dopepiey bn ros aero ise te sted PRI tir telah ety ep nin EN tee © mt 5 eatin oh nie -tepabk SeaEe) SE Rat rentetiryene tiie Ne ee ak eth aaa aah, r igs bathe ’ ict h- eal firll ers rey or eraraye Ter wOr eee i Oe Cech beth hati eed be PO acs ‘ Sl atk eh lb bp e-sah o ein . pitae' batt fuiaba abet = aa wae eas Sata eins crear hanes hee . nebsievers wn er pb pr ins ayet siataty te atatni safety’ vel ohatsls Py iptv Rate hae *' he's iarenecstes@nprans By pieenes pach sth | Glass 2 eae Book A PRESENTED BY Ah ea es Report of the Semi-Annual Meeting of the California AVOCADO Association “REPORT OF THE FIRST SEMI-ANNUAL MEETING OF THE CALIFORNIA | AVOCADO ASSOCIATION ea ~ LOS ANGELES October 23, 1915 CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION Offices, 917-923 Union Oi] Building a LOS) ANCHE aay ye ey Officers ' | Bdwin G. Hart... 8 President Wane Aco Spinks) ase say neces eaeeeveee First Vice President Charles ‘Silent. : 25 usa sme Second Vice President ID, W: Coolidge. 22 Eee Secretary Cl Re Tatts. ee dee eee Treasurer Executive Committee Ce a act F, O. Popenoe, Chairman CP. Tame W. L. Rideout ae oe Directors Edwin G. Hart J. Eliot Coit Wm. A. Spinks Joseph Sexton Charles Silent F. O. Popenae— D. W. Coolidge W.. L. Rideout aaa Cie Mant pone ‘8 ie iP CONTENTS Page “Association and Its Purposes” by Pres. Edwin G. Hart..-2.........02.202..0002.......- 7 ABT TURTLE TIO SM Bay oe ase a I eS Ske ast let In 9 Vn re ee 91 PRRKEEMOON! SESSION | 22522222) fp FM RE NS USN Re, Sa a 42 WISEUSSIONY VOL) MOPICS 22622.) -42 Ju i oe ate ea he Wie Re i TA a 0 eee 2 ee 41 Pi xRMpemiencenvitn Smipments’ by Dr. J. Hhiot. Coit.....2..).0 22 el. 79 Baontmeralie on the Avocado: by Prot: M: H. Jaffa ee. Dal FD SL RGSS TEVA OS) a a a I a Rie Hg RE Lg Re 90 Srin——Eow to Choose and Prepare for the Table’ ...........-.2.c2.22.200 ee. 91-92 PEMETAL DUS OUST Oa ie Uae eat FAIA DI ray os neg nO Bigs Se era ee 81 to 90 Sircamacial Imeesecords, by A: D:-Shame}l......0.2...0--20.c eel. 42 mera iOM ....-/....--.-.---.- acc incor ci ner cect He EB ea are BE aia He A petra ee Ok Rene 89 TESS RETO’? ONT RDM] BESTT Ry c(i Gh ie wes 8 al kL gm er ES le SPSS 75 Pviamkenme by John C. Bosche.. 0)... Wai ee De oe RT OE WA RN) BL 78 ALVEIE PETS ccotecde nclellil RNG Aa 5 SUIS IMI Ne OI: ae Sh 2 ee eng ec I Re 4 PLESIMLS CBSO Aol CONE OlCSy Ce ee te ae SS de a MR eae 25 Ae eee a Se ee ea t MaimMemotmecte ASSOGIATION.__..2!..02 eect cll Silos oul 2 Sie Na MINA if SE NEN hte Prk raga 23 SNewalemcno Interest sby Prof. IracJ. Condit... 0.20.2 10 CURIGES GF ANSISOCIEWOIOTI eo: SIE See ay eee ee en ees ee ee Ones 93 IP TBIDZ/C@ Lazeeiee cae a a ee Nie a Vie Satie Ve se La ee EERE. OMOEA es) 5 LE UUTAGVS > |i ce AS Seca AN cet ae ee pelea Pere eaves KeAwe LAN eok e 87 eens eee erties. yh aan VS yale Dee ons Me! 91-93 PBS SUE EUGITIS 0 eect se Se ie le ad ee eh Re a 86 Ae ACM Ua hem MLM STING AG. te ieee tis SY ee eed et et 81 SoctImon work for the Avocado by EH. J. Webber...2.2.2.- 02.2222. eeee 69 “The Avocado in Florida and Other Lands” by Wilson Popenoe.... ............ 29 San LOME ee h xpeGted:. Dy OC. Ps Taht.. 022s ees my cnlenesson thie Avocado, by Hh. O) Popenoe 0... 2. 44 JDjrira Seer Ee IPN OSS tT A eee A a en ee i aC 45 SPCCHIC MN AISELICS mnie ar tucul al Niu wena laa weal eh ae Wy ne hey se 48 [ECONY {EO iar ol ONS: MI RA OY Ske waa tea Een ANE A orca TARE seas seu Ruse Stet Tend, "hai 49 ance xen tO mt Ine aiy CSU. 2-2 rik ee Fee Ws a ONIN SR al Peas ae 9 Wena een 49 IMSSR@e ia s ALAA OS) SS a ath pe INN ap ale eae ten See Ns Sn 51 Wane CnOhehOnelem, Orie. (28) oe ae eee yal he ee DB Caylee amma eye ves eUles Waa lene ele aie ih ee ala SMe Aes coe a OS 56 Wirt e Smo tA ORET STi OT OMM ny 8. fot oe 6 5 A ph ee 62 AY GIST > Lemma LENT ON SY Sere aN soo a ea et See ee ner ee OR 67 Vat etlesromMOnelenmOunpiimne co UeEe Te a ors ee i Albertson, Emery Adams, Chas. D. Armstrong Nurseries Beck, G. W. Barber, T. U. Demiley, VV 4 let. Bartlett, Rev, Danae Blanchard Nathan ws Blige, JB, AV Barnes, Vins. Antunes: Buxton, G. E. Collins, Isaac Come, ID J. Ene Coolidge, D. W. Chapman, >: Chidester, Arthur M. Canipy VG Cinase, 1a, Av Dixon, F. A. Dickey, Edward A. lelivaarmn, Ws 1Bavell Fulton, S. M. Gray, R. Hart, Edwin G. Flaldeman, H. M. Hertrich, Wm. ravine, 18h, 1, Kamen Elenny Jp Kirven & Bradford Pittleton. Cy Hiss: inane! rans Ss: Limona Heights Co. Metz, Emma K. Magee Bros. Nurseries Moore, Stephen P. Maurer, Oscar Manz, A. F. MEMBERS Matthews, Roy P. Manning, Dr. Will R. Murry, William D. McNaghton, Dr. Malcomb Newkaemper, Wm. Popenoe, k. O} rice hen@, Roth Ranieve Rideout, W. L. likOss, (Goo, IF. Roeding & Wood Nursery Co. Sharpless; Bake Sherlock, W. P. Spatildines sb swan Sexton, Joseph Sandusky, Earl Spills. WVisaieyee Stevenson, Arthur L. Silent, Charles Stephens, VVinae aay Stearns, Elecite Stuart, James. ©: Shedden, Thos. H. Skinner, R. W. Stewart, Mirs. Jo Ie Sallmon, William H. Tang, (C. IP. Nowmnsend, Dig Ease Wiacher, JB. S. Witt Cate Williams, A. B. Wilder, G. W. Wilhiteliye, Wise ae White, Cornelia B. Walker, T. J. Whineciom, I. I. WY eloiner, Die: |. lal. PREFACE The California Avocado Association was organized at an adver- Pecommecwna meld May 5, 1915, ar the Alexandria Tlotel in’ Los Angeles. At that meeting directors were elected and tentative by- laws formulated. At a subsequent meeting of the directors, the present officers were elected and committees appointed, and definite steps were taken to place the Association on a sound