SUPERSEDED BY BETTER SORTS. 43 



Soil, Hardihood, and Cultivation. The soil should be well chained, 

 but in our clear, sunny clime, a warm, sandy soil is not essential. 

 The long, hard shell variety is hardy, and productive in the middle 

 and portions of the Northern States ; while South, the soft shell, or 

 ladies' almond, is grown without difficulty. The cultivation needed 

 is the same as that of the peach. 



Uses. The kernel of the sweet almond is esteemed as an article 

 of food, and used in confectionery, cookery, and perfumery. Bitter 

 almonds are used in medicine, furnishing somewhat of the prussic 

 acid of the shops. 



VARIETIES. 



CLASS I. Varieties generally esteemed. 



LONG HARD SHELL. 

 Long Hard Shell Almond, * | Amandier a gros fruit, | Amandier a gros doux. 



Flowers, large, pale rose color, opening before the leaves ; stone, about as 

 large as the soft shell, but the kernel larger and plumper ; very hardy ; 

 ripens about last September. 



LANGUEDOC. 



Great-fruited Sweet, | Great Soft Shell, | Large Persian. 

 The trees are hardy, but its fruiting qualities we do not know. It is said 

 to be very large and sweet. 



SOFT SHELL SWEET. 



Soft Shell Sweet Almond, I Ladies Thin Shell, 

 Doux a coque tendre, Sultan a coque tendre, 



Amandier des Dames. 

 Ou Amande Princesse. 



Amandier a coque tendre, 

 This is the variety common in the shops of the confectioners, with a shell 

 so thin as to be easily crushed between the fingers, and the kernel of which 

 is so generally esteemed at the dessert. The flowers open at the same timo 

 with the leaves, and are deeply tinged with red. Fruit, oval, compressed ; 

 nut, oval-pointed, one-sided, tender shell ; kernel, sweet ; ripens in August 

 or in July at the South, where it is only adapted. 



CLASS III. Varieties superseded by better sorts. 



COMMON ALMOND. 



Common Sweet, | Amandier a petit Fruit, | Amande Commune. 

 A variety usually found in nurseries ; inferior to the Long Hard Shell. 



STTLTANA SWEET ALMOND. 

 Amande Sultane, | Sultan. 



A tender-shelled variety ; inferior to the Soft Shelled Sweet. 

 PISTACHIA SWEET. 

 Amande Pistache. 

 Small, pointed, inferior fruit. 



PEACH ALMOND. 



Pecher, | Amandier Pecher. 

 A cross between the peach and almond. Nearly sweet often bitter. 



BITTEB ALMOND. 

 Differing from the common almond in its bitter kernel. 



