THE ALMOND. 31 



peach -growing region of the Eastern States. I will not 

 say "profitably" cultivated, for this is a rather vague 

 term when applied to horticultural operations of any 

 kind. Success is not synonymous with profit ; in fact, 

 it is frequently quite the opposite, and an abundant 

 crop may mean glutted markets and a corresponding 

 loss to the producer. But, to return to location, the 

 principal cause of failure in almond culture, where it 

 has been tried in the older States, seems to be the early 

 blooming of the trees and subsequent destruction of the 

 embryo fruit by frosts. To avoid this, high, open, airy 

 situations, and even the north side of hills, would cer- 

 tainly be preferable to southern slopes and protected 

 locations, especially in the South or where the tempera- 

 ture in winter does not go low enough to kill the wood 

 of the previous season's growth. Theoretically, we might 

 suppose that there are many locations favorable to al- 

 mond culture in the elevated regions of North Carolina 

 and Tennessee, as well as in the northern tier of counties 

 in Alabama and Georgia. But in the absence of carefully 

 conducted experiments in these regions, we have only to 

 wait for their consummation at some future time, to 

 prove the truth or falsity of our theory. 



In the rich, warm valleys of New Mexico, Arizona 

 and California, congenial locations are plentiful, inas- 

 much as almost every variety of climate is at hand, with 

 a temperature ranging from that of perpetual summer 

 to the opposite extreme, and all to be found within a 

 few miles, and frequently to be found in the same 

 county. Under such conditions, it rests with the would- 

 be cultivator to decide upon the kinds of fruits desired, 

 then to seek a location best adapted to his purpose. 



If, as claimed, but not proven, there are no 

 limited or extended areas fitted for almond culture east 

 of the Mississippi river, there are certainly plenty of such 

 west of it, awaiting the industrious and intelligent nut 