basis. siimenmecting: Weld October 23,1915, is one of the first results of the perfected organization. Semi-annual exhibition meetings will be held hereafter at times that will give the best opportunity to acquaint the public with the different varieties of avocados and their value. These meetings will also afford opportunities to the growers to exchange information gained by experiments, and to hear papers prepared by experts who are making a deep study of the industry. Exhibits A great variety of thin skinned avocados were displayed, of which at least two were small, seedless types. A large portion were promising seedlings, some of which may have a bright future in a commercial way. Other varieties that have been the staple thin skins for some time, were shown in abundance. Peuctmepudded mitseny trees of | ditterent varieties were exhibited. They were dormant buds of late fall of 1914, beginning to grow in the spring of 1915. ° With seven months’ growth these buds had made beautiful, well formed, strong stocked trees of an exceptionally vigorous growth, averaging about five feet in height. A box of thin skinned fruit, containing several varieties. was placed on display after having been shipped to Chicago and return. Different methods of packing were used in this shipment, some of them with poor results, still it demonstrated that some of the thin skinned type, properly packed, would stand such a shipment without injury. | . The mid-day display of prepared avocado dishes was worthy the fruit it introduced. Sliced avocados, dainty avocado sand- wiches, avocado cocktails and mixed avocado salads, with beautiful decorations, and in quantities sufficient to give everybody a gen- erous sample, held the attention of even the initiated. Little folders, with recipes for the preparation of a large number of avocado dishes, were distributed, and these may be had free at any time by applying to the offices of the Association. The exhibit of fruit did not include any of the larger, hard shelled, or thick skinned type, as fruits of these varieties are not available from local trees after the first of October. An exception to this rule was one large thick skinned fruit—a Sharpless—held over especially for this meeting. The larger heavy skinned types will be in evidence at the spring exhibition to be held about May Ist, 1916. | Systematic study of the avocado industry is new in the United States, but has been taken up on a broad scale and given extended thought in Southern California. Experienced horticulturists have planted seed and budded the best varieties obtainable. Some of these varieties have originated from seedlings in this state, others have been brought from Florida, and many different foreign coun- tries, especially Mexico. The great value as a food product and the commercial possi- bilities of the avocado have been recognized by both the United . States Department of Agriculture and the State University. These institutions are broadly extending their work of introduction of foreign varieties and general experimentation. Every endeavor will be made by the Avocado Association, assisted by these government agencies, to hold in check any undue “booming” of the infant industry, or misrepresentation as to its general possibilities. This may be necessary because of the extraordinary individual tree records attained in the past. The proceedings of this meeting are published on account of the valuable information contained therein. Copies will be mailed upon application and the payment of 35 cents each, which is the approximate cost of publication and mailing. Address all communications to CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOC tee 917-923 Union Oil Building, Los Angeles. FIRST SEMI-ANNUAL MEETING OF THE CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION HELD AT THE HOTEL ALEXANDRIA, LOS ANGELES, OCTOBER 23, 1915. PmietOoa. m.. Mir. Edwin |G. Hart. President of the Association, called the meeting to order. He spoke of the disappointment felt at the absence ,through illness, of Judge Charles Silent, who had intended to address the meeting on the very important subject of @Hadeatine the Public.” While the time for discussion would be limited, he said an opportunity would be afforded for questions following the various addresses, and at the conclusion of the regular program there would be a general discussion. THe suggested that notes be made during the addresses, of matters to be brought up in the general discussion. THE ASSOCIATION AND ITS PURPOSES Mr. Edwin G. Hart, San Marino, President California Avocado Association The chairman’s address on ‘‘ The Association and Its Pur- poses,’’ while not delivered until the end of the program, is printed here in order that the objects of the organization be made clear in their relation to subjects discussed by other speakers. The purpose of this organization can hardly be more succinctly stated than by quoting the second by-law of the Association: “The purpose of the Association is the improvement of the culture, pro- duction and marketing of the Ahuacate.” The accomplishment of this purpose cannot be obtained by individual effort, however intelligent and persevering. Many here hememper the rst crude efforts at organization im the citrus industry of California. ‘The perfecting of the present organization in that industry was long and painful. During this period there was tremendous waste of individual effort. Land not adapted to citrus culture was often planted to