34 One Thousand Questions in Agriculture 



vvhicli liolds water too long, and both enjoy a free loam which drains 

 readily down to the water-table or bottom water. If the soil is rather 

 sandy, letting the water down very quickly, the almond is better in 

 getting to it than the peach. If it is finer and still well drained the 

 peach will do well, and the almond enjoys that also. The almond 

 probably can be counted on to stand coarser soil and greater drouth 

 than the peach and under such conditions will outlive the peach, 

 probably, but both of them will live twenty to thirty years or more 

 if pruned in the head to get enough new wood and the trunk is kept 

 from sunburn. Aside from this choose the almond root for the almond. 



Pollination of Almonds. 



/ have Drake's Seedling almonds. Some people have told me that 

 I must plant some hardshell variety bctivccn them, otherwise they will 

 not bear. 



It is not necessary to plant hardshell almonds near Drake's Seed- 

 ling trees in order to have them bear. Some varieties of almonds 

 will set few nuts unless they are cross-pollinated, but these are the 

 paper-shell varieties, as a rule — the Nonpareil, IXL and Ne Plus Ultra 

 — and for these the Drake's Seedling or Texas Prolific is planted as a 

 pollenizer. The highest-priced nut of all is the Nonpareil, and it is 

 also a good bearer when in a good location and planted with Drake's 

 or Texas Prolific. 



Stick-tight Almonds. 



/ have leased seven acres of bearing almond trees which have the ap- 

 pearance of being reasonably well cared for. I notice a fezv trees that 

 still have almonds on ("stick-tights"). What is the cause and remedy? 



The occurrence of stick-tights is generally due to lack of moisture 

 and thrifty growth, although some trees may be weak from some 

 other cause and therefore deficient in sap-flow, which manifests itself 

 in that way. Single nuts may also fall into that condition of mal- 

 nutrition. We know no remedy except to. keep the trees in good 

 thrift by cultivation or by the use of irrigation if necessary. 



Shy-bearing Apricots. 



Why do my apricot trees not bring fruit? They seem healthy and are 

 vigorous-looking trees. Five large trees have not home lOO pounds of 

 fruit in three years. The trees are not over six years old. 



You may have a shy-bearing kind of apricot, of which there are 

 many, or the trees may have grown too fast to hold the fruit, or the 

 frost or north wind may have blasted the bloom. Stop winter pruning, 

 and summer prune to prevent excessive growth; reduce irrigation; 

 try to convince the apricot that it is not a "green bay tree" and see 

 what will happen. 



Pruning Apricots. 



In pruning apricots, if there should be a hollow center of a big branch 

 in center of a seven-year-old tree, should it be cut out with summer prun- 



