228 PROCEEDINGS OF THIRTY-THIRD FRUIT-GROWERS ' CONVENTION. 



Quoting from the chapter on the " Place of Nuts in the Diet," Pro- 

 fessor Jaffa says: "It has been shown by numerous investigations 

 that nuts are rich in protein and fat, and that these nutrients can 

 be fairly well assimilated. Nuts being such a concentrated food, 

 their proper place in the diet is a matter for more careful consideration 

 than is the case with many of our ordinary food materials. It must 

 not be forgotten that a certain bulkiness of the diet is conducive to its 

 normal assimilation, and that too-concentrated nutriment is often ' the 

 cause of digestive disturbances. It might be expected, then, that nuts 

 could be most advantageously used in connection with more bulkv 

 foods, such as fruits, vegetables, breads, crackers, etc. Most rationally 

 used, they should constitute an integral part of the menu rather 

 than supplement an already abundant meal. Since nuts are so con- 

 centrated, eating a considerable quantity out of hand at odd times will 

 mean an oversupply of food, if a corresponding reduction is not made 

 in other foods. The dis-tress sometimes experienced when nuts are eaten 

 is undoubtedly often due to improper mastication or to over-indulgence. 

 The investigations made at the California station indicate clearly that 

 considerable quantities of nuts, properly eaten, do not cause distress. 

 There is a popular belief that a little salt with nuts prevents the digest- 

 ive disturbance resulting from eating them. To most persons, salt 

 undoubtedly adds to the palatability of the nuts, but no investigations 

 have been found on record which demonstrate any actual improve- 

 ment in the digestibility of nuts due to salt." 



The Almond was the first of the "nuts" to become of commercial 

 importance in California, and, owing to climatic conditions, this State 

 will always enjoy a monopoly in its cultivation. Success, however, has 

 been, from the start, rather uncertain, although added experience, and 

 a record of some partial and total failures, may now be taken advan- 

 tage of, and mistakes therefore avoided by those who are engaging in 

 the production of this crop. The earlier planted varieties consisted of 

 the Languedoc, imported from France, and the Tarragona, from Spain. 

 These Were not generally profitable, and the almond industry lan- 

 guished, until it received a fresh impetus on the introduction of the 

 Hatch seedlings in 1885. Since then other good seedlings have been 

 grown, so that at this time we have, as standard varieties, I X L, Non- 

 pareil, Ne Plus Ultra, Llewelling, Drake, Peerless, and Texas (Texas 

 Prolific). 



The almond has been an uncertain cropper owing to its early bloom- 

 ing, rendering it liable to injury during spring storms or frosts, and to 

 the more or less self-sterility of the blossoms of some varieties. To 

 produce varieties, by intelligent crossing, that are late bloomers and 

 self-fertile, as well as of high quality, is what plant breeders should 

 have in mind when experimenting with the almond. The Jordan has 



