
122 BULLETIN 1282, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
COMMENTS 
The Silvershell variety attracted attention at one time because of the light- ° 
colored shell and rather late blooming habit (March 1 to March 25 in the 
Sacramento Valley). The nuts have a tendency to run to small sizes, and the 
tree appears to do poorly except under the very best soil conditions. The 
variety is no longer popular and is grown only to a limited extent. 
OTHER TYPES OF SILVERSHELL 
Two seedling varieties of almonds with light-colored shells are wrongly 
called ‘ Silvershell”’ in some districts. These seedlings are inferior to the 
Silvershell in flavor, have less percentage of kernel to shell, and have more 
doubles. 
68. SMITH (SMITH’S X. L.) 
Origin.—About 1890 George W. Smith noticed a heavy-bearing seedling tree 
in his orchard at Brentwood, Calif. For trial purposes he grafted over a 
number of trees to the seedling, which was later called Smith’s X. L. Owing 
to its heavy bearing and to the fact that the Hatch varieties did not hear 
well in the district, the Smith almond was received with favor, and since 1910 
a considerable acreage has been grafted to the variety in the Oakley district, 
the only section growing it. 
Description 
TREES 
Moderately vigorous grower, moderately upright (ratio of height of head to 
width, 1:14), outer branches drooping. 
Main branches.—Stocky, medium length. Interior branches upright; outer 
branches drooping. Branching angle acute. Wood rather brittle; bark quite 
thick and brittle, inclined to be rough and scaly even on young branches; red- 
dish brown, with considerable gray epidermis; exfoliates in small, gray flakes; 
longitudinal striations marked on wood 38 and 4 years old. 
Twigs.—Nodes large, giving twigs a zigzag appearance. Internodes average 
short (7s to 14 inches). Bark smooth, brittle, green, slightly tinged with red 
in fall; slight bloom usually present; bark 2 seasons old frequently green on 
under side. 
Lenticels—Numerous, vary in size on old wood (average on bark 5 to 6 
years old, 2s» by # inch); raised, grayish brown, with dark longitudinal crack 
through center, oval, ends bluntly acute. On young twigs lenticels very numer- 
ous, grayish green, distinct. 
Foliage.—Quite dense. Leaves on individual branches numerous, slightly 
wavy, and slightly recurved at apex. 
Blade: Size variable (¢ by 24 to 12 by 4 inches; average rather large, 
14 by 34 inches) ; inclined to be wide (ratio of width to length varies from 
1:5 to 1:7). Shape generally ovate, many elliptical, some obovate. Base 
blunt, obtuse, usually rounding; origin of margins symmetrical or slightly 
unsymmetrical, curving outward. Apex varies, acute, blunt; margins fre- 
quently straight near apex. Margins crenate with short, wide, blunt bristle. 
Upper surface of blade shiny light green, with small amount of bloom. Lower 
surface dull, light green, with some bloom. 
Petiole: Length varies (4 to 14 inches; average rather longer than medium, 
Z inch; ratio of length of petiole to length of blade, about 1:4); varies in 
diameter. Color green, turning slightly pinkish in late fall. Groove deep 
and usually narrow, but width varies. Mainrib prominent. Veins distinct. 
Glands average four, seldom two, frequently six or eight, globular, reddish 
brown, pairs seldom opposite each other. (Sometimes petiole widens near base 
of leaf.) 
Bearing habit—Averages good crops. Bears mostly on spurs on wood 2 to 
4 years old. Many spurs compound, 1 to 3 inches long, single spurs medium in 
diameter (4 inch) and in length (4 inch), expands gradually to large, wide, 
ovate disk } by #s inch. Buds long, tapering, plump at base. 
NUT 

Immature nut.—Size, average quite large (1f by 1% by 1 inches). Shape 
flat, wide oval-ovate; ventral edge usually thin, much curved the entire length. 
