10 SPANISH ALMONDS. 



however, the writer concludes that the months of July, August, and 

 September are practically rainless and that the winter rains are neither 

 frequent nor very abundant. The region is essentially a dry one, 

 verging on the arid, and in sheltered portions of it, at Elche. even the 

 tender date palm is grown. It is the only place in all Europe where 

 this palm is grown extensively or where it bears really edible, though 

 not excellent, fruit. 



This region is a land of perpetual sunshine, and in it the olive, lig, 

 pomegranate, the famous Malaga grape, and the carob form character- 

 istic cultures, although the center of each of these cultures is not in 

 the immediate locality. The olives, for example, which furnish the 

 Spanish olives of commerce, are grown farther inland, about Granada 

 and Seville; the figs are more important on the Balearic Islands and 

 in southern Portugal; the pomegranates are raised on the salt lands, 

 where figs refuse to do well; the orchards of carobs are largest about 

 Valencia, some distance from the almond region; and the Malaga table 

 grapes have their center about Almeria; the raisin grapes are in the 

 neighborhood of Malaga, it is true, but occur largely in the valleys, 

 while the almonds are generally grown in the foothills. (Pis. II and 

 III.) 



VARIETIES OF SPANISH ALMONDS. 



It is probable that there are a score or more varieties of Spanish 

 almonds which have been propagated by budding, but owing to the 

 antiquated methods in vogue in the almond regions, little reliable 

 information about most of these sorts is obtainable. 



The writer was astonished to learn how local these sorts are and 

 how little could be learned from one grower about sorts grown in 

 even a neighboring locality. This would not be so surprising if one 

 remembered the dearth of horticultural literature at the disposal of 

 the almond growers. Probably many identical sorts are known by 

 different names in different localities. 



The English buyers, who were formerly about the only ones, have 

 given names to some of the sorts that are quite different from those 

 known among the growers themselves. The best variety is known in 

 commerce as.the Jordan, and yet not once was this name heard applied 

 to the variety by the growers. They call it the "Large e fine." ;i 

 descriptive name meaning simply •'the large, fine almond." As to the 

 origin of this name Jordan there is nothing new to offer. It may be a 

 corruption of the French word " jardin," meaning garden, or the name 

 can easily have related to the origin of the first importations into 

 England, erroneously supposed to have come from the River Jordan. 

 If the word Jordan occurred in the Spanish trade the former assump- 

 tion might have some weight, but the term seems to have originated 

 among the English importers. 



