Fruit Growing 33 



Longevity of Almond and Peach. 



What is difference in life of peach and almond in California? 



The almond is the longer-lived, but we have seen both assuming 

 the aspect of forest trees in abandoned pioneer places. Both arc apt 

 to live longer than their planters, if soil and moisture conditions favor. 



Almond Seedlings. 



/ have been told that almond trees raised from seed, no matter ivhat 

 kind of seed planted, zvill produce bitter almonds. Is this a fact? 



It is not a fact. The majority will probably be hard-shell, sweet 

 and bitter, but others will be soft-shell, medium-shell, paper-shell, 

 and everything else you ever heard of in the almond line. The almond 

 has the sportiest kind of seedlings. 



Do Not Plant Almonds in Place. 



/ have 30 acres zvhich I intend to plant to almonds and peaches, 

 and I thought of planting the sprouted nuts and pits zvliere I wanted my 

 trees, and budding the same there in orchard form. As one or tzvo years' 

 use of the land is not considered, zi'hat is your advice? My idea is to 

 plant in orchard at start so as not to disturb roots, as zvhen grozvn in 

 nursery and transplanted in orchard. Would it not progress as rapidly? 

 Would you advise budding peaches on almond roots; if not, zvJiy? My 

 idea is that it zvould giz'e a longer-lived tree. 



We would do nothing of the kind. If we decided it better to 

 grow trees than to buy them, we would grow and bud the seedlings 

 in nursery and not in the tield. Field budding is open to all kinds 

 of injuries and growth from it, when saved from cultivation and all 

 kinds of intruders, is irregular and uncertain. As for starting the roots 

 from the nut in place, it is largely a fanciful consideration. We count 

 it no gain for the walnut which makes a tap root, and still less gainful 

 for the almond and peach, which usually make spreading roots. To 

 cut off a tap root does not prevent the tree from rooting deeply if 

 the soil is favorable. As to use of the land, you lose time by growing 

 the seedlings in place. The peach does well on the almond root 

 if soil conditions favor the almond. Perhaps it gives longer life to the 

 peach, but the profitable life of the peach tree in a proper soil does 

 not depend on the root; it depends upon the treatment of the top in 

 pruning for renewal of branches. 



Almond and Peach. 



With water-table at 18 feet, zvhich root is best for almond trees? 

 The experience around here is that the peach root starts best. Which 

 root is most durable? What is the life of the peach root and of the 

 almond? 



It is not merely a question of depth to water, but of character of 

 the soil above the water. Neither of the roots will stand heavy soil 



