Narrative
Type = Almond. Per USDA Bulletin 1282, Almond Varieties in the United States, pg. 45-47: "Tree: Moderately vigorous. Very spreading, busy, scraggly, with lower branches drooping. Main branches - Short, stocky, tend to grow horizontal, scraggly, very zigzagging. Twigs - Many young twigs. Tend to be vigorous, medium long, stocky. Lenticels - Variable. Usually numerous, large, wide, short, rought, raised, gray. Foliage - Dense. Leaves medium in size, but there are also many small young leaves present; tend to remain flat or to recurve slightly. Blade - Size small to large. Shape ovate or elliptical-ovate. Petiole - Rather long; varies in stockiness, averages stocky, rather rigid. Glands two to six, generally three, commonly two or four, usually on petiole; vary in size from small to large, oval, yellowish, or brownish. Bearing habit - The variety is a heavy but somewhat of an alternate bearer. On spurs on wood 1 to 4 years old, also on laterals. Nut: Immature nut - Size medium. Shape plump, irregular ovate. Hull - Outer surface of hull green and smooth (i.e. no marked depressions); pubescence abundant, thick, medium long, medium fine, felty, gray. Hulled nut - Size small to medium. Shape - plump, very wide in proportion to length; very broad, round-ovate, sometimes round oval. Shell - Outer shell thick, varies in texture, generally spongy and somewhat crumbly, usually light brown in color. Inner shell medium thick and hard, sometimes so hard as to make it difficult to crack nuts with fingers. Inner surface of inner shell light rich brown in color. Kernel - small to medium. Comments: The Drake almond owes most of its popularity to its value as a pollinizer or other varieties, particularly the Nonpareil. It appears to be especially susceptible to diseases and pests, such as brown-rot, crown-gall, and red-spider infestations."