citrus fruit. Poor varieties 8 REPORT OF THE FIRST SEMI-ANNUAL MEETING were planted and unscientific methods were frequently used in the raising and handling of the fruit. Even after the crop was har- vested the market facilities were poor, and for many years, there- fore, an industry, sound in itself, had the appearance of being uncertain and speculative. You know how, by intelligent co-oper- ative effort, most of those difficulties were finally overcome. The purpose of this Association might be said to be to avoid the mistakes and profit by the experience of those engaged in similar kinds of fruit culture. To this end co-operation is absolutely necessary. The combining into association of the many nursery men, orchard growers, experimenters and scientists interested in this new industry makes it possible to accumulate, and hold acces- sible to members the result of work of the various individuals. This will prevent duplication of endeavor and serious failures. ; Publicity: ) | | The association once favorably recognized in the eyes of the public, will be able to secure the kind of publicity that cannot be purchased for money, which will enable it to greatly assist in educating the public as to the merits of the ahuacate, and the best method of selection and preparation for the table. Even as young as it is, the association has secured a great deal of favorable notice and distributed considerable educational literature. Frauds: One of the greatest benefits that the association confers upon its members and everyone interested in Southern California, is the protection it is giving the public against the class of boomers who made the raising of eucalyptus and spineless cactus a craze. The fabulous profits actually derived from certain trees of this section have opened a field to the unscrupulous promoter that he is sure to exploit, unless prevented by an organization that is able to dis- tinguish between the legitimate and fraudulent, and the practical and impractical in our business. Work of Association: a, The association is gathering and compiling for the benefit of its members, statistics as to the nursery stock now on hand, acreage planted in orchard, fruit produced, and fruit expected between now and the end of mext spring, ~1th details as to vatiemesummlennods CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 9 of budding, qualities of fruit, etc. This work will be broadened as the industry develops. The University of California through Dr. Coit, and Professors Condit and Jaffa has co-operated with this association in every way possible and is now carrying on many investigations that will be of great benefit. The University of Seutiern Calitornia, of this city, through Prof. Stabler, head of their chemical department, a man who has had much practical experience in vegetable oils, is making a thorough test of the avocado oil and its best method of production. We expect to distribute 10,000 of the folders giving recipes and directions for selecting fruit. A large number will be sent out by the fruit houses handling the avocado. An exhibition of fruit which we hope will be more extensive than today’s, and which will bring out the larger thick-skinned type of fruit, will be held under the direction of this association in the coming spring. We expect to make these meetings and exhi- bitions semi-annual affairs. The association will have compiled a complete report on today’s meeting, one copy of which will be mailed free of charge to each member of this association. Additional copies will be mailed to any one on application and payment of cost of printing and mailing, estimated at 35 cents. We believe that all interested in the avocado should become members of our organization, first, because they will receive direct benefits in the way of information, access to statistics, assistance in either buying or selling fruit or nursery stock, and whatever other advice or assistance we can give. Second, because they are receiving and will continue to receive, a great indirect benefit from the educational work we are doing, which is, in the eyes of the public, lifting our business from the position of a fad to the rank of a legitimate agricultural industry. We need the help of all of you, not only because we need the membership fees, but fully as much we want the strength of yourselves as individuals in our organization. We want to stand. in reality and in the eyes of the public as a strong organization, a unit for the sane advancement of the most promising young agricultural industry started since the introduction of the walnut, orange’and lemon. 10 REPORT OF THE FIRST SEMI-ANNUAL MEETING NEW ITEMS OF INTEREST Professor Ira J. Condit, College of Agriculture, University of California, Berkeley As the title of my paper indicates, the subject matter will be more or less disconnected, but I wish to offer some notes on the avocado in Central and Northern California, a few observations on diseases and insects, a report of preliminary experiments on by- products and some general notes on varieties. In the interior valleys of California as most of you are aware, the avocado is being planted more or less extensively and it will be exceedingly interesting to watch the behavior of the different varieties under similar local conditions. The large seedling grow- ing in Visalia is about twelve years old at the present time. Accord-_ ing to information recently received, the seed which produced this tree was brought from Mexico and the