A shade crop, such as alfalfa, may be grown successfully in mature orchards where irrigation water is available, and where perfect drainage of surface and subsoil can be maintained. During the first four or five years or more such a crop is generally a detriment to the almond trees, but after the trees reach maturity it may be beneficial in securing better drainage and aeration of the soil by the penetration of the numerous roots to considerable depths and their consequent decay when it is plowed in. Alfalfa also supplies nitrogen to the soil and thus gradually increases the fertility. The great danger with such a crop is that the orchardist is apt to irrigate for the alfalfa at the expense of the trees because of the quicker returns from the former. In deep, rich soils the cuttings of alfalfa may be removed from the land, though the last cutting in the fall should be allowed to remain on the land. Where this is done, a natural mulch is obtained which helps to increase the supply of humus. If the soil is poor and lacking in humus it is better to leave more cuttings of the alfalfa on the ground to decay. As this continues the soil becomes, through the increased accumulations of humus, more permeable and yet more retentive of moisture, and less irrigation will serve the trees more effectively. During the early spring a well-established stand of alfalfa may assist so materially in getting rid of the excess water in the soil that sour-sap, fruit drop and kindred ills resulting from the unseasonable warm weather while the ground is filled with water and the trees are starting into growth, may be greatly reduced or avoided entirely. _Irrigation._—Water for irrigating almonds must always be used with great care whether it be in summer or winter. All water should be so applied that it will readily spread through the soil and not remain in excessive quantities for any length of time. Water should not be applied during blossoming or setting of the fruit in the spring or within a week or more of harvest. On the other hand, water applied just before the hulls commence to open, where the soil has become too dry, greatly reduces the number of sticktights, or almonds in which the hulls stick to the ripening nuts without opening. _Fertilization._—Little or no systematic work has been done up to the present time in the use of commercial fertilizers on almonds. The use of barnyard manure is desirable wherever obtainable. The value of almond hulls as fertilizers is doubtful because of the difficulty of bringing about their thorough decay when applied in sufficient quantities to be worth while. The use of lime to correct soil acidity and for improving the texture of heavy soils will be found desirable where this is obtainable at reasonable rates. PRUNING