the almond, however, 

 sends down a taproot, exceeding two feet in length the first season, it has been 

 found that such a tree, when taken up for sale, has few fibres, and, consequently. 

 but little chance of growing. From this circumstance originated the practice of 

 germinating the nuts in boxes of earth before sowing them, and pinching off the 

 point of the radicle when about an inch in length, which causes it to throw out 

 numerous horizontal roots (a very ingenious practice, which might be applied 

 with advantage in many similar cases.) This mode of germinating the nuts also 

 insures the nurseryman of having plants the first season after sowing, whereas, 

 when it is not done, the seeds often lie in the ground two years. Plants will 

 grow four or five feet the first year. The fruit is chiefly produced on the young 

 wood of the previous year, or on the spurs of older wood. Almond-trees are sel- 

 dom good bearers, even in France, where the fruit is cultivated as an article of 

 commerce. A tree is considered there, on an average, only to produce a crop 

 once in five years. It requires but little pruning, except when tVuit of a large 

 size is desired, or the duration of the tree is wished to be prolonged. 



Properties and Uses. The wood of the almond-tree is hard, and of a reddish 

 colour; and that taken from near the roots, in some respects, resembles that of 

 lignum-vitae (Guaicum ofiicinale.) It is susceptible of a fine polish: but the 

 resin which it contains, impedes its colouration by acids. At all times it takes 

 varnish well, and in this respect diflers from the lifrnum-vitte. which takes it 

 bad. It differs again, from this last-named wood, in bfing dryer and more brit- 

 tle. It is used in cabinet-making, especially for veneering; and is employed to 

 make handles for carpenter and joiner's tools. The leaves of this tree are said 

 to make an excellent forage for sheep and goats, and to fatten the former in a 

 very short time; but it should always be mixed witii other provender. The 

 eaves are also employed, in common with those of the peach and nectarine, for 



