big problem. Our reason for
thinking so is that the Ridenhauer almond under eastern conditions will
often produce nuts and it is recognized as doing quite well. We have
never had an opportunity of tasting this nut but have seen photographs
of the tree and have examined personally the nuts. Without any knowledge
as to the actual ancestry of this nut we are very much inclined to the
belief that it is a peach-almond. If this is so it opens up a line of
breeding possibilities which should not be overlooked.

The procedure which should be followed will depend necessarily upon the
conditions under which breeding experiments may be carried on. We
believe that under eastern conditions the only opportunities for outdoor
breeding work will lie along the line of interbreeding with peaches and
almonds. The feasibility of indoor breeding with almonds is questionable
in view of the difficulty of properly hardening for winter and yet
affording protection during blossoming and providing at the same time
for conditions which will favor the setting of the fruit. We do believe
that there is abundant opportunity for experimentation, with the
possibility that valuable results may be secured by systematic breeding
along the line just mentioned.

Along with this cross breeding simple almond breeding experiments should
be carried on, but these must be done in a locality where almonds can be
brought to fruitage. Of course, the ideal place for this would be in
California in a known almond district, and it is hoped that as time goes
on experiments along this line will be conducted in an effort to secure
later blossoming varieties and earlier ripening varieties. Our guess is
that it would not be possible, at least within the lifetime of one man,
to lengthen the normal resting period of any strain of pure bred almonds
to the point where they would be able to withstand the long eastern
winters and at the same time shorten the ripening period to practical
limits. The development of this work, as far as it can be practically
carried, should result in relatively late blossoming almonds which could
then be used as a basis for breeding with peaches in an effort to still
further approach the desired results and yet maintain the desirable
characteristics of the almond. This simply involves the application of
known breeding methods to these fruits.

To accomplish anything of this kind involves the development of a
long-time plan which must be consistently