* eaibed’ the hee 
aa ~ Sweet almonds are cultivated principally in Spain and Southern California. The 
- Spanish industry is centred in the districts around Malaga, Valencia and Alicante. In 
4 France almonds are grown in Provence, the chief marketing centre being the town of 
Aix. Italian almonds are produced mainly in Sicily and the districts round Bari. Of 
late years, almonds cultivation has been taken up in Sardinia. Bitter almonds are 
< obtained very largely from North Africa, particularly Mogador. 
Numerous varieties of the almond, especially of the sweet almond, are known in 
commerce; they differ principally in the thickness of the shell, delicacy of flavour of 
the kernel and thickness of the testa. Some of the best-known European varieties are 
the Jordan, Valencia, “Princess” (remarkable for its very thin shell), Languedoc, “Douce 
A coque dure”, “Sultana”, and “Pistache”. Varieties cultivated in California are the 
“Excelsior”, “Non plus ultra”, “Nonpareil”, “Il Suprema”, and “Commercial”. 
_ The almond tree flourishes best in subtropical regions which possess a small but 
sufficient rainfall, and where nothing more than a very slight frost is experienced 
_ during the flowering season (January or February). It also grows well in the warmer 
districts of the temperate zone but as the almond blossoms appear early in the year, — 
they are often injured by frost. In the tropics the almond tree, whilst apparently 
flourishing, usually becomes partly or wholly steuls; presumably in consequence of 
the excessively moist climate. 
In the vicinity of Malaga, where the well-known Jordan almonds are grown, the 
climatic and other conditions are apparently ideally suited for the cultivation of this 
variety, since it cannot be grown with equal success in any other district of Europe. 
Owing to bad seasons, however, and fungoid diseases Malaga now only occupies a_ 
secondary place in almond culture, Valencia almonds now being grown over a much» 
larger area. 
The almond tree flourishes best in a deep, warm, dry and, if possible, very chalky 
soil, affording some shelter from the prevailing wind. 
In Spain most of the almond trees are either budded or grafted, the stock employed 
being usually of the bitter variety. The finest almonds are selected and placed in 
layers in wet sand in the autumn. In the following spring they are sown about two 
inches deep in light, rich soil, being placed about a foot apart, with a space of two 
_ feet between the rows. At the end of the same summer the young plants may be 
- budded. As a rule, however, the almond is trained as a standard or half standard, 
_ in which case the seedlings are allowed to grow for a year or two longer, when they 
are grafted at a height of irom 2 to 4 ft. above the ground. In the spring following 
the budding or the grafting the young trees are cut back and planted out in their 
permanent situation. In order to eet good crops the tree must be pruned yearly 
_ and kept well manured. 
; The method of harvesting is very simple. When the fruit is ripe the pericarp 
_ opens, the almonds are knocked off with light rods, the nuts separated from the dry 
pericarp and spread out to dry. They are exported either in their shell or else cracked 
by hand, usually by women and children. In the latter case the kernels are taken 
down from the villages to the local buyers, who send them to the shipping warehouses, 
whence they are exported after having been carefully graded. 
In Italy the almond trees begin to bear at four years old, reaching full bearing at 
about fifteen years. The average yield of a tree is stated to be about 9 lbs. of shelled 
_ almonds, where soil and climatic conditions are in every respect favourable. 
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