126 TREATISE ON FRUIT TREES. 



The pit, with the husk removed, is eleven lignes long, seven-&-one-half lignes wide, four 

 lignes thick, swollen in the middle and flattened at the edges. The end to which the stem 

 attaches terminates in a blunt point out of which emerge several grooves that are not very 

 wide & deep and that extend only over this part of the fruit. Three larger ones extend 

 along one whole side in place of the ridge that's found on ordinary almonds. The opposite 

 end terminates in a very sharp point. The surface of the pit is neither rough nor perforated 

 with holes, but is smooth. It contains a bitter almond seven lignes long, four-&-one-half 

 lignes wide, and two-&-one-half lignes thick. 



Because the fruit of this attractive tree has no practical use or is of little value on 

 account of its small size & its bitterness, the tree has to be ranked with ornamental trees 

 rather than with the fruit trees. But if it's put into a conservatory or a greenhouse to 

 accelerate flowering, its flowers can be fertilized by a choice species of almond tree, and 

 the seeds may give rise to dwarf almond trees with serviceable fruit. 



It's readily propagated by seed planting, rooted suckers, & by grafting onto the 

 common almond tree. 



I won't describe the double-flowered dwarf almond tree at all because it never 

 bears fruit, & furthermore it's uncertain whether it should be classified with the almond, 

 peach, or plum trees. 



I'm also leaving out the almond tree of the Levant with silvery or satiny leaves, as 

 it only yields a small fruit with a bitter almond and it's not worthy of cultivation as a fruit 

 tree. 



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