30 



ROBBING'S FRUIT GROWERS' GUIDE 



Three-year-old Almond tree, illustrating method of prun- 

 ing. Had the tree not been pruned in this manner the 

 wide-open top could not have been secured. 



county. A well drained, warm soil and a locality where 

 there is not a too frequent occurrence of frost are the 

 necessary requisites to make almond culture a success. 



STOCKS 



The almond and peach roots are used exclusively for 

 the growing of almonds. There is a preference for the 

 almond root, because it sends its roots down deeper into 

 the ground and the consensus of opinion is that trees 

 are not only stronger growers but live longer on the 

 almond than on the peach. The almond is really a very 

 long-lived tree, and whether on peach or almond, pro- 

 viding the soil conditions are right, I have never ob- 

 served any great difference in the longevity of the trees 

 on either root. 



CLASSIFICATION 



The sweet almonds are divided into the following 

 grades: hard shell, soft shell and paper shell. The hard- 

 shell variety has no commercial value except for raising 

 stocks for budding and grafting other varieties. These 

 have six ounces or less of kernel to the pound of nuts. 

 The soft shell has six to eight ounces of kernel to the 

 pound of nuts and the paper shell ten ounces or more. 

 There is one exception, viz., the famous Jordan, 

 which is a hard shell with its fixed type of elongated 

 kernel and a flavor superior to all other almonds. 

 Cross-pollination is one of the interesting phases 

 in connection with almond culture, and although 

 no exhaustive experiments have been made to deter- 

 mine how far-reaching this is, alternating three to six 

 rows of a variety has a very marked effect in improving 

 the yield. 



PRUNING 



When planting almond trees the instructions relative 

 to other trees as given in the introduction should be 

 followed. The trees after being set should be headed to 

 twenty inches from the ground. During the first year 



allow the numerous shoots to grow without any inter- 

 ference and in the early winter months thin out the 

 laterals so that the lowest ones will not be closer than 

 ten inches from the ground, not leaving more than 

 four to form the head of the tree. Even if they have 

 made a growth of from three to four feet, cut them back 

 severely. Because almonds should not be pruned much 

 in later years, do not hesitate to prune when they re- 

 quire your trained eye and hand to shape them prop- 

 erly and create a form and a head which can only be 

 secured by severe cutting. If there is any one object 

 I have in view, it is to impress the man who aspires to be 

 a fruit grower to remember that his success for at least 

 the first eight years of his undertaking is dependent 

 absolutely on a few essentials, and the pruning of his 

 trees is one of the most important for at least the first 

 four years of their existence. 



The second and third winters cut off at least from 

 one-third to one-half of their growth. The fourth 

 winter, the tree now having become sturdy and as- 

 sumed the goblet form, which is ideal, confine your 

 pruning to the thinning out of objectionable branches, 

 and remove laterals where there is a tendenc} r to over- 

 crowding, so as to permit light and air to circulate 

 through the trees. 



GATHERING 



In Europe there is quite a trade established in the 

 sale of "green almonds." Such almonds are sold just 

 as soon as the kernel has passed from the glutinous 

 stage to the white meaty form. As a dessert nut it is 

 very delicious and I have every reason to believe when 

 the value of the nut for table purposes is more generally 

 known that the local demand will not only increase very 

 rapidly but shipments will be made to the Eastern 

 markets. Almonds should be harvested as soon as the 

 hulls commence to split open. Much time and labor is 

 saved by spreading a canvas under the tree and shaking 

 the branches. All the nuts which do not fall should be 

 jarred off by using a light pole. In orchards of a con- 

 siderable size the hulling is done by machinery. Where 

 there are only a few trees it can be done by hand. After 

 the nuts are taken from the hulls they are placed on 

 trays and exposed to the sun to dry. Care should be 

 exercised not to over-dry the almonds. The proper 

 degree of dryness is readily determined by taking a 

 kernel between the fingers and if it breaks readily 

 without bending, the almond is cured. To meet the 

 trade requirements it is necessary to bleach almonds. 

 This is done by sprinkling them with water and ex- 

 posing them to sulphur fumes for thirty minutes or 

 longer. The color should be yellowish white. In order 

 to secure the proper shade it is advisable to get some 

 samples from a dealer as a guide to obtain the right 

 color. A few hours' exposure to the sun after being 

 bleached is all that is necessary and they are then ready 

 to be sacked. 



IRRIGATION 



The almond sends its heavy roots very deeply into 

 the soil searching for moisture. For that matter the 

 peach will do this also, but thorough cultivation is very 



