The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-09-20

River Valley To those whose only aC-
QUaintance with the nuts has been as one
Of the last courses at tho dinner table
their preparation for market is an inter
cgting operation
il is a long reach from the almond tree
in its irrigated orchard TO the banquet
where the guest cracks the paper-sheu
almond in his fingers and enjoys MUNICH
ms the sweet kernel. In reality the prep
aration for the almond crop goes back to
the previous year for it is then that the
principal fruit growth is made and the
spurs" branch out from the tree limbs
in readiness for the next seasons bearing.
Then follows long period Of cultivation
and irrigation. Preferably tire orchard
ground is kept clean and finely puIverized
on top by means OF the piow. drag. and
CuluyatOr While weeds axe favored by
some rs a means OF covering the ground
10 retain its moisture. it is said to be
better 90 accomplish this 10y keeping on
the surface a finely divided layer Of Garth
or mulch soil To bring Up the moisture
from the depths by capillary attraction
ana AT the same time not permit its too
rapid evaporation from the surface. In
some orchards there may bee an early
spring crop of wheat sown. but most Of
the growers keep the ground clear of 9TH
ct crops than the trees.
The trees are planted from IS to % feet
apart each way and along the rows are
run one. two. and sometimes three irri-
eating burrows Through these the canal
water is sent streaming at the regular in
tcTvd S of eight days. or OfJener in the
rainy season when water is more album
dant. After each irrigation. or each sec
ond one at most, the burrows are turned
the trees to the centre Of the lands be
tween the rows and then back aGain in
rotation. Thus is served the double pur-
pose Of covering Up the water so that IL
may soak down 20 the tree roots and of
stirring UP the soil so that it may be free
10 take water next time.
In late February and IN March begins
the anxious time for the almond grower.
il is then his trees blossom, and il is then
the blossoms are liable tu be blasted by
late frosts- The blossoms are pink and
white. the prevalence Of one OF the other
color depending upon the variety Of the
nut. The orchards in bloom look like
huge square bouquets set upon the land
scape. The trees grow with rather long
branches, which point straight upward
from the main limbs and give the trees
I d ldlItI sum appearance except when the
! straight lines are SUfteneI by the diver
I. sity Of the blossoms.
The frost danger lies not so much in
Jhe frost itself as in the intense warming
influences of the early morning sun After
a frosty night the little fruit cups of the
blossoms are niled with moisture almost
AZ lue stage OF ice. Then comes The sun
hurrying up over the surrounding noun
lalns and pouring down such nor RAYS
that even In March the mercury may be
sent up To the 100 Gegree marx such a
Su1orh warming OF the mOISture-Iadeu
blossom Is apt 10 De disastrous so The
grower builds a SmUdgc. This is nothing
more than brush pile arranged to give
out the largest amount Of smoke for the
least amount Of fire. The pail of smoke
from the smudgc lighted AT sunrise is de-
signed 70 uOdt over the orchard as a Veil
while the blossoms are driving SLOWLY In
this way are frost dangers avoided
Another danger Is that OF too much
/ water IN bloss"ming time Sap rusheS 20
the tips OF the branches and the excess
OF moisture Is liable To blast the blossoms
much as heavy rains may do 10 in part
Of the country where natures way OF ir-
| riEatiug sun prevails
These dangers past and the fruit set
there is only the regular round OF culti-
waiting and irrigatng until July Then
some or the growers prefer 10 withhold
1 the regular run of irTiEating water for
/ two OF three weeks or until just before
the nuts are ripe. when another run is
given 10 aid ia opening the hullS. Others.
unless by wafer famine they are COMPEL
. ed 20 DO Inherently. Keep on lrrlgItIug the
trees right mp TO the day of picking. As
the last preliminary 20 picking. the
ground must be cleared and IcveIed by
drawing over IL a heavy drag especially
II there has been any surface growth al
| lowed in the orchard Stubble. grass. or
weeds would interfere seriously with the
[ picking.
BY this time the bulls. which enclose
| each nut siugly. have opened. according
] TO the variety. the two halves flare wide
( ~ with the nut adherinE 20 the hinged
/ side, OF the lips Of the hull are just part
4 III e. ID
nutshell shows between them. From q
/ vivid green the hull has by this time
changed 70 "a greylsh brown. and from a
I thick and heshy covering ~ has changed
| 10 a thin and dry husk, all ready 20 be
/ broken away from the nut
All is now ready for the pickers. To the
growers living near Phoenix the Indian
I Territory school Is "a great convenience
I by furnishing piCkers and huilerS 4
/ crowd of twenty-five or thirty Indian
boys. and sometimes girls. too. is sent
a. from I cent to p cents pound Of the
huliCG nuts. The larger boys are fur
uishcd with lG-foOt poles and sent out d
I beat the trees First a Dig canvas sheet
l b. spread around the tree turnk, and on
[ this the nuts rain down as The beaterS
work Many OF the nuts are beaten out
/ Of the hulls ia this process Of the picking.
| A. soon as tree is stripped the can
| vas is gathered up and its contents of
nuts. huils. leaves and LWigs dumped into
1 boxes or sacks provided for that purposes,
tree. squad of SIN Illcr boys now take
Z up the work and pick mp the nuts that
have fallen outside the bounds Of the can
| YES All the product L. carted 10 "a cen
| trail hulliug place. where the other boys
/ and girls are stationed. That is where
/ def fingers count, for there Is "A knack
about prriiuE OF the hull. and little
/ strength Is required.
/ Sometimes the hulIs are especially hard
! and dry, and then the nuts are spread
upon platform Of some sort and lightly
/ SpuIklDd with water. After being COW
! cred by q canvas BLANKET for a short time
/ the hulis sweat and soften, and may
/ then be readily taken on
/ After being hUlied and dried TO some
/ extent the nuts are treated 10 "a bath in
sulphur fumes. They are spread uDou
I shallow trays which are stacked IN a huge
/ uSht box. IN one corner Of which pan
3 Of sulphur is burned Two results are
Q gained by the sulphUriuE-the almond
q shells are uniformly blcachcd so that the
and stray bugs or worms are put out of
| existence, so that they cannot further i'm
/ jura the nuts
But there is am objection To- the sulphur
I ing and that Is that the uUNiUuc fumes
may spoil the taste Of the kernels hv en-
! tering the shells through cracks This Is
! especially true Of one variety Of almonds
! Of which the inner shell cracks open with
/ the hull and leaves the kernels al the
I mercy of worms as well as sulphur fumes
{ When the cate opens particularly
I hue-lO0king nut and upon tasting the ker-
! mel finds 10 rancid and bitter ne may know
Z that the crop from which IL came has been
sUlphured. ON the other hand. IL he buys
almonds with dark coiored shells al
and upon opening them finds only empu-
U fFF f he LFr.F. FF