The almond is also widely grown as an orna- mental in localities where it seldom if ever pro- duces fruit. It is a favorite flowering shrub in England, northern Europe, and parts of the eastern and southern United States. It is one of the earliest fruits to bloom. The peach-like blossoms appear before the leaves, and are very ornamental.
The dwarf almond (Amyrjdalus nana) is a low shrub, seldom more than two or three feet in height. It is common in the south of Russia, and is frequently planted as an ornamental shrub. Another species (Ainytidalus andersonii) — as yet of no agricultural importance — is found among the rocky hills of southern California, about the Colorado desert. It is a bushy shrub, barely six feet high. The fruit is a small, vel- vety drupe, little more than half an inch long. Other species not well known but similar to these are found in the east. Fossil forms of the almond are known in the Miocene Tertiary beds of Oenin- gen, Germany. See Plate of Acanthus.
ALMOND DISEASE. The principal disease to which the almond is subject is that known as the leaf-blight. It is caused by the fungus Cer- cospora circumcissa, which attacks the leaves and twigs, often to such an extent as to defoliate the trees by midsummer. Upon the leaves small distinct yellow spots are formed, from which the leaf tissue falls, leaving the leaf appearing as though pierced by numerous shot. The disease may be prevented by spraying the trees before blooming, and about twice after blooming, with the ammoniacal copper carbonate solution. (See FiTNGiciDE. ) The second spraying should be ap- plied when the trees are in full leaf, and the third two to four weeks later.
ALMONDE, al-mon'da, Philippus van (1646- 1711). A Dutch vice-admiral, who served under De Ruyter in the fights of 1076, and after the admiral's death commanded the Dutch Mediter- ranean fleet. He was with Tromp in sub- duing the naval power of Sweden in 1677. He commanded in 1688 the fleet which conducted William III. to England, and four years after- ward gained fame by his defeat of the French at La Hogue. In 1702, with the English admiral. Sir George Rooke, he commanded the allies which destroyed the Spanish fleet in the Bay of Vigo.
ALMONDS, a'mundz. Expressed Oil of. A fixed oil expressed from bitter or sweet almonds, and sometimes used in medicine. It has a pale yellow color, and a mild, rather agreeable taste. It consists largely of olein.
ALMONDS, Volatile Oil of. better known
as Be.xzalueuyde or Oil of Bitter Almonds,
CHjCHO. Tlie cake which is left after the
expression of the fixed oil from bitter almonds
contains, among other matters, two substances
called, respectively, amygdalin, and emulsin or
synaptase. When the cake is bruised and made
into a paste with water, the synaptase acts as a
ferment upon the amygdalin, splitting it up into
the volatile oil of almonds, hydrocyanic (prussic)
acid, and grape-sugar. The oil is not originally
present in the bitter almonds ; in fact, the latter
do not contain a trace of the oil ready formed,
so that the oil is purely the product of the fer-
mentation of amygdalin. This action takes
place very rapidly, and is complete in twenty-four
hours. The paste having been placed in a retort,
heat is very cautiously applied, to prevent the
lumping and frothing to which the almond infu-
sion is liable. In tlie distillation, the liydrocy-
anic acid and the volatile oil unite in an unstable
compound which passes over into the receiver,
along with much water. The crude oil thus
obtained decomposes gradually, the prussic acid
being set free, and on this account it is very
poisonous, many fatal cases having occurred
from its willful, accidental, or careless use. The
crude oil may be purified and freed from prussic
acid by means of ferrous chloride and lime. The
volatile oil (C„H,CHO) is the aldehyde of ben-
zoic acid (C„HjCOOH), into which substance it
gradually changes when exposed to the air in a
moist state. It is colorless, has an agreeable
odor, and an acrid, bitter taste. It is soluble
in water to the extent of 1 part in 300 parts of
water, but mixes in all proportions with alcohol
and ether. It is a higlily refractive liquid, of
specific gravity 1.0.5 at 15°' C. ; it boils at 179° C.
At present it is usually prepared by boiling ben-
zyl chloride with an aqueous solution of lead
niti-ate. The crude product thus obtained is
shaken w-ith a solution of acid sodium sulphite,
which forms a crystalline compound with ben-
zaldehyde. while the impurities remain in solu-
tion. Pure benzaldehyde is obtained from the
crystalline compound by the action of dilute
acids. The oil is used by the confectioner and
the perfumer, and is employed on a large scale in
the manufacture of benzoic and cinnamic acids
and of various dyes.
ALMONER, al'mun-er (O. F. almosne, alms, from Lat. eleemosyna, Gk. e^eT/finaOvr/, elevmosyne, mercy, alms). The name given originally to that member of a religious order who had the distribution of the money and other things set apart for alms, which by canonical law was to amount to at least a tenth of the revenues of the establishment. Afterward those ecclesias- tics also received this name who were appointed by princes to the same office in their households. The Grand Almoner of France was one of the principal oflicers of the court and of the kingdom, usually a cardinal, and, in right of his office, commander of all the orders, and also chief director of the great hospital for the blind. Queens, princes, and princesses had also their almoners, and bishops were usually appointed to this oflice. In England, the office of Hereditary Grand Almoner is now a sinecure, his onlj' duty being to distribute the coronation medals among the assembled spectators. The Lord High Almon- er, who is usually a bishop, distributes twice a year the sovereign's bounty, which consists in giving a silver penny each to as many poor per- sons as the sovereign is years of age.
ALMONTE, al-mon'tft, Don Juan NepomuCENO (1803-69). A Mexican general and diplomat. He was the reputed son of Morelos (q.v.), the patriot priest. As a mere child he took part in the war of liberation, and in 1815 was sent to the United States to be educated. His diplomatic career began at an early age, and he had filled responsible positions in London and South America before he joined the staff of Santa Anna in 1836, in which year he was made prisoner at San Jacinto. Under Bustamante he was minister of war, and from 1841 to 1846 was minister to the United States, retiring when the annexation of Texas had become a certainty. In 1853 he was again minister to the United States; in 1857 he was minister to France; he had been twice an unsuccessful candidate for the presi-
