File:Birds and nature (1900) (14746875061).jpg

Identifier: birdsnature841900chic (find matches)
Title: Birds and nature
Year: 1900 (1900s)
Authors:
Subjects: Birds Natural history
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : A.W. Mumford, Publisher
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Smithsonian Libraries

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mbers the blossoming rod of Aaronwas from an almond tree. Even to thisday Jews carry rods bearing almond blos-soms to the synagogues on great festivaldays. The Romans designated the al-monds (the kernels or seeds with the hardendocarp or shell) Nuces graecae (Greeknuts), from which it is concluded that thealmond tree was brought to Italy fromGreece. Almond oil was known to theancient Greek and Roman writers. Pli-nius and Dioscorides make reference tothe gum which exudes from the bark.Karl der Grosse (Charlemagne) recom-mended the cultivation of almonds inGermany. In view of the fact that someauthorities state that the sweet variety isa product of cultivation, it is interestingto note that the two varieties have beenknown equally long. The bitter varietywas described by Scribonius Largus andPlinius. Alexander Trallianus describedthe medicinal virtues of the oil of bitteralmonds. Palladinus gave directionshow to convert the bitter variety into thesweet variety by methods of cultivation.
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FROM KOlHLERS MEOICINAL-PFLANZEN. 3G8 ALMOND. MFORO PUBLISHER 191 Later experiments have, however, proventhis to be a false conclusion. The fruit and seeds of several otherplants are known as almonds. The seedsof the African shrub Brabeium stellati-folium are known as African almonds.Country almonds is a name given to thefruit of the East Indian tree TerminaliaCatappa. Th^ fruit of Canarium com-mune is known as Java almonds. At the present time the sweet almondis extensively cultivated in northern Af-rica, southern Europe and in the warmerparts of the United States, particularly inCalifornia. Climatic conditions and cul-tivation have a great influence upon thequality of the almonds and we have as aresult quite a number of commercial va-rieties, just as we have commercial varie-ties of coffee, tea, oranges, etc. The moreimportant commercial varieties are theJordan, Valencia, Barbary and Californiaalmonds. These vary somewhat in size,form and thickness of the kernel and thehardness and

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