1. Nonpareil
2. I.X.L.
Jordan
3. Ne Plus Ultra
4. Peerless
Princess
California
King
Silver
5. Golden State
6. Lewelling
7. Drake
8. Languedoc
Texas
Many new varieties have been originated in California but most of them
have fallen into disfavor in a short time. In fact, it is impossible to
locate even single trees of some varieties which were formerly well
known. From time to time, however, worthy varieties have been introduced
and have succeeded in making a permanent place for themselves through
their ability to fill a demand that before had been but partially or
poorly supplied.
In view of the changing market situation for California almonds, due to
the rapidly increasing acreage and the very limited demand for unshelled
almonds, it is safe to predict that the only new varieties which will
be of value in the future will be those that are primarily of superior
quality for shelling purposes. Yield must take second place.
Well known varieties are not only in heavier demand in the principal
markets, but they invariably bring much better prices than the newer
varieties. In some years, when the domestic crop of a given variety is
light and the demand good, it is possible to unload poorer or less known
varieties at fairly good prices. More often, however, they are a drag on
the market.
Owing to the increasing consumption of shelled almonds and the
probability of a still greater increase in the future, growers should
arrange future plantings with a view to supplying the best shelling
varieties. At the present time, the best shelling varieties are not
ordinarily the heaviest producers. With a limited production they may not
even bring as large returns as the poorer but heavier yielding varieties.
As the production increases, which it is doing very rapidly, the relative
value of the best shelling varieties will increase in proportion and they
may be sold at good prices when it will be impossible to move a heavy
tonnage of a poor variety at a profitable price.
Although the future almond markets will no doubt use shelled almonds very
largely, there will always be a limited demand for unshelled almonds
for use in the holiday trade and for home table use. Unshelled almonds
to be acceptable for such purposes must be large, attractive nuts with
light-colored, clean-looking shells, soft enough to be broken with the
hands. The kernels must be well filled and free from gum. The I.X.L. is
the most popular and highest-priced nut for this purpose. The Ne Plus
Ultra ranks next because of its attractive outside appearance and shape;
one of the principal objections to it being its tendency to have gummy
kernels. The Drake is another variety in demand for this purpose. It
is moderately large, plump and well filled with a good quality kernel,
and while not as attractive as the I.X.L. or Ne Plus Ultra, it is
popular with the medium-priced trade. A certain class of trade prefers
the Nonpareil for such use, and it appears to be growing in popularity
because of the attractive kernel and the ease with which shelling by hand
is accomplished.
The confectioners, on the other hand, care nothing for shell. They want
a medium or large sized kernel, uniform in shape, and plump; one that
can be coated smoothly or evenly with candy. For blanching and salting
purposes, the kernels must be large and smooth. The best California
variety for this purpose is the Nonpareil. It is also the best nut for
table use when sold shelled. As a rule, the papershell varieties are the
best for shelling because of the large percentage of unbroken kernels
which may be obtained. The broken kernels and those obtained from
cheaper and less desirable varieties are used largely by the bakers and
almond-paste manufacturers.
The planting of large blocks of orchards to single varieties is not a
wise practice. Planting of several varieties will assist greatly in
lengthening the harvest season, and thus enable one to handle large
crops with fewer men and less equipment. For example, the four best
varieties—the Nonpareil, I.X.L., Ne Plus Ultra and Drake—ripen in the
order named; the Nonpareil ripening about two weeks before the I.X.L.,
the Ne Plus Ultra about a week after the I.X.L., and the Drake about
two weeks after the Ne Plus Ultra. Where there is danger of failure
of varieties to set fruit due to frost or improper pollination or
unfavorable weather conditions during, or soon after, blooming, the
grower is more likely to get a crop from some variety if several are
planted to secure a succession of bloom in the spring.
The principal reason for interplanting varieties is to secure adequate
cross-pollination. For this purpose the Ne Plus Ultra and Drake are
probably the best to use as pollenizers.
Other combinations, as indicated on page 6, may be made that will be
satisfactory, though care must be exercised to secure varieties that
blossom near enough together to be effective. Figure 26 shows the
effective blossoming period for fifteen varieties.
_Adaptation of Varieties._—The best marketable nuts are, as has been
suggested, few in number, and most of these do well in all of the
principal almond districts of California. Where the climatic and soil
condition are equally favorable there is no great variation in their
behavior, but owing to such differences it has been found that certain
varieties are better adapted to some districts than others.
The Nonpareil, the best variety known at the present time for California
conditions, bears more nearly uniform crops from year to year and shows
a wider range of adaptation than any of the other good commercial
varieties. It has proved itself to be satisfactory in every almond
district in the state. The Drake closely approaches the Nonpareil in this
respect. The I.X.L. and Ne Plus Ultra are the most variable in their
behavior. The blossoms of the two varieties seem to be more tender and
hence more liable to injury under unfavorable conditions; gumming is more
prevalent near the coast, and during harvest the slower ripening and
opening of the hulls in the more moist atmosphere in many of the coast
valleys causes excessive darkening and sometimes molding of the shell.
The Ne Plus Ultra does its best on comparatively high, well-drained
soils, adjacent to the larger streams in the Sacramento Valley, such as
the lands along the Sacramento River, Putah Creek, Cache Creek, etc.,
though it also grows and produces well in the Banning district and in
many of the foothill sections where conditions are favorable. The I.X.L.
does best on the foothills surrounding the Sacramento Valley, notable
on the west side. In the Banning district the Ne Plus Ultra seems to be
a better producer than the I.X.L. Varieties which ripen later than the
Drake should be avoided in the Banning district because of the liability
to damage from the frequent October rains.
There are a number of different varieties, such as the Eureka and Jordan,
which give promise of filling a limited place in the markets but which
have not yet been thoroughly tested throughout the state. The Eureka
is popular with confectioners because of the similarity in shape to
the Jordan. In limited quantities the demand is good. It is still a
question as to whether it would hold up in price if grown in very large
quantities. The Jordan nut is of excellent quality but in California
the trees are variable in vigor. In some cases the trees make unusually
large, vigorous growth while in others they are small and apparently
stunted. The cause of this has never been adequately determined. In
general, the Jordans do not bear sufficiently heavy crops to make them
pay at the prevailing low prices. The chief reasons for the low prices
are the extreme hardness of the shell and the absence of satisfactory
methods of shelling. The invention of a satisfactory machine for this
purpose would probably make it pay to plant Jordans in much larger
quantities.
[Illustration: Fig. 26.—Period of Effective Blossoming of
Almonds—University Farm—1917.]
Other varieties, such as the Texas, have been sufficiently tested to
show them to be well adapted to most districts, but they are not to be
recommended because of the difficulty experienced in marketing them at
a profit in large quantities. The Texas has been planted extensively
in California without sufficient justification. It was planted because
of its value as a pollenizer, its precocious and prolific bearing, and
its upright habit of growth. In small quantities it was sold in less
exacting markets as a Drake, but in larger quantities there has been a
good deal of objection to it on the part of the trade. As the bearing
trees become older and bear heavier crops, the nuts tend to become
smaller and the shells harder, which increases the difficulty of selling.
From the standpoint of the grower as well as the market, the lateness in
ripening is very objectionable. The California Almond Growers’ Exchange
is finding it harder each year to satisfactorily market the rapidly
increasing tonnage of this variety. It should, therefore, be avoided in
new plantings.