64 PROCEEDINGS OF THIRTY-SIXTH FRUIT-GROWERS 9 CONVENTION. 



SECOND DAY. 



Watsonville, Cal., December 8, 1909. 



President Jeffrey called the convention to order at 9.30 o'clock a. m. 



PRESIDENT JEFFREY. The first paper on the program this 

 morning is "The Almond Commercially Considered." by Mr. J. P. 

 Dargitz of Acampo. Mr. Dargitz is a practical almond grower. (Ap- 

 plause. ) 



MR. DARGITZ. Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen: When I 

 consider the desk where I stand and the thoughts that are promulgated 

 from here and my past relation with the people who worship here and 

 the people with whom they affiliate, it seems perfectly proper that I 

 should take a text this morning and I am going to do so. Genesis xliii. 

 11 : " Take of the best fruits in the land, balm, spices, myrrh and 

 almonds." Jeremiah i, 11: "Moreover, the word of the Lord came 

 unto me, saying, 'Jeremiah, what seest thou?' and I said, 'I see a rod 

 of an almond tree.' Then said the Lord unto me, 'Thou hast well 

 seen. ' " It seems to me we have got a good starting point now. 



THE ALMOND COMMERCIALLY CONSIDERED. 



By J. P. Dargitz. Acampo. Cal. 

 The almond is by no means a new nut. and perhaps justifies the old 

 saying, "there is nothing new under the sun." More than four thou- 

 sand years ago Jacob made use of it in his efforts to achieve commer- 

 cial success, though in a different way from that which we have in 

 mind to-day. Later in his life the same J acob, chastened by his experi- 

 ences, classed the almond as among the choicest fruits in the land. We 

 are not told whether it was a hardshell or a papershell. a Nonpareil or 

 a Texas Prolific. 



It was from an almond tree that Moses cut the rod which became a 

 serpent when he cast it down. May we get a lesson from this to the 

 effect that we should not look with indifference on this nut-bearing tree, 

 whose beautiful blossoms furnished the divine pattern for the bowls of 

 the candlestick in the Jewish tabernacle? The prophet Jeremiah was 

 also commended by the Lord of heaven and earth for seeing a rod of 

 an almond tree. 



The bringing of almond trees from Europe to California as early as 

 1853 had about as much religious significance as anything else brought 

 here in that early day. It was soon discovered that even "Sunny Cali- 

 fornia" would not produce almonds in every nook and corner. This, 

 like most of our horticultural successes, came about by lessons of bitter 

 experience, whenever we have proceeded without due consideration. 

 However, we have learned, little by little, until the almond crop of this 

 State now aggregates over half a million dollars annually, and there is 

 no good reason in the world why it should not equal three million dollars, 

 as the people of the United States consume that quantity now. That 

 the consumption of this excellent nut is increasing in the United States 

 is shown by the fact that while in 1907 the consumption was 7,900 