seedling was kept for two or three years in the cellar to protect it from the cold. Having left the tree out one cold night with no injurious results the owner decided to plant the tree in the yard. Previous to the cold weather of 1913, when it was frozen back severely, it grew thriftly and bore small fruit having a long narrow neck. ‘The tree is again in a thriy- ing condition, however, although it did not bear any fruit in 1914. There are two avocado trees growing at the Dallidet place in the city of San Luis Obispo, one 25, the other 20 feet high. They were grown from the seeds of some purplish-green fruits obtained from Mexico eleven years ago. Neither tree has ever fruited, but both were in bloom for the first time when the big freeze came in 1913. They were rather severely cut back and, so: corieemeer no fruit that year. They are now growing vigorously and bid fair to be large trees before many years. The seeds came from the highlands of Mexico (Chihuahua) and they should be of a hardy type; the trees were no more injured by frost than were old seed- ling orange trees nearby. I have recently been informed that there is a large avocado tree twenty years old, growing on the old Meissner place near Yount- ville, the seed having been brought from Central America. There is a large avocado tree at least 25 feet high, growing on the University campus at Berkeley near the Center Street entrance. So far as I have been able to learn it has never blossomed, a fault CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION jh which cannot be blamed on the climatic conditions at Berkeley, for seedlings often show this characteristic in more favored locali- ties. It may be the same tree mentioned in the California Station Report for 1882, as follows: “The aguacate has now for three years withstood the winter frosts in a sheltered position and proves, perhaps, more strikingly than anything else grown here, how little we can foretell what will prove hardy.” At the Napa Soda Springs in Napa County a large avocado tree has been growing for some twenty-five years. The tree is about forty feet high and is rather slender, being surrounded by other tall-growing trees. The fruit, of which a few were produced both in 1914 and 1915, is bright green even when ripe, and is said to be of good quality. A bearing avocado tree of the thin-skinned type is located at Los Gatos, Santa Clara County. It is a seedling obtained from Santa Barbara nine years ago. ‘The tree is now about fifteen feet high and during the past four years has produced fair crops of small, purplish-black fruits. The success of these old seedling trees in such widely scat- tered localities presages successful results with plantings on a larger scale, and numerous inquiries are received by the Experi- ment Station regarding climatic conditions, cultural methods, and promising varieties. Commercial plantings have already been made in the foothills of Tulare County, in Sutter, Butte, and Glenn Coun- ties, as well as in a few other localities of central and northern California. One fact has been clearly demonstrated by some of these plantings, namely, that water must be withheld in the fall and the trees properly hardened before the cold weather sets in, otherwise the tender growth will be cut back. It is this fact which renders it difficult to gather data on the frost resistance and hardi- ness of any tree, but especially of evergreen fruit trees which have several periods of growth during the season. Their hardiness de- pends to a large extent upon the degree of dormancy of the new growth. The fact that one grower finds the tree of a certain variety of avocado to be badly injured by ten degrees of frost, while another reports no injury, means little until all the circumstances are known, including the condition of the tree in each case, the state of the weather before and after the cold spell, and the duration of the low temperature. A variety should not therefore be condemned 12 REPORT OF THE FIRST SEMI-ANNUAL MEETING on account of one or two instances of frost damage unless these facts have been taken into consideration. ‘The original tree of the Meserve avocado was frozen back more or less severely in the winter of 1912-13, but practically everyone is agreed that the dam- age was due to the sappy condition of wood induced by copious watering of the asparagus bed near which the tree is growing. Another point which may be emphasized is the maintenance of healthy growth in the tree by proper cultivation and judicious fer- tilization. There is little, if any, evidence to show that an avocado and a citrus tree require any different fertilizing elements. Since the foraging power of the roots is dependent upon the physical condition of the soil, the importance of keeping it well supplied with humus and of maintaining a good soil texture cannot be over- emphasized. For young trees as well as for old trees the basin- mulch system seems practicable. By keeping the basin well supplied ~ with strawy manure and other decaying vegetable matter, both the humus content and the proper texture of the soil can be econom- ically maintained. Experiments in other countries have shown that the avocado tree responds to judicious fertilizing, although excessive amounts of nitrogen appear to increase the fiber content of the fruit. Liquid cow manure has been found good for seedlings. Wester, in the Philippines, uses the following formula for many kinds of tropical plants, applied at intervals of two or three weeks: Nitrate pol ~ oda. a5 en eee 275 grams Sulphate of potash, 49 per cent........ 125 grams Acid -pHosphatke: LOsper Celi == ae 350 grams Water. 