SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
The entire coast district of Southern California has practically proved itself to be unfitted for almond culture, except at elevations above 1500 or 2000 feet. The limiting factor seems to be the lack of a sufficiently definite winter season at the lower elevations. Trees are inclined to bloom too early in the season or before the winter is over.
Above 1500 or 2000 feet the increased elevation gives a sufficiently definite cold winter season and the trees tend to blossom at more seasonable times. Aside from scattered plantings in the hills of San Diego County and a few orchards around Hemet and San Jacinto in Riverside County, the principal plantings are at Banning and in the Mojave Desert.
Banning District.—Within a radius of three miles of Banning, with an average elevation of 2300 feet, where a plentiful supply of water is to be had from the mountains to the north, are a large number of orchards ranging in age from 2 to 29 years. The bulk of the plantings were made during 1910 and 1911. This is the oldest district in southern California and has proved itself to be well fitted for almond culture.
Antelope Valley and Vicinity.—The old plantings in the Mojave Desert are few and far between. They have, however, served as an impetus for large plantings in recent years many of which have turned out to be failures. This happened in many portions of Antelope Valley, west of Lancaster, on the Southern Pacific Railroad in northern Los Angeles County. Many more of these plantings are young and still have to prove themselves.
Orchard almond trees are never grown from seed, as they do not reproduce true to type, but are propagated by budding desirable varieties on seedling roots in the manner commonly employed in nursery practices for other stone fruits, like the peach. Every grower must decide, however, on what rootstocks he will plant his trees.