36 THE NUT CULTUKIST. 



The common sweet, hard-shelled almond thrives in 

 peach-growing regions as far north as Central jffew York, 

 and I well remember of seeing trees loaded with these 

 nuts, in my boyhood days, in the western part of the 

 State. The late Patrick Barry, in the Fruit Garden, 

 when referring to this nut, says : "This is a hardy and 

 productive tree, succeeding well in the climate of West- 

 ern New York, and still farther north. Nut very large, 

 with a hard shell and a large sweet kernel ; ripe here 

 (Rochester) about the first of Octo- 

 ber. The tree is very vigorous, has 

 mooth, glaucous leaves, and when 

 in bloom in the spring is more bril- 

 liant and showy than any other fruit 

 tree." 



Nearly every one of our noted 

 horticulturists who have said any- 

 thing about almond culture in the 

 North, agree with Mr. Barry in re- 

 gard to the beauty of this tree and 

 FIG. T. HAKD-sHELLED Its productivensss ; but it is well to 

 ALMOND. keej) in mind that it is no more to 



be depended upon than the peach, and the barren years 

 will far outnumber the bearing ones. But the almond 

 is probably as certain here as in France, where it is cul- 

 tivated extensively as an article of commerce, although 

 a full crop once in about five years is about all that is 

 expected. We can probably do much better than this, 

 especially if proper attention is given to the production 

 of new varieties adapted to our climate, as has been don£ 

 in California with the almond, and here in the East with 

 the peach and many other kinds of fruits ; and when 

 such have been secured, proceed to multiply them in the 

 usual mode of budding upon seedling stocks. 



Soft, or Brittle-Shelled, A. c. fragilis. — In 

 this group we have many distinct varieties, besides 



