ON THE ALMOND 
itis harvested. Perhaps, however, selective breed- 
ing may advantageously be carried out with an eye 
to the whitening of the shell of the nut. At present 
it is necessary to bleach the shells after the nuts 
are thoroughly dried, first with low pressure steam 
and then with the fumes of sulphur. Such bleach- 
ing is necessary to meet the demands of the 
consumers, 
It would obviously cheapen production and 
save a good deal of trouble if a variety could be 
produced that would have the desired color of 
shell in the natural state. Another defect is that 
the almond tends to cling to the tree too tena- 
ciously, requiring unnecessary labor. Any almond 
grower would appreciate these two experiments. 
My own experiments of late have been in all the 
directions mentioned, and I have reason to sup- 
pose that I now have better almonds than any 
heretofore grown. 
It is clear, then, that there are various 
directions in which the almond may profit by the 
attentions of the plant developer. The steady and 
increasing demand for this nut warrants the 
expectation that systematic efforts for its improve- 
ment may meet with an adequate financial reward. 
Already the cultivation of the almond is an indus- 
try that exceeds in importance that of any other 
nut except the walnut and pecan. And it is an 
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