447 
even tender and exceedingly brittle; it is flatter, smoother, and the furrows or holes are more 
superficial. 
This tree is scarcely worth considering in England, for the sake of the fruit which it produces. 
It is a great object in some parts of Italy, and in the south of France, where there are vast planta¬ 
tions of Almonds in Provence and Dauphine. It is common in China and most of the Eastern 
countries; and in Barbary, where it is a native. It seems not to have been cultivated in Italy in 
the time of Cato, who calls the fruit Nuces Grcecce, or Greek nuts. With us however it is very 
valuable as an ornamental tree in clumps, shrubberies, &c. within view of the mansion: for it dis¬ 
plays its delicate red-purple bloom in the month of March, when few other trees have either leaves 
or flowers. An Almond-tree covered with its beautiful blossoms is one of the most elegant objects 
in nature. 
In a forward spring they often appear in February, but in this case, frost generally destroys them, 
and they bear little or no fruit; whereas when the trees do not flower till March, they seldom fail 
to bear plenty of fruit, many of which will be very sweet and fit for the table when green, but they 
will not keep long. 
Mr.,Miller makes three species of the Almond: 1. Amygdalus communis , or common Almond * 
which is cultivated more for the beauty of its flowers, than for its fruit. There are two varieties of 
this, one with sweet, the other with bitter kernels, which often arise from the fruit of the same tree. 
2. A. didcis, or Jordan Almond , the nuts of which are frequently brought to England; they have 
a tender shell, and a large sweet kernel. The leaves are broader, shorter, and grow much closer 
than those of the common sort, and their edges are crenate. The flowers are very small and of a 
pale colour, inclining to white. I have several times raised these trees from the Almonds which 
came from abroad, and always found the plants to maintain their difference from the Common 
Almond. 
3. A. saliva: which has narrow sharp-pointed leaves; the flowers are much smaller than those 
of the Common Almond, and are white: the shoots of this tree are smaller, and the joints closer 
than those of the common sort, nor is the tree so hardy, therefore it should have the advantage of a 
warm situation, otherwise it will not thrive. This sort flowers early in the spring, and rarely pro¬ 
duces fruit in England. But from an old tree which grew against a wall having a south aspect, I 
have some years had the fruits ripe, which were well flavoured, but their kernels were small. 
Species 2. Silvery-leaved Almond . (Amygdalus Oriental is.,) 
The leaves of the Eastern or Silver-leaved Almond are silvery, and very like those of the Sea 
Purslane. These continue most of the year. The flowers are very small, and have not been suc¬ 
ceeded by fruit yet in England. It was found growing near Aleppo, from whence the fruit was sent 
to the Duke D’Ayen in France, who raised several of the plants in his curious garden at St. Ger¬ 
main s, and was so good as to send me, says Mr. Miller, a share of them in !759> which endured the 
open air in the Chelsea garden, for some years against a wall, without any covering. It is a native 
of the Levant. 
Species 3. Peach. (Amygdalus Persica.) 
% 
The Peach , in its natural state of growth, is a small tree, with spreading branches. The leaves 
larger than those of the Almond, lanceolate, alternate, smooth and serrate; the serratures short, sharp 
and regular. The flowers are sessile, and solitary; the calyxes reddish, the corollas bell-shaped, 
with a spreading border, of a fine light purple, or pale rose-colour, but with very little ncent. The 
