224 ON THT CULTURE AND TRADE IN ALMONDS. 



comes eatable in July, ripe towards the end of August, and the seeds are 

 gathered in September. 



2. The shells not quite so soft as the preceding. There are four 

 varieties known as the Matheson, the Abeysasse, the Sans Grace, and the 

 Boutreve, which are of a fine quality, and are sold at 30 francs the hec- 

 tolitre. These ripen in the early part of September. 



3. The shells rather hard. Of these there are two varieties, which are 

 sold in the shell at 25 francs the hectolitre. They flower in February 

 and the beginning of March, and are ripe by the end of August or be- 

 ginning of September. 



4. The shells hard. Of this kind also there are two varieties, the 

 large and the small, and these are esteemed the best of all the hard 

 almonds. They are sold in the shell at 20 francs the hectolitre. They 

 are in flower during the whole of March, and ripen about the 15th of 

 September. 



5. These shells are hard, the plant flowering late in the year. There are 

 six kinds of this species distinguished from each other by the names of 

 the large green, the small green, the spring, the Laty, and the late almond. 

 The two first flower in March and September, and ripen in April, and 

 are of great value as an article of commerce. That known as the spring 

 almond flowers very late in April, and ripens in September. This variety 

 is a new one. The late almond, which flowers in March and ripens in 

 September. They are sold at the price of 18 francs the hectolitre, and 

 the demand for them is very great. 



6. Hard shells, common quality, large quantities produced. Of these 

 there are a great many varieties, of which the chief are those known by 

 the names of Madame, Ailland, pointue, grosse ol auinove, jumette, Bor- 

 dette, Guillaume, noisette, ventre, Mastan, Aveline, pistache, of the 

 Levant, Psate, Lisette, La Boule, La Vignerone, the round almond, the 

 double almond, the croix, Robert, St. Esteve, Longnette, naturelle, Las - 

 tane, La Goniinee, admirable, la rouge, &c. &c. There is a considerable 

 sale of the above variety of almonds, but the production of them is un- ■ 

 certain. The price given for those in the shell is about 18 francs the 

 hectolitre. In commerce, however, they are only bought when freed 

 from the shell, and the price varies according to the demand that may 

 exist, and indeed this is the case with every variety. 



7. Shells very hard, skins bitter. These almonds, which possess a 

 very bitter flavour, are sold at about 20 francs the hectolitre. They are 

 much valued, especially for the preparation of liqueurs, and hold no 

 despicable place in the list of useful and medicinal drugs. Great quan- 

 tities of them are produced, as their cultivation requires only ordinary 

 care and skill. The study of the cultivation of, and commerce in almonds 

 is one of no slight importance, for the fruit enters pre-eminently into 

 domestic and other uses, forming a principal ingredient in cookery, medi- 

 cine, and commerce. 



The ordinarv varieties of commerce in Provence are the Crombees 