12) it Serie ott see 100 liters (105 gts.) We frequently receive complaints and specimens of a leaf trouble in which the leaves begin to turn brown and die back at the tip and along the edges, and occasionally the twigs are affected ina similar manner. Specimens received for examination ordinarily show no fungus present, but in a moist chamber there develops an organism, determined by Mrs. Flora Patterson of Washington, D. C., as Colletotrichum gleosporioides, the same fungus which attacks mango, avocado, and citrus trees in Florida and the West Indies. In California this fungus appears to be of little practical importance, for although it has long been present in the citrus districts, it very rarely attacks healthy trees as an active parasite, although it may cause tear-staining and decay of the fruit. On senile leaves or younger leaves weakened by sunburn, frost or oth- CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 13 erwise, it causes the well-known dead spots, on the surface of which may be seen the minute black fruiting bodies of the fungus. This leaf trouble of the avocado is undoubtedly primarily due to physio- logical rather than pathological causes. By remedying unfavorable soil or moisture conditions and promoting a vigorous growth of the trees it would seem that this weakness can be more or less overcome. Some specimens of the Chappelow avocado received in Septem- ber, 1915, were thoroughly ripe, and two showed signs of a peculiar softening evidently due to the action of some fungus. The fruit was therefore submitted to Prof. Horne of the Division of Pathol- ogy, Berkeley, who later submitted this report, which I wish to include with my paper: REPORT ON FUNGUS ROT “On the first two fruits brought to me on September 21st it was very evident that several types of decay were active and several organisms present. The most frequent type of decay consisted of small, slightly sunken spots, which looked as though there had been simply a dent made by rather small fingertips, and some white fun- gus was growing in the hollow. These spots were of rather frequent occurrence, scattered over both of the fruits submitted. I have not yet been able to determine in a way satisfactory to myself whether this type of rot is due in all cases to the same organism, or whether several kinds of fungi may cause the same kind of injury. The fungi growing in these spots and on the surface of the fruit seem to be rather numerous and varied. I have cultivated a Fusarium of a rather peculiar type, an Alternaria, which, so far as | can tell up to the present time, might be identical with the fungus causing black heart of oranges, and a small fungus producing very definite fruiting bodies in which no spores have yet formed, which might be some form of Phoma. There were also developed on the fruits which were kept in a moist dish, some Penicilliums, Cladosporium, Acremonium or Sporotrichum, and some other fungi not certainly recognized. It will be seen that the number of fungus forms which appear on overripe avocados are very numerous. “Tn addition to the fungi which developed on the fruits in moist chamber, bacteria of several kinds also developed. ‘The form of bacteria which has come to predominate in these spots is one which forms a copious sticky brown mass, and when it becomes slightly dry, a wrinkled pellicle on the surface. The odor is offensive but not exceedingly strong, nor 1s it like the odors given off by putrify- ing meat or vegetables, such as cabbage and turnips. “From examination of the decaying fruits it appears that neither 14 REPORT OF THE FIRST SEMI-ANNUAL MEETING the fungi mentioned nor the bacteria penetrate in great quantity into the fruit, nor do they appear to have a very rapid» on pre nounced effect in causing softening and decomposition of the flesh. While they would doubtless spoil the fruit for market purposes, they represent rather superficial decays, and the fruit could be utilized after they had commenced to make their appearance on the surface without great loss, provided they did not become very active until time when the fruit was ready to use. As to whether any of these organisms cause the spoiling of the flesh in the early stages of their attack, I have not been able to determine as yet. “However, one of the fruits brought to me on September 21st had a rot which from its appearance would lead very promptly to the suggestion that it might be a very important matter for the avocado grower. ‘The fruit of this set was Chappelow and speci- mens were very nicely developed individuals of this very attractive little variety. ‘The spot in question was about one and one-half inches in diameter, with the center located near the base of the- neck of the fruit. The color was a dull greenish, considerably lighter than the fine deep purple of the normal fruit. In the center of the spot about half the area was rough and somewhat wrinkled and blackish, while the outer part of the spot was wrinkled somewhat, as though the flesh below had sunken and the skin become thinner and more transparent, but is still as glossy as in the healthy condi- tion. Some whitish tufts of fungus were emerging here and there over the surface, especially near the center of the SpoteanGuiests almost certain that more than one kind of fungus was growing in this area. It seemed