314 AGRICULTURE ON THE PACIFIC SLOPE 



region, also some in the Sacramento Valley, and else- 

 where. 



Large amounts of grapes are also eaten and shipped fresh. 

 For this we use mainly the fleshy, solid kinds, which do not 

 easily break in handling, such as Tokay, Muscat, and others. 

 Most of the moldy grapes found in market have been injured 

 in handling or packing; this can easily be prevented by proper 

 care, and by cooling before shipping. 



NUT TREES 



Of trees bearing what is commercially known as nuts, 

 the almond, "English" walnut, and pecan are the chief. 



The almond tree is much like the peach, and as there 

 are almonds with fleshy husk, it has been thought by 

 some that almond and peach are merely varieties of one 

 and the same wild tree. 



Almonds are very liable to be injured by frost when in 

 bloom, which comes very early, and so they are grown 

 on slopes rather than in valleys; they do not like heavy 

 clay soils. Sweet almonds are grown for eating and for 

 pressing oil, but bitter almonds are poisonous, like peach 

 kernels; they are usually first pressed for their sweet oil, and 

 then distilled with warm water, so as to obtain the "oil of 

 bitter almonds," much used for perfuming soaps. 



Walnuts. We have a wild walnut in California, and 

 in the Eastern states the " black walnut," growing in 

 rich bottom lands, is much prized for both fruit and 

 wood. But what is commercially known as the " Eng- 

 lish" walnut is at home all the way from Europe to 



