THE ALMOND ] 303 



The branches and twigs of the loquat are frequently 

 attacked by the larva of the moth Zeuzera Aesculi L. 

 which constructs tunnels directed upwards, or in case of 

 thick horizontal branches, directed across the branch 

 between the wood and the bark, but generally in an 

 upward direction. The loquat is free from the attacks of 

 the two beetles whose larvae are so destructive to the 

 trunk of the pear and the apple. 



The fruit is sometimes punctured by the fruit fly 

 towards the end of April or early in May, when the last 

 fruits are ripening on the tree, but the loss incurred is 

 never considerable. On the other hand several birds 

 feed with avidity on the ripe fruit, the principal offenders 

 being the sparrows ; but the jackdaw, the thrushes and 

 the chats are sometimes found fault with, and the beauti- 

 ful golden oriole seeks the loquat grove for the express 

 purpose of feasting on the fruit, during the few days of 

 its sojourn in these Islands. 



THE ALMOND. 



Prunus Amygdalus Stok. Amygdalus communis L. 

 ROSACEAE AMYGDALEAE. 



Maltese =leuza. li^li^nmandorlo Yrtnc}\=amandier. 



The Almond is native of Turkestan and Central 

 Asia, and has been long cultivated or naturalized in 

 Southern Europe and North Africa. 



The almond is a tree from 4 to 8 metres high, and 

 agrees well with all soils and all situations, adapting 

 itself to dry soils and rocky ground as easily as the carob, 

 but prefers deep soils and the sheltered situations of 

 valleys where it grows to a large size and yields heavy 

 crops. Its powerful root-system enables it to thrive well 

 when associated with such rough tenants of the soil as 

 the carob, the fig-tree, the olive-tree and the prickly pear, 



