306 VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES. 



In England, almond-trees are chiefly cultivated for 

 the beauty of their early flowers ; and for this reason, 

 the common kind, and the double-flowering dwarfs, 

 are preferred. There is something very charming in 

 the peculiarity which belongs to this tree, of blossom- 

 ing on the bare branches: 



" The hope, in dreams, of a happier hour, 



That alights on misery's brow, 

 Springs out of the silvery almond-flower, 

 That blooms on a leafless bough."* 



One of the most beautiful tales of the Greek my- 

 thology (that of the Loves of Phillis and Demo- 

 phoon) is founded on this property of the almond- 

 tree. 



Almond-trees ripen their fruit in England, though 

 the produce is very inferior to that which is im- 

 ported. The flowers of the productive almond, 

 both the sweet and the bitter, are much less showy 

 than those of the unproductive. Like most of 

 the other nut bearing trees, the almond yields an 

 oil. Between the expressed oil of bitter, and that 

 of sweet almonds, there is little difference ; but 

 the bitter almond contains an essential oil, while 

 the sweet almond has none. Owing to the prussic 

 acid which it contains, this essential oil is found, by 

 experiment, to be exceedingly poisonous ; and there- 

 fore the use of bitter almonds should be carefully 

 avoided in every instance where there is a chance 

 that the essential oil may be separated in the stomach. 

 So very violent is the poison of this oil, that instances 

 are recorded of persons dying in consequence of 

 drinking even a very small portion of spirits flavoured 

 by it ; and, in its concentrated state, it is probably 

 not exceeded, in its hurtful effects, even by the essen- 

 tial oil of tobacco itself, or by any of the narcotic 

 vegetable poisons. 



* Moore, 



