Almond Seedlings.

I have been told that almond trees raised from seed, no matter what kind of seed planted, will produce bitter almonds.  Is this a fact?

It is not a fact.  The majority will probably be hard-shell, sweet and bitter, but others will be soft-shell, medium-shell, paper-shell, and everything else you ever heard of in the almond line.  The almond has the sportiest kind of seedlings.

Do Not Plant Almonds in Place.

I have 30 acres which I intend to plant to almonds and peaches, and I thought of planting the sprouted nuts and pits where I wanted my trees, and budding the same there in orchard form.  As one or two years’ use of the land is not considered, what is your advice?  My idea is to plant in orchard at start so as not to disturb roots, as when grown in nursery and transplanted in orchard.  Would it not progress as rapidly?  Would you advise budding peaches on almond roots; if not, why?  My idea is that it would give a longer-lived tree.

We would do nothing of the kind.  If we decided it better to grow trees than to buy them, we would grow and bud the seedlings in nursery and not in the field.  Field budding is open to all kinds of injuries and growth from it, when saved from cultivation and all kinds of intruders, is irregular and uncertain.  As for starting the roots from the nut in plate, it is largely a fanciful consideration.  We count it no gain for the walnut which makes a tap root, and still less gainful for the almond and peach, which, usually make spreading roots.  To cut off a tap root does not prevent the tree from rooting deeply if the soil is favorable.  As to use of the land, you lose time by growing the seedlings in place.  The peach does well on the almond root if soil conditions favor the almond.  Perhaps it gives longer life to the peach, but the profitable life of the peach tree in a proper soil does not depend on the root; it depends upon the treatment of the top in pruning for renewal of branches.

Almond and Peach.

With water-table at 18 feet, which root is best for almond trees?  The experience around here is that the peach root starts best.  Which root is most durable?  What is the life of the peach root and of the almond?

It is not merely a question of depth to water, but of character of the soil above the water.  Neither of the roots will stand heavy soil which holds water too long, and both enjoy a free loam which drains readily down to the water-table or bottom water.  If the soil is rather sandy, letting the water down very quickly, the almond is better in getting to it than the peach.  If it is finer and still well drained the peach will do well, and the almond enjoys that also.  The almond probably can be counted on to stand coarser soil and greater drouth than the peach and under such conditions will outlive the peach, probably, but both of them will live twenty to thirty years or more if pruned in the head to get enough new wood and the trunk is kept from sunburn.  Aside from this choose the almond root for the almond.