120 Lessons in Fruit Gi 



'owmg. 



1T5. Fruiting: habit. The almond closely resembles the 

 peach in its manner of flowering and fruiting (114). The 

 tree comes into bearing at 2 to 4 years from budding, and 

 reaches mature fruitage at 7 to 10 years of age. Five 

 pounds of hulled almonds per tree is reported a good aver- 

 age crop for an orchard in California. The nuts begin to 

 ripen about the middle of August. The admixture of vari- 

 eties for pollination is regarded important. 



1 ?6. The soil for the almond should be light, warm and 

 well drained. The tree will endure much drought, but 

 only yields good crops on rich, well-watered soils. 



Ut. Propa§:ation. The almond is chiefly propagated by 

 budding on seedlings of sweet or bitter, hardshell almonds, 

 though peach stocks ^ are sometimes used. The seedlings 

 may be grown as described for the peach (115). The trees 

 may be planted in the orchard the spring after budding, or 

 the following spring. 



1 ?8. Planting and pruning. The trees should be planted 

 at least 24 feet apart each way. The young trees are com- 

 monly cut back at planting to form a low head. The 

 branches are thinned, leaving about five, and the follow- 

 ing winter, these are cut back to encourage them to branch 

 near the trunk. The next winter the trees are pruned 

 to a vase form; henceforward only the inner branches are 

 thinned out as they become too thick. 



U9. Preparing tlie crop for market. In sections with 

 a very dry summer atmosphere the hull opens readily, ex- 

 posing the unstained nuts ready for market. In regions 

 with a moister atmosphere, the more or less stained nuts 

 are bleached by sulfur fumes. The nuts are first well 

 dried, then lightly sprayed with water and treated to the 

 sulfur fumes, which do not penetrate to the kernel. More 



