The San Francisco call., 1910-09-11
Al!i)Orrli&>5 )
Alh1Ond
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Spray OF ALMONDS

Cafornfa'S
valued at something like half million dollars
In the worlds literature.
has played role than other
mercial Importance it ranks next the English
walnut Jacob classed it the choicest
land. it that obtained
the ROD that was transformed into serpent The almond
mentioned by the prophet Jeremiah,
furnished the pattern for bowls of the
the Jewish tabernacle.
may said of the almond therefore II
is plain that 1t be classed something 1t
in fact among mans Oldest possessions Some author
tiles parent peach to which
is botanicay closely believe
this theory to be untenable Nevertheless the blossoms
closely resemble those the every
has noticed the similarity of the peach seed to the
nut.
The consumption almonds in United States
valued at about SS0000o0 than threefourths
which is imported. many growers
Sires WIN produce al tae alnonos required for the
domestic trade considerable left
That way any horticultural
industry fairly started Unfortunately there
many localities America almond growing
The tree hourishes parts Mexico Arizona
and California but nowhere else in the United States
the American production fully
from California and most of the balance from Texas
trees were first brought from Isurone "a cali
fornia 1855 haphazard planting fol-
lowed during the next quarter of in
of the early paintings gave
couragng almond earliest boomer OF
all orchard varieties coming blossom in
January February The likelihood OF the crop being
frost bitten before fairly obvious was
only in frosess nearly
could be relied crop reasonable
et9 "ND'p-il
planters soon gave the attempt introduce
dustry cut down the their
something less hazardous.
However. OF pioneers succeeded and their
constant others to try also
50 the industry developed in favored sections by
1917 e prodocon Oh the state amounted to 2lS
and least 100000 growing Then in 1899
unreasonable frosts brought widespread to the
almond growers the crop in that year amounting
% carloads trying an experiences for the
of of the orchardst large numbers of
the trees We're again sacrieed Others learned that
or plums could be grated success
and many changed the character that
During tie decade growing has been placed
safer surer before as the growers
have profted by the mistakes and losses of earer r
The safe" almond growing more nearly
defined better introduced prefer
given to those that bloom late some puttinr forth
their blooms in March April minimizing
the danger preferred varieties are the
nonparel Texas prolifc and brakes seedlfng altbob
there doubtless others or better adapted TO
conditions in industry is now maxi
ing fairly satisfactory although growers of
localities There efficient
almond growers association in Yoo Solano
San Joaquin sutter counties The
100000 value.'
AS indicating the almonds and how to
handle them that prevailed comparatively recent
IT may be mentioned that about Is ago company
having about 500 harvested advertised in t
San Francisco newspapers for 500 help About 800
responded to the advertisement arriving in the
week before needed and souad of
policemen had to be sent out from the city
order Nowadays 90 would be considered an ample
force to harvest and care for crop of that
When almonds are ripe the outer huls OPEN but
the nuts do not fall trees Canvas sheets 20
feet long wide spread under the trees
one each side, overlapping keep tbe nuts
from falling upon the ground Two me-, ara 80 riss ]
for sheet. and two sheets When the sheets
have been arranged In position take willow or
bamboo poles and strike the limbs. jarrng
cienty to the Indiscrminate beating
of the limbs any of the small wies
avoided win seriously curtail the next saa
sons crop.
When tho are all off the trees the men gather I'm
the ends OF the sheets and their
load OF nuts hus leaves and twigs placed at
a point coN eent Tor reaching with team wagon
Empting the nuts boxes the Iaborers are
80 - - @ nc . sii'iar attack upon the next tree and
continue IN the same manner until the entire has
been denuded crop.
The boxes containing the hauled to shed and
the nuts run through hulng machine which removes the
outer hulis. They then by hand for the 70
moval Of bad imperfect with fragments
of the hull adheTing They next placed on shallow
trays board platforms drying yard and left IN
the sun to cure The length required for this
depends upon the weather it being necessary to keep
them in the until the dry that they be-
come brittle and viii break without bending
The fastidious city almonds be os
uniform yellowish white This can be innarted
only by bleaching in sulphur house There they are
first steamed half to three e-ouarters of -
hour then subjected to fumes of burniner s,
phur for from 40 to 60 minutes must be taken in
steamng to avoid cooking the kernels as thar ,v,a -
them Aftcr bleaching the nuts are dried :, mouIa m
sun and then sacked ready shipment 1t should bo
growers widely in their beachine DO
ods and of course each grower is method
is the best.
Rains falling when the crop is about rine bp haeuo
t has been harvested stain the beyond removal m
any bleaching process known. n event Of this
happening the only thing the do is to sbe
the nuts, for which efficient have haap
devised. Some prefer to shell them anywav
ar&et the kernels, returning to the
ground in order hunus to tile soil AS a rula
the kernels sell price high enough to give snf5
cient margin to the shelng Almond ker
nels either salted their natural con-
dton always good demand as the whole nnts
4no gpeat quantities. by bakers confae.
uo@ers nd the deicatessen
Inasmuch three-fourths of the American consurn
tion Of almonds is imported from Europe evident
that the price received by growers is de-
termined by the price OF the of tho
Pacific coast demand is supplied by California