THB ALMOND ] 305 



PROPAGATION. The almond is propagated by sowing 

 its seed (the nut or stone), by its own suckers, by cuttings 

 of the root, by cuttings and layers, and by budding or 

 grafting. 



The sweet almond comes true from seed, that is the 

 nut or stone of the sweet almond very generally gives 

 origin to sweet almond- trees, although cases are known 

 in which a stone from a sweet almond tree has produced 

 a bitter almond. It is also generally admitted that a 

 sucker taken from a sweet almond tree growing on own 

 roots, may occasionally develop into a bitter almond, and 

 the same remark applies to plants raised from cuttings 

 of the roots of the sweet almond. Moreover, it is gene- 

 rally held that a sweet almond growing on own roots, and 

 repeatedly cut down, may alter its nature so far as to 

 become a bitter almond as a reversion to the original 

 type, should afterwards a sucker rising from the base of 

 the stem be allowed to develop unhindered. The reverse 

 is not known to happen, that is a sucker taken from a 

 bitter almond tree never develops into a sweet almond, 

 although it is stated that a seed or stone of the bitter 

 almond may occasionally develop into a sweet almond 

 tree. The flower of the bitter almond has the stile of 

 the pistil longer than the outer stamens, but in the flower 

 of the sweet almond the style is equal to the outer 

 stamens, this being the only real difference between the 

 bitter and the sweet almond when not in fruit. 



However it is not recommendable to propagate the 

 sweet almond directly by seed, for the reason that the 

 produce will vary so much in shape and size from one 

 tree to another, that it will be hardly marketable. The 

 produce of grafted or budded trees, if not more abundant, 

 is certainly finer and more uniform in quality, and there- 

 fore fetches better prices. The bitter almond is supposed 

 to be more vigorous than the sweet almond; it certainly 

 grows to a larger size and is perhaps more resisting to 

 drought and bad treatment, but the only reason for 



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