My almond trees look healthy but the fruit seems to be diseased. Is it
necessary to have male and female trees, and how can one distinguish
them?

The almond is monoecious and has perfect blossoms, therefore, there is
no such thing as male and female trees in the case of the almond, but
most of the best soft-shelled almonds are self-sterile and need
cross-pollination from another variety. This is discussed elsewhere in
answer to another question.



Roots for the Almond.



Which is the best root to have the almond grafted on, peach or bitter
almond? The soil is sandy.

The bitter almond and the hard-shelled sweet almond are both used and we
are not aware that any particular advantage has been demonstrated for
either of them. The almond does well on peach roots also, but the almond
is a better root where the soil conditions suit it.



Longevity of Almond and Peach.