278 



kernels are swollen and some commence to sprout. They are then 

 planted out in nursery rows and carefully cultivated, and when 

 strong enough the seedlings are either budded or grafted. 



ALMOND (Prunus amygdalus). 



The almonds are propagated by budding on seedling bitter 

 almond stocks or on peach stocks. The apricot is condemned as a 

 stock on account of its imperfect union with the scion. 



Plant only varieties which are good annual croppers, hull 

 easily, and have a clean, thin, soft shell, with smooth, plump, single 

 kernels, in preference to those with double or triple nuts, which 

 commerce does not seek for. The newer California sorts are better 

 in this respect. 



The fruitfulness, like in the case of some other sorts of fruit, is 

 much increased by planting intermingled varieties, abundance of 

 pollen being thus secured at the proper time. 



An average of lOlbs. of hulled nuts per tree is a very good 

 crop, and 51bs. a good crop. 



Gathering the nuts by hand is tedious work, and can only be 

 practised when the tree is small. The harvesting is generally put 

 off, when half the nuts have burst their hulls ; if the tree is then 

 shaken, the nuts are collected on a sheet of canvas. The hulls 

 having been either naturally or forcibly removed, the nuts are 

 placed in trays and dried in the sun. This hulling and shelling, 

 when done on a large scale, is done by machinery, a very small 

 percentage of the nuts being broken in the process. This work is 

 particularly well done on " stick-tights," when the hull and the 

 shell are closely stuck together. When dry, the iius are bleached 

 by being lightly sprinkled with water and exposed to sulphurous 

 fames for a few minutes. The nuts are then graded ; the broken 

 and inferior ones are shelled and sold as kernels, the sound ones are 

 packed in sacks and marketed. 



I.X.L. (Figs. 1, IA). Tree a sturdy upright grower ; large 

 leaves and nuts, single kernels ; hulls easily, and does not require 

 bleaching ; shell soft and very suitable for the table ; good flavour ; 

 a good and regular bearer. One pound of these almonds contains 

 on an average 9oz. kernel and 7oz. shell. 



LANGTJEDOC (Figs. 2, 2A). A French almond, known to the 

 trade as soft shell ; nut large ; not a very regular bearer ; kernel 

 7foz., shell 8|oz. to the pound of nut. 



NON PAREIL (Figs. 3, SA). A weeping habit of growth; 

 smaller foliage than I.X.L. ; an abundant and regular bearer ; a 

 paper shell nut with almost invariably a single kernel of excellent 

 flavour. A large proportion of kernel to the pound of unshelled 

 nuts, viz., 12oz. kernel and 4oz. shell. 



JORDAN (Figs. 4, 4A). A corruption of the French " Jardin," 

 meaning " garden " ; a standard variety. 



