COMMON ALMOND-TREE. 227 
queen of the country, Phyllis. He won her heart, and became her husband ; 
but scarcely were they united, when the death of his father recalled Demophoon 
to Athens ; and he left Phyllis, promising to return to her in a month. When 
the given time had expired, the unfortunate queen wandered daily on the sea- 
shore, looking in vain for her Demophoon ; and when, at last, winter came, and 
still he returned not, after gazing some time upon the sea, in an agony of despair, 
she fell dead on the shore, and was changed by the pitying gods into an almond- 
tree. Demophoon shortly after returned ; and, being told what had occurred, 
flew to the tree, and clasped it in his arms, when the strong attachment of Phyl- 
lis, unable even then to restrain himself, caused the tree, though bare of leaves. 
to burst forth into blossoms." 
Virgil, in his " Georgics," welcomes the almond, when profusely covered with 
flowers, as the sign of a fruitful season. 
Soil, Situation : fyc. The Amygdalus communis does not prosper unless the 
soil be dry, sandy, or calcareous, and of considerable depth ; but all the varieties 
will succeed well in any free soil, that is not too moist, when grafted or inocu- 
lated on stocks of the domestic cultivated plum, and perhaps on those of the 
Primus americana. The situation should be sheltered, on account of the liability 
of the branches to be broken off by high winds. In Britain, plants of the almond 
are seldom raised from nuts, but are generally propagated by budding or grafting. 
In France, it is much grown by nurserymen as a stock to graft the apricot and 
the peach upon. For this purpose, a vigorous-growing variety of the sweet 
almond is preferred near Paris, instead of a bitter variety, which was formerly 
employed. The kernels are sown in rows, in March, with the sharp ends down- 
wards, and the plants are budded the following August. The great advantage 
of these stocks to the nurseryman is, that, as they may be budded the very first 
year of their growth on the spot where they are sown, a grafted tree may be 
obtained with them at the least possible expense. As the almond, however, 
sends down a taproot, exceeding two feet in length the first season, it has been 
found that such a tree, when taken up for sale, has few fibres, and, consequently, 
but little chance of growing. From this circumstance originated the practice of 
germinating the nuts in boxes of earth before sowing them, and pinching off the 
point of the radicle when about an inch in length, which causes it to throw out 
numerous horizontal roots (a very ingenious practice, which might be applied 
with advantage in many similar cases.) This mode of germinating the nuts also 
insures the nurseryman of having plants the first season after sowing, whereas, 
when it is not done, the seeds often lie in the ground two years. Plants will 
grow four or five feet the first year. The fruit is chiefly produced on the young- 
wood of the previous year, or on the spurs of older wood. Almond-trees are sel- 
dom good bearers, even in France, where the fruit is cultivated as an article of 
commerce. A tree is considered there, on an average, only to produce a crop 
once in five years. It requires but little pruning, except when fruit of a large 
size is desired, or the duration of the tree is wished to be prolonged. 
Properties and Uses. The wood of the almond-tree is hard, and of a reddish 
colour ; and that taken from near the roots, in some respects, resembles that of 
lignum-vitas (Guaicum officinale.) It is susceptible of a fine polish; but the 
resin which it contains, impedes its colouration by acids. At all times it takes 
varnish well, and in this respect differs from the lignum-vitas, which takes it 
, bad. It differs again, from this last-named wood, in being dryer and more brit - 
I tie. It is used in cabinet-making, especially for veneering; and is employed to 
' make handles for carpenter and joiner's tools. The leaves of this tree are said 
, to make an excellent forage for sheep and goats, and to fatten the former in a 
; very short time; but it should always be mixed with other provender. The 
eaves are also employed, in common with those of the peach and nectarine, for 
