The Almond in California

by R. H. Taylor

SACRAMENTO VALLEY AND FOOTHILL SECTIONS

Commencing in Solano County, about eight miles northwest of Suisun and extending as far north as the southern end of Shasta County, close to the base of the foothills on the west side of the Sacramento River, are a large number of orchards on the bottom lands of the valley. These are found principally on the higher lands along the banks of streams flowing from the Coast Range in a generally easterly direction to the Sacramento River. The two most important streams of this type are Putah Creek, forming the boundary between Yolo and Solano counties, and Cache Creek, flowing through the Capay Valley and across Yolo County to the Sacramento River.

These plantings being on the floor of the valley are more subject to frost than the foothill plantings, but they have the advantage of being on the rich valley soils, and while they may lose a crop occasionally from frosts, they make it up in the long run by the much larger growth of the trees and their ability to produce larger yields. Many orchards do not show any such ability to produce large crops, but such a failure must be attributed to lack of pruning and care, rather than to any inherent inability of the large trees to produce nuts. Again, trees on the rich and moist bottom lands may be kept so vigorous and healthy by good care that they are apparently able to endure lower temperatures than less vigorous trees on the shallow and poor upland soils where frosts are less common or severe.

Many recent plantings have been made along the lower foothills on the west side of the Sacramento Valley. The three most important districts where these plantings have been made are west of Dunnigan, Arbuckle and Corning. The plantings in these districts are mostly on a gravelly clay or clay loam soil which is not as rich nor generally as deep as the bottom lands and, consequently, the trees are somewhat smaller, but they have the advantage of freedom from spring frosts due to superior air drainage. The problem in this district is chiefly one of moisture retention by cultivation, as in most cases the growers are unable to get water for irrigation at a reasonable cost, if at all.

The valley districts extend to Tehama County and down the east side of the Sacramento River, the same as on the west side, the principal centers being at Chico, Durham, Liveoak, Pennington and Sutter. Parts of the Liveoak section are too low and many orchards have suffered from poor drainage both of water and air.

The foothill sections on the east side are principally around Antelope, Fairoaks and Orangevale in Sacramento County and the southern end of Placer County. Here the danger from frost is slightly greater than on the western foothills because of the proximity to the snow-covered Sierra Nevada Mountains. On the other hand, water from the Sierras renders irrigation possible at a reasonable cost, so the trees can be kept in good condition. Care must be exercised here to avoid frost pockets. There is also danger of poor soil drainage in the swales.

SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY AND FOOTHILL SECTIONS

Conditions here blend very much into those of the Sacramento Valley sections. Continuing south there are plantings around Acampo, Lodi, Stockton, Linden, Ripon, Modesto and more scattered plantings farther up the valley. The danger from spring frosts increases southward due to the earlier blooming of the trees. In some of these sections, notably around Ripon and Modesto, the excessive use of irrigation water for alfalfa and other crops has resulted in a rise of the water table in many places until it is within a foot or two of the surface during the summer months, and in many other places comes to within four feet of the surface.

On the west side of the San Joaquin Valley the principal plantings have been in eastern Contra Costa County. Most of these orchards are of old trees, planted from 15 to 30 years ago. In order to obtain satisfactory air and soil drainage the orchards were planted on the rolling hills, the soil being nearly all blow-sand. Irrigation is too expensive to be installed on most of this land, and the problem in that section is to conserve moisture and at the same time hold the soil in place and prevent it from being carried away by the wind.