INTERIOR COAST VALLEYS AND HILLS
Back from the coast in the smaller valleys and on the hills where the coast fogs seldom reach, many locations may be found where almonds are producing successfully. These favorable localities are scattered, owing to lack of proper soil or moisture conditions.
Paso Robles District.—The one outstanding district in the coast hills where the almond is being grown successfully is in the country west of Paso Robles. There, at an elevation ranging from 900 to 2000 feet, where there is sufficient air drainage to the considerably lower land near by, the almonds are doing well. These plantings are, in most cases, on a comparatively heavy soil, sometimes approaching adobe, and underlaid by marl. This limestone formation is quite permeable to both water and the roots of the trees, and the rock itself acts as a sponge and holds considerable quantities of moisture. On the other hand, consisting of steep hills, the land is excellently drained and the trees seldom suffer from standing water around the roots.
The chief objection is that most of this land is very shallow, generally ranging from two to four or five feet deep. In some places almonds are found growing where the marl is so close to the surface as to be turned up by the plow. This makes the retention of moisture for the use of the trees a serious problem. The trees do not attain large size on such soils and the nuts are inclined to be somewhat smaller than normal. The steep character of much of the land makes tillage and spraying rather difficult and expensive. As long as the price of the land is kept down to a reasonable figure, the grower can afford to put more money into the care of both land and trees. It must be thoroughly understood that there are many localities close to Paso Robles that are greatly subject to frost and hence not at all suited to almond culture. This is especially true of the lands directly around and east of Paso Robles, and also of any of the comparatively low lands throughout the district.