apparent at once that we had to do here with some specific rot of the avocado fruit of a rather more violent nature than in the spots which were thickly scattered over the surface of the iruits. “On microscopic examination some fruiting bodies were found below the surface in this large rotted area, and spores were found in them which were very pale yellowish, one-celled and formed on short pedicels. “In order to discover the cause of this peculiar rot the surface of the fruit in the outer area of the spot was sterilized by washing with formalin, and with hot needles a little of the flesh was removed from below the surface and planted in an artificial culture medium. Some of this same material examined miscroscopically showed large fungus threads here and there passing through the flesh. Bac- teria were not recognized in the deeper layers. Bacteria cultures were also made from this flesh by macerating some of it in water and diluting by the ordinary bacterial methods. Only one set of such cultures was made, but absolutely no bacteria grew, indicating that this decaying flesh does not contain bacteria. In two days after planting the pieces of decayed flesh in artificial medium vig- orous growth of a strong fungus mycelium developed from every CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 15 one of the plantings. This fungus has been studied in several dif- ferent culture media and has been inoculated in three different avocado fruits to date. One of these fruits was already well ad- vanced with other types of infection when inoculated, and satis- factory results were not secured. “One fruit, which was a very beautiful ripe specimen of the Topa Topa, was inoculated on October 13th at two points by intro- ducing some of the fungus below the skin. At this writing, October 18th, these two spots are showing distinctly lighter areas about an inch in diameter, and it is very evident that the fungus is producing in this fruit the same type of rot as was found in the original fruit of the Chappelow. We have, therefore, apparently proven that this particular fungus is the cause of the very menacing-looking case which was making its appearance on the Chappelow fruit. Plhtmuhis decay is a setfous matter is very evident from the rapidity with which it spreads in the fruit and its effect in the flesh. Several days after the first examination the original spot was cut into and it was found that the flesh was affected to the axis of the fruit. Although not very strikingly changed in appear- ance, this flesh darkened more rapidly than the unaffected part of the fruit and had a very disagreeable, mildly bitter and disgusting flavor. “Tt will be of great interest to know what this fungus shall prove to be from further study. According to present indications it is not distinguishable from the fungus causing the black rot of apples in the middle states. The same fungus also causes a very destructive type of canker on the twigs and limbs of apple trees, and from reports received from orchardists and friends in the mid- dle states I judge it constitutes one of the most important factors in the killing out of the farm orchards in that region. The same fungus has been found in twigs of apple by Mr. Carrol Rodgers, of Watsonville, and cultivated and studied by him while a student in our laboratory. Apparently owing to the climatic conditions pre- vailing in California, this fungus is not so destructive here as in the middle states, but it is evident that it exists here. Abundant moisture and warmth at the same time are conditions which prob- ably favor its development, and a combination of moisture with cool weather is probably not so favorable to it. “Professor Fawcett has called attention some years ago to the fact that this black rot fungus of the apple is closely related to the very destructive decay organism of citrus fruits which causes the greenish black rot of lemons and other citrus fruits. It is also inter- esting to notice that in a recent report by Professor Earle and Mr. Rogers, from the Isle of Pines, this second fungus is reported as the most serious one with which they have to deal in the Isle of Pines on citrus fruits, causing a stem-end infection of the fruit and 16 REPORT OF THE FIRST SEMI-ANNUAL MEETING a rapid decay, as well as infection of branches and destruction of upper parts of the tree. They also call attention to the fact that the same results may be brought about by infection with the bitter rot fungus of the apple, and seriously question whether there is much, if any, distinction to be made between the two fungi. It should be understood that we are not stating that the rot fungus obtained from the avocado is identical with the two fungi men- tioned, Sphaeropsis malorum and Diplodia natalensis, but that the fungus from the avocado has developed spores in pycnidia in exactly the same manner as in the other fungi, and the growth of the avo- cado fungus is not distinguishable in character from the growth of Sphaeropsis malorum which is being cultivated in our laboratory by one of our students, Mr. Hahn, and which has been submitted to Mr. Hesler, of Cornell University, and is in his judgment the true Sphaeropsis malorum. Inoculations on avocado fruit with the fungus from apple have not yet produced exactly the same result as inoculations with the avocado fungus, but there is still time for the’ same conditions to develop. “It may be permissible to remark that the decay processes concerned in the avocado will