SIZE OF ALMONDS
Records of fourteen varieties of almonds grown in the same orchard under similar conditions of soil and culture have been kept at the University Farm at Davis, for the years 1913 to 1916, inclusive. These trees are all of the same age, except the Texas, Peerless and Harriott, which are one year younger than the others. These figures show that there is a wide variation within varieties from year to year, not only as regards size, but proportion of shell to whole nut, and in the proportion of double kernels.
[Table X] shows the variation in size from year to year, as indicated by the number of nuts per pound. Five-pound samples of each variety were used to determine the average size:
TABLE X
Number of Almonds per Pound for Years 1913 to 1916, Inclusive
| Variety | 1913 | 1914 | 1915 | 1916 | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpareil | 256 | 240 | 224 | 223 | 236 |
| I.X.L. | 149 | 149 | 159 | 150 | 152 |
| Ne Plus Ultra | — | 163 | 179 | 169 | 167 |
| Drake | 189 | 132 | 131 | 130 | 145.5 |
| Languedoc | 226 | 220 | 185 | 213 | 211 |
| Texas | 182 | 171 | 165 | 173 | 173 |
| Reams | 138 | 123 | 143 | 148 | 140.5 |
| Lewelling | 154 | 150 | 158 | 139 | 150 |
| Peerless | — | 118 | 127 | 134 | 124 |
| Princess | 270 | 241 | 190 | 252 | 238 |
| California | — | 232 | 211 | 206 | 216 |
| King | — | 246 | 234 | 244 | 241 |
| Harriott | — | 175 | 151 | 176 | 167 |
| Jordan | — | 76 | 70 | 75 | 74 |
The value of an almond for shelling depends not alone on its relative ease of cracking, but also upon the percentage of kernel to the whole nut as shown in [table XI]:
TABLE XI
Percentage of Kernels to Whole Nuts
| Variety | 1913 | 1914 | 1915 | 1916 | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Per cent | Per cent | Per cent | Per cent | Per cent | |
| Nonpareil | 67.5 | 65.0 | 67.2 | 67.0 | 66.6 |
| I.X.L. | 45.31 | 48.5 | 60.6 | 54.7 | 52.28 |
| Ne Plus Ultra | — | 53.25 | 57.6 | 58.5 | 56.45 |
| Drake | 46.33 | 42.40 | 47.0 | 42.2 | 44.48 |
| Languedoc | 48.75 | 50.0 | 49.4 | 48.5 | 49.16 |
| Texas | 43.75 | 45.0 | 42.4 | 44.4 | 43.89 |
| Reams | 45.94 | 42.5 | 49.25 | 43.4 | 45.27 |
| Lewelling | 43.44 | 48.8 | 50.6 | 45.0 | 46.96 |
| Peerless | — | 36.0 | 39.65 | 32.5 | 36.05 |
| Princess | 65.0 | 73.0 | 70.6 | 73.8 | 70.6 |
| California | — | 71.2 | 70.6 | 69.5 | 70.43 |
| King | — | 70.0 | 72.0 | 71.6 | 71.2 |
| Harriott | — | 56.25 | 54.2 | 50.6 | 53.68 |
| Jordan | — | 25.0 | 23.8 | 26.9 | 25.23 |
Double kernels are particularly undesirable in nuts for shelling because of the irregular shape of the halves, which renders them unfit for confectionery or bakery purposes where whole kernels are used. [Table XII] shows the percentage of double kernels by number:
TABLE XII
Percentage of Double Kernels for Different Varieties
| Variety | 1914 | 1915 | 1916 | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpareil | 1.09 | 1.96 | 6.10 | 3.05 |
| I.X.L. | .50 | .50 | .80 | .60 |
| Ne Plus Ultra | 4.30 | 5.76 | 12.06 | 7.37 |
| Drake | 12.72 | 6.25 | 6.65 | 8.54 |
| Languedoc | .99 | .32 | 1.60 | .97 |
| Texas | 11.56 | 7.40 | 11.90 | 10.29 |
| Reams | 9.92 | 13.79 | 4.82 | 9.51 |
| Lewelling | 13.30 | 28.70 | 46.50 | 29.50 |
| Peerless | 4.44 | 7.05 | 8.38 | 6.62 |
| Princess | .83 | .21 | 4.61 | 1.88 |
| California | .00 | .00 | .097 | .032 |
| King | .00 | 1.28 | 2.13 | 1.14 |
| Harriott | 1.43 | .40 | .80 | .88 |
| Jordan | 1.32 | 3.72 | 3.74 | 2.93 |