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nuts will not readily germinate, and are destroyed by moulds, and 
rot. In natural seedlings they are more tenacious, and the kernel 
better retains its vitality. When layering nuts or pits of stone fruit 
a well-drained spot is chosen; the place is marked with stakes or 
enclosed within boards, the soil is dug out, and a layer of nuts or 
stones from five to six inches thick laid down and covered with loose 
earth. They are allowed to remain until early spring, when the ker- 
nels 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. 
Atmonps (Prunus amygdalus). 
Australia is in a great measure dependent on imported almonds 
for its requirements. Some old hardshell seedlings are seen grow- 
ing around homesteads and bear a good erop of nuts, but orchardists 
have been too long dependent for their trees on Californian and over- 
sea kinds of almonds, which, while highly praised in their natural 
habitat, fall short of expectations when grown under Australian 
conditions. The same difficulties have been experienced in America 
until locally-raised seedlings selected among a great number raised 
for experimental purposes, showed points of superiority which 
single them out amongst the duffers growing around them. 
Experiments show that locally raised seedlings carry and ma- 
ture fruit where the imported almond fails. 
Several experimenters in Western Australia have succeeded in 
raising such seedlings of great promise which have so far given a 
good account of their productiveness and their value. Mr. J. P. 
Lauder, on the Chapman River, and Mr. Sanderson, of Guildford, 
among others, have brought out seedlings which appear to be sup- 
erior to the majority of the introduced kinds enumerated in nursery- 
men’s catalogues. 
My personal observations of the North-West coast, however, 
lead me to believe that the cultivation of the almond under irriga- 
tion promises to be more remunerative there than in the South-West 
of this State. The cool winter followed by warm, sunny and dry 
weather at blooming and setting time, should be more favourable for 
the bearing trees than the showery, cold, early spring months fur- 
ther south. 
The majority of almonds bear two classes of flowers: the female 
and the male. These issue at some days’ interval, and at times so 
early in the spring, as to fail to set on account of light frost or of 
defective pollenation. Fungoid diseases—Rust and Shothole—by 
weakening the fruit buds so interfere with the normal setting of the 
blossoms that unless preventive treatment is applied, the crop is ser- 
iously reduced. On this account it is advisable to grow the trees on 
warm slopes; mix the kinds for a better pollenation, and spray and 
frée the trees of fungoid diseases. 
