49-4 THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 



The npricot is fairlj^ popular when eaten fresh, is very good canned, 

 and makes one of our best dried products. It possesses anti-seorbutic 

 properties of great and recognized value. The dried apricot is a popu- 

 lar, cheap, nutritious, palatable and valuable food. 



Owing to climatic and soil limitations it is not possible that apricot 

 growing will be as greatly overdone as is the case with the peach. The 

 short ripening season, coupled with difficulty of securing large supplies 

 of labor for a few days at reasonable cost, will prevent large plantings 

 anywhere ; ravages of Shot Hole Fungus are likely to damage the crop^ 

 of all except the most careful and intelligent growers — hence the danger 

 of heavy overproduction is reduced to a minimum. 



Clean, well dried apricots packed in small and sanitary containers can 

 now be sold at a reasonable price, delivered by express at the doors of 

 consumers all over the United States. 



Judicious expenditure of a reasonable sum of money for advertising 

 in the best home "journals and magazines should and will create a 

 demand that would take our entire product, and more. Who is going 

 to do this — the dealer or the grower? One or the other must. When 

 this is done the apricot Avill need no one to foretell its future. It Avill 

 speak for itself. 



THE FUTURE OF THE ALMOND IN CALIFORNIA.* 



By G. W. Pierce, President California Almond Growers' Exchange, San Francisco, Cal. 



]\Iany sections of California have established beyond question their 

 ability to produce almonds in commercial quantities. Experiments 

 have made knoAvn the necessary requirements of soil and climate. That 

 certain freedom from frosts, so essential during the early growing 

 period, has been found. The general outlines of the area possessing 

 these requirements are known. The pests that infest the orchards may 

 be said to be under reasonable control. As to varieties, a wide range of 

 products is possible. With these facts established, there seems to exist 

 no physical reason why California should not materially increase her 

 output of almonds. 



From reliable data we learn that the annual almond crop of Cali- 

 fornia for the last ten years has averaged about 3,000 tons; that the 

 amount produced in the near future will be much greater is well known. 

 During the planting seasons of the last five years a large acreage has 

 been set to almonds; in fact, so great has been the demand for nursery 

 stock that but little, if any, of the almond variety has remained in the 

 hands of the nurseryman at the close of the several seasons. To be sure 

 much of this planting will prove unproductive, either from having been 

 placed in localities not adapted to the almond, or because of weaning 

 entlmsiasm on the part of the would-be orchardist; enough, however, 

 will prove productive to materially increase the output of the State. 



Accepting, then, as an established fact the ability of California to 

 actually produce almonds, the future of the industry in the State 

 depends upon the ability of the orchardist to market the product at a 



•Address before the State Fruit Growers' Convention, Palo Alto, Cal., July, 1915. 



