428 CALIFORNIA FRUITS: HOW TO GROW THEM 



shut off the sulphur fumes from burning sulphur is introduced in 

 the sulphur house for perhaps 15 to 30 minutes and gives the required 

 brightening to the shell. If the almonds have been immersed before 

 bleaching it will be necessary after bleaching to spread them out in the 

 sun for several hours and stir them occasionally to get rid of the excess 

 moisture. If they have been dampened by a fine spray hose they may 

 or may not need this drying, but they must be perfectly dry before 

 being sacked. However, if the steam process is used, the nuts can 

 be taken immediately from the sulphur house and sacked, and the heat 

 that is in the shell will evaporate the small amount of moisture in the 

 process of sacking. 



The steam process costs only about one-half as much as the other 

 process of bleaching. If the shell is wet through, or if the kernels are 

 not well cured, or if the shells are open and the nuts immersed and 

 there is more or less water inside the shells, the sulphur will materially 

 injure the kernels and they will not keep well, but will soon become 

 rancid. 



Almonds that are to be shelled for commercial purposes should 

 not be bleached under any circumstances, as the only object to be 

 accomplished in bleaching is the brightening of the shell, and for 

 shelling purposes the shells are not marketed. 



Pollination and Late Blooming. The advantages of cross pollina- 

 tion between different varieties and the surer bearing of late blooming 

 varieties are related subjects which are worthy of close attention. Mr. 

 J. P. Dargitz, whose harvesting method has just been given, has 

 pointed out that, according to his observation as a rule all the paper- 

 shells are deficient in pollen, and will not bear well if planted alone and 

 he concludes that the only two which warrant planting in his section 

 are the Nonpareil and the Ne Plus Ultra. The latter is not so good, 

 a nut, and needs much more moisture than the other. The Nonpareil 

 will give good results if planted with some other variety as pollenizer. 

 It is one of the very best of nuts and is well worth planting. Mr. 

 Dargitz regards the Texas Prolific the very best pollenizer, and when 

 planted in alternate double rows with the Nonpareil will cause it to 

 set fruit freely in spite of the fact that the Nonpareil begins blooming 

 two weeks earlier than the Texas but still has bloom to catch the Texas 

 pollen when it is ready. 



This late blooming of the Texas places it in the same class for 

 surety with Drake's Seedling. Both nuts are medium soft shell and 

 small but are being largely chosen because of sure bearing and large 

 product. As to the relative return per sack, Mr. Dargitz says : 



The Nonpareil at 14 cents per pound, the Drake Seedling at 11 cents per 

 pound, and the Texas Prolific at 10 cents per pound, will each bring about $10.50 

 per standard sack, the IXL at 13 cents per pound about $9 per sack, and the Ne 

 Plus Ultra at 12 cents per pound about $8.50 per sack. 



The relative values of varieties is also shown by the prices fixed 

 by the California Almond Growers' Exchange at Sacramento for the 

 opening sales of the 1913 crop as follows: Nonpareil, 19c; IXL, 

 l Ne Plus Ultra, I7 l / 2 c', Drakes, 14>^c; all f. o. b. warehouses. 



