"This nut," said Uncle John, "came from sunny Spain. It grew not far from the blue Mediterranean. Almonds are raised in most parts of southern Europe and in the northern part of Africa. Ages ago they grew in the Holy Land, and are mentioned in the Bible." "Do almonds grow in any part of our country?" asked Helen. "I think they grow in California," said Frank. "You are right," said Uncle John. "There are many almond orchards in the southern part of the state. "An almond tree in full bloom is a beautiful sight. The blossoms are white, tinted with pink, and as they appear before the leaves do, there is nothing to hide them." [Illustration: FIG. 63.--Almond Trees in Full Bloom.] "Does the nut have a covering?" inquired Mary. "Yes," replied Uncle John. "When the nut is ripe, the shuck opens gradually, and sometimes the nuts fall out. "When people have large orchards, they spread pieces of canvas under the trees and then shake them or beat them by means of long poles. "The nuts that do not fall out of the shucks are obtained by opening the shuck with a knife. The nuts are then dried, and are ready for market." As soon as Uncle John had finished, Mary handed him a hazelnut. "Please tell about this one," said she. "I have often gone hazel nutting when I was a boy," said her uncle. "Hazelnuts grow on bushes in thickets. They are six or eight feet high and very slender. Baskets are sometimes made of them, and I have often used them for arrows. "Sometimes the nuts grow singly, and sometimes in groups of two or three. A bur covers the nut, which sticks very closely until it is ripe. Then the nuts often fall out. "After I had gathered the hazelnuts, I used to spread them out on the roof of the wood house to dry." "Nuts that look just like these are called filberts," said Helen. "Filberts are cultivated hazelnuts," replied Uncle John; "they are larger than the wild ones." "I would like to know how this nut grows," said Helen, handing her uncle a black nut shaped like a triangular prism. "This," said Uncle John, "came from Brazil, and is called a Brazil nut. Do you know where Brazil is?" "It is in the northeastern part of South America," replied Helen. "The great Amazon River is in Brazil, and it flows through tropical forests," said Mary. "Much of our coffee comes from Brazil," said Frank. Uncle John then told the children that Brazil nuts come from the northern part of Brazil and from the Orinoco valley. Helen asked if they grow as walnuts and hickory nuts do. "No," answered her uncle, "they grow inside of a great case or shell. There are from eighteen to twenty-five in one shell, which is nearly as large as a man's head." "How are the nuts got out of the shells?" asked Mary. "When they fall, men break them open and take out the nuts," replied Uncle John. "Most of them are sent down the Amazon to the city of Para and from there shipped to the United States and other countries."