The marketing of the California almond crop is at present on a firmer
basis than at any time in the past. Previous to 1910 there was little or
no coöperation among growers and the buyers had everything their own way.
In May of that year, however, Mr. J. P. Dargitz, an almond grower near
Acampo, California, successfully organized the California Almond Growers’
Exchange, consisting of nine local associations with a total membership
of 230 growers. The Exchange started business with $1000 borrowed
capital, personally guaranteed by the directors. On June 1, 1918, there
were 22 sub-associations representing about 2000 growers, controlling
about three-fourths of the crop. The Exchange now is not only out of debt
but owns investments aggregating $100,000 in value, including warehouses,
a central shelling plant and other property. At the same time, the
growers have been receiving about 50 per cent more for their almonds
than before the Exchange was organized.
The success of the Exchange, with the consequent higher prices to the
grower, has resulted in a large increase in the acreage of almonds in
California. This increase is making it necessary to develop new markets
to absorb the greater tonnage, and this can only be done effectively or
satisfactorily by coöperative effort.
Heretofore, California almonds have been marketed chiefly in the shell.
A small proportion has been cracked annually to supply western brokers
and confectioners, and practically all of these have been sold west of
the Rocky Mountains. Only the whole nuts have been shipped to the eastern
markets.
The European crops are sent to the United States largely as kernels and
have had a practical monopoly of the shelled almond business east of
the Rockies. The Tarragonas and Valencias shipped to America come into
direct competition with the I.X.L., Drake, Languedoc and other California
almonds, all of which are unshelled for the eastern markets. The imports
of unshelled almonds average about the same as the California production.
The Jordan, Princess and other varieties, however, come in shelled,
constituting the bulk of the importations. The Jordan, because of its
superior quality, is in a class by itself and does not compete at present
with the California product. The Princess and other almonds of that
type are much the same as the California shelling varieties and will be
serious competitors when sold in the same markets.[4]
_Storing._—Almonds awaiting removal or sale will become rancid if stored
in warm or damp places. If the almonds have been properly cared for
during the handling process to prevent worm infection, and if the nuts
have been thoroughly cured, they will keep satisfactorily for a year or
more. The ideal condition is to keep them stored in a uniformly cool, dry
storage place with ample ventilation.