be of an entirely different character from decay processes in the more watery and acid fruits, being more comparable to the decays of bananas than to those, for in- stance, of oranges and peaches, or still more like those of olives. Bacteria of various kinds will be able to grow in the avocado flesh in all probability, not being restrained by the presence of acids, and it does not seem probable that we shall have many organisms which will cause the rapid collapse of the avocado flesh, as do various fungi affecting citrus fruits and the acid deciduous fruits. How- ever, we have seen enough to realize that there will be something for the plant pathologist to study in connection with the fungus and bacterial infection of avocado fruits in connection with their harvesting and delivery to the consumer. “Let us hope that these fungi are not able to gain entrance easily into the avocado flesh, since the fruits will doubtless be more acceptable to the consumer in their fully ripened condition than in a condition of partial ripeness. We should not, however, relax our vigilance, so that we may be able at the earliest possible moment to cope with any problem of this nature which may arise. It is hoped that studies here described may be carried a little farther, so that we may know definitely the character of the rot produced by each particular type of organism, and some other facts which may be of practical interest. It is not contemplated, however, to proceed with what may be considered a thorough investigation of this subject at the present time, but only to give some preliminary idea of some of the problems which may be involved.” _ (Signed) “WM. 'T. HORNE.” CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION hf INSECT PESTS The number of insect pests attacking avocado trees so far in California is small. The list includes the mealybug, greedy and black scales in Ventura and the southern coast counties; the omnivorous looper on seedlings at Berkeley; the twig borer, Polycaon con- fertus, and a chafer, Serica alternata, on nursery trees in Ventura County, and an unidentified miner, the galleries of which have been noticed in the bark of tender branches in various parts of Southern California. According to the horticultural commissioner of Ven- tura County, the work of the twig borer was similar to that on other trees, namely, boring into the tree at the forks of the branches. In some cases where the trees were small the cavities made were equal to about half the diameter of the limbs on which the insects were working. In such cases the trees were so weakened that a heavy wind would break them off. Digging out the beetles by hand proved the surest remedy. The Serica was found working on avo- cado foliage in the Fillmore section, where it is found very com- monly on walnut trees. It feeds only at night, burying itself in the ground during the daytime. Some of the avocado trees were almost defoliated. Arsenical sprays did not prove effective as a remedy, so the young trees were covered with muslin as a temporary protec- tion. On large trees the damage done by these chafers would seldom be appreciated. In all countries where the avocado 1s produced its principal use is as a fresh fruit. A few recipes are given in which the pulp is cooked with vegetables; it is also commonly used to flavor soups. The subject of by-products has received some attention in other countries, and recently experiments have been made at the Uni- versity of California to see if some methods could be worked out by which the pulp and seeds of the small seedling could be utilized. Naturally the possibilities of producing a commercial oil from the fruit have been first considered. The Florida Experiment Station in 1902 made some prelim- inary investigations of avocado oil, but owing to a change in the station staff about 1903, the work was dropped and has never been taken up since. Brant, in his “Animal and Vegetable Fats and Oils,” 1897, states that the oil is of a slightly dark greenish-brown color and consists of 30 parts of olein and 70 parts of lauro-stearin and palmitin. Olein is liquid and the other two fats are solids, 18 REPORT OF THE FIRST SEMI-ANNUAL MEETING stearin having the higher melting point. Therefore the larger the ~ proportion of olein contained in a fat, the softer it is, while the greater the proportion of stearin, the higher its melting point. In olive oil the proportions are just reversed, the average sample con- taining 28 per cent of palmitin and stearin and 72 per cent of olein, which accounts for its greater liquidity. The oils from different varieties of olives vary considerably in the percentage of olein present; some are therefore more liquid than others. Whether this same variation occurs in the oil of different varieties of avocados has not been investigated, but it is not likely to be sufficient to materially affect the quality of the product. In his book on “Vege- table Fats and Oils,” 1902, Andes includes avocado oil in the list of fats of no commercial importance. In foreign countries it is known under various names, such as Huile de avocatier, Avocato oil, alligator pear oil, grasa persea,.and advogatofett. It has been used medicinally to a small extent in Brazil and elsewhere. Alli- gator pear soap is manufactured 1n Guatemala and can be pur- chased in this country. Cheaper forms of fat, however, are ordi- narily available for soap-making, and such a product probably con- tains only a small percentage of avocado