THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 459 



Where Grown. 



Old as is the ahuond, it is grown on a commercial scale today only on 

 the shores of the Mediterranean Sea and in California. Some attempts 

 have been made to produce almonds in Arizona and Mexico, but the 

 output in these and numerous other sections is consumed by the local 

 demand. 



Output. 



The annual average output of almonds from California for the last 

 fifteen years is about 2,000 tons. It has run from 450 tons in 1898 to 

 3,300 tons in 1910. The crop of 1913, owing to drought and frost, was 

 but 1,150 tons. During 1913 the per capita consumption of almonds 

 in the United States amounted to but one pound for each five people. 

 In other words, if one in five of our population ate one pound of 

 almonds, each of the remaining four would, like ^lother Hubbard's 

 dog, find the cupboard bare. 



The almond, because of its extremely early blooming period, is the 

 most susceptible to frost of any orchard tree of general cultivation. 

 It is best adapted to a light, sand}' soil, or a grade of land not far re- 

 moved from a sandy loam. Heavy rains at the blooming period, 

 especially if the weather be cold, are disastrous to the almond. The 

 tree is a most profuse bloomer, but, previous to pollination, at the 

 blooming period, requires mild weather to insure best results. After 

 pollination has taken place, but while the ])loom is still on the tree, 

 heavy rains frequently occur without serious damage to the crop. 



No soil, not well drained, will produce almonds successfully. Numer- 

 ous instances are a matter of record where almond trees have been 

 planted on soil apparently adapted to the tree yet where the water- 

 plane during the winter months stood within four to six feet of the 

 surface, and the trees have died. 



Almonds will not do well in a section where there are frequent and 

 heavy fogs. As a rule, they will not produce well when planted on 

 low ground, as they Mill be more subjected there to tlie frost than at a 

 slightly elevated location. 



From the foregoing it is evident that the productive area of almond 

 culture is limited. The requirements are exacting. Only a few sec- 

 tions can qualify. To the prospective almond gi-ower, I would say, 

 make haste slowly. Look well to the soil and climatic conditions of the 

 section in which you propose to plant. TTpon a rare combination of 

 these two largely depends the success of the undertaking. No matter 

 what the character of the soil may be, if frequent and late frosts pre- 

 vail, almonds can not be grown. You may be able to grow a tree of 

 goodly proportions, it may even be beautiful at the blooming period, 

 but it will be a financial failure. 



Planting. 



The almond, being a long-lived tree that attains large proportions, 

 needs more space than the average deciduous orchard tree. It requires 

 a large area from which to draw nourishment and obtain sunlight. Its 

 wide expanding limbs should not interlock with its neighbors. Early 

 orchardists in California planted almond trees from sixteen to twenty 

 feet apart. Man}^ of these later dug out every other tree. Many who 



