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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 kernals, 
in preference to those with double or triple nuts, which commerce 
does not seek for. The newer Californian sorts are better in this 
respect, 
An average of 10lbs. of hulled nuts per tree is a very good crop, 
and 5lbs. a good crop- 
For confectionery the kernels of hard shells, which are easily 
secured by the use of specially devised machinery, are just as profit- 
able as kernels of soft shells, and even more so, as hard shell almonds 
are often better and more reliable bearers. 
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, and allowed to 
remain a few days before being hulled. The hulls having been either 
naturally or forcibly removed, the nuts are placed in trays and dried 
in the sun. This requires three or four days. This hulling and shell- 
ing, when done on a large seale, 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 nuts are bleached by 
being lightly sprinkled with water and exposed to sulphurous fumes 
for a few minutes. After the odour of sulphur has dissipated, 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. 
In the south of France a good proportion of the crop is gath- 
ered when quite green and before the skinny covering of the kernel 
has turned brown at all. At that stage the shell has not yet hard- 
ened, and the nut is easily cut with a knife. These nuts sell readily 
at a good price for hors-d’oeuvre. 
LN.L. (Figs. 1, 14)—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. 
Lanevuerpoc (Fig. 2. 24).—A French almond, known to the trade 
as soft shell; nut large; not a very regular bearer; kernel 7140z., 
shell 8140z. to the pound of nut. 
Nonpareiu (Figs. 3, 34)—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., 120z. 
kernel and 4oz. shell. 