oil. According to Collins (Bulletin 77, U. S. D. A.), the ladies of Guatemala sometimes ex- tract oil from avocados by pressure. They never use it in cooking, but say it is fine for the hair. In the preliminary experiments at the University by Mr. Mitra, a graduate student, it was found difficult to press out the oil in an ordinary press, since the flesh is so soft and fine the two will not separate readily. The slices of flesh were therefore dried in an oven, the pieces ground up and then put ina press. By the ordinary method of pressure it was found that only about 15 per cent of the oil could be obtained. ‘The resulting oil, samples of which I have with me, is fairly clear, dark green in color, somewhat bitter but not unpleasant to the taste. It is doubtful whether the oil will be of much commercial value. Larger quantities may be extracted by ether, gasoline, or other solvents, but the resulting oil is affected both in color and flavor. The process of extraction is a little more expensive than by pressure. Some experiments have been made in the production of a paste, but they have not progressed sufficiently to be conclusive. This form of by-product looks promising, however, its success depend- CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 19) ing upon proper sterilization of the pulp so that the flavor will not bevattected. Ihe addition of salt, lemon juice, vinegar, or similar flavoring materials, is advisable. Another by-product for which a demand might be created is avocado flour. For this purpose the seed is removed and pieces of the pulp dried in an oven. Slow drying in the sun is not advisable, as this is liable to develop a rancid flavor. ‘Thin-skinned fruits need not be peeled, as the taste of the skin is not objectionable; dark skins will, of course, make a dark-colored flour. ‘The dried pulp is ground finely, seasoned with salt, sterilized, and preserved ina sealed can. It may be used for flavoring soups or cooked vege- tables of different kinds. The seeds of the avocado, when fresh, contain a liquid which turns red when exposed to the air, and some writer a century or more ago stated that for this reason the juice could be used as in- delible ink to mark cloth. This statement has been copied by numerous writers ever since, but it is doubtful whether the seeds were ever used to any extent for this purpose, even in Mexico. The bitter taste may be removed from the seeds by boiling, after which they have a not unpleasant nutty flavor. By successive treatments in sugar solutions of increasing strength a confectionery may be prepared from these boiled seeds. A few samples made in this manner have a pleasing flavor and. suggest a means of utilizing the seed. In Brazil the seeds are said to make a good powder that can be used in the preparation of soup. It is doubtful, however, whether they will be of much value for this purpose in comparison with the flour from the pulp. In conclusion, I wish to present a few general notes regarding varieties. I think it especially important in this early stage of the industry to caution growers and nurserymen against needless mul- tiplication of varieties. A seedling tree which comes into bearing should not be propagated and distributed as a distinct variety un- less either the fruit or the tree has characters as good as or better than some other variety already existing. There will probably always be room for improvement with fruit varieties, and it is very desirable to get avocado fruits with a greater proportion of flesh and less of seed, with richer flavor, less fiber, better shipping and keeping qualities. Characteristics of the tree, such as productive- ness, hardiness, resistance to disease, and lengthened season of 20 REPORT OF THE FIRST SEMI-ANNUAL MEETING bearing fruit, should also be watched for and improvements noted. Unless a seedling does show some such improvement it should be budded over, unless the owner wishes to sell the fruit as seedlings, just as some oranges are still sold. For the reasons just mentioned, it seems desirable to have some systematic method of judging the fruit of any variety of avo- cado. I have therefore devised the following score card, which, I believe, will serve for all types of the fruit. It is only tentative, however, and I invite discussion: Score Card for Avocados Size" (unilormity) 2202 2S ee 10 OPM soc eS 5 Stein it Ts 2 Shins A eS ee ao Color 222. fins See 10 Panish je Mee oe a ge ee 5 Surtace: f) 2 V eey Jet he 6 Ereedom trom blemish 22) ae ae iv Filestaa ee es shes Meee ite hdd eee oy mas a 40) Color: (..4) 425 ih ee 5 ‘Thickness and amount. -= ee 10 Flavor =. ee ee 5 ‘Pexture’: 4 ot i 5 )italitay -:. te 2 cee 10 Freedom trom fibers. 22) eee 5 Seed “a5 28 10 SIZ@, 2250 ae eal ne eee 8 Condition im-cavity=. Z Total- io a ee 100 Avocado Standards Size. Avocados may be of any size from small, 2 or 3 inches in diameter, to large, 5 inches or more. Medium sizes are most desirable, those weighing from 34 to 1% pounds. Sizes should be uniform among the fruits of any one variety submitted for exhibit or judging. Form. Fruit must have shape typical of the variety. Round and pear-shaped fruits are more desirable than bottle-necked or elongated. Stem. Stem should show a smooth cut. It should be well set and firm. Deduct one point for each missing stem. Skin. Color should be attractive, whether green or purplish- CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION peal black. The skin should have a good finish, glossiness