

ALMOND VARIETIES IN THE UNITED STATES 117 
Base wide, truncate, et right angles to axis or sloping slightly dorsally. Apex 
very wide and truncate. 
Shell: Dark brown; very thick aud hard. Pits very small, very numerous, 
shallow. Short grooves on ventral edge and base. Base somewhat corru- 
gated; canals few and large, fibers coarse. Inner surface of shell light brown. 
Ventral streak medium brown, short, rather narrow with blunt base. 
Kernel:-Size medium to quite large (average, 1 by 4 by vs inch). Shape 
long, oblong-oval, flat. Dorsal edge quite straight. Ventral edge curved, 
curving most at apex. Base thin and round. Pellicle dark reddish brown, 
tough and very pubescent. Flavor poor, quality very inferior. 
Distinguishing characteristics —Kasily distinguished from other varieties 
by the oblong shape of nut, hard shell, truncate base and apex, very thick 
and very prominent wing, and shallow, very numerous, and very small pits. 
COMMENTS 
A hard-shelled almond of mediocre quality, having no value or commercial 
importance. 
65. ROUTIER (ROUTIER’S LANGUEDOC, ROUTIER’S PROLIFIC) 
Origin.—A variety derived supposedly from a seedling grown on the Routier 
ranch, Mills, Calif. It has been widely planted and is still produced commer- 
cially in the Sacramento, Davis, Winters, Woodland, Esparto, Chico, Suisun, 
Yuba City, Lodi, Oakdale, and Oakley districts. 
Description 
TREE 
Only moderately vigorous. Somewhat upright (ratio of height of head to 
width, 1:1), but outer branches tend to droop. Very scraggly in growth. 
Trunk below average in stockiness, tends to be straight; bark rough with 
cracks very close together, exfoliates in thick small patches. 
Main branches.—Rather stocky, very slow growing in length; lack vigor. 
Branching angle quite wide. Bark rough on old wood, exfoliates in small 
thick flakes, cracks close together. Under bark reddish brown, covered with 
much gray epidermis; silvery patches common. Striations frequent on young 
branches. 
Twigs.—Produced in profusion, quite stocky, very short, make especially 
poor growth on old trees. Branching angle moderately wide. Bark dark 
green, grayish in autumn. Internodes very short (seldom over # inch). 
Lenticels—Numerous, raised, variable in size, narrow and long, elliptical 
on old bark (average, i's by % inch), with pointed apexes; on young bark, 
rather long (average, 7s by % inch) with blunt apexes, and very numerous. 
Foliage.—Moderately dense. Leaves large, flat, glossy. 
Blade: Large and rather long (average 14 by 4 inches), somewhat variable; 
elliptical; thick; flat; glossy. Base moderately acute; origin of margins 
slightly unsymmetrical. Apex moderately acute. Margin widely and irregu- 
larly crenate. Midrib depressed Slightly on upper surface. Veins distinct. 
Color of upper surface deep bright green, turning yellowish green early in 
fall, lower surface slightly lighter than upper. 
Petiole: Rather short (about 1 inch; ratio of length of petiole to length of 
blade, 1:4); stocky; often twisted slightly; tinged with bright red early in 
fall. Groove wide and shallow. Glands two to eight, often four, globular 
or wide oval, grayish green, reddish late in season. Basal gland occasionally 
slightly stipulate. 
Bearing habit—Bears regularly on spurs on wood 2 to 8 years old. Spurs 
medium in length (4 inch), medium in thickness (4 inch); expand gradually 
to wide oval or nearly round disk about + inch in diameter. Buds often in 
clusters, long, pointed, plump at base; scales thin, brittle, some short gray 
pubescence on edges. 
Immature nut.—Size averages medium (2 by 14 by 1 inches). Shape mod- 
erately plump, wide ovate. Ventral edge quite sharply curved; no well- 
marked ridge. Dorsal edge gently curved, curving most at apex. Base mod- 
erately plump, slightly dorsally sloping as a rule, occaSionally ventrally 
sloping, and frequently at right angles to axis. Apex fairly plump, bluntly 
pointed. Rudiment small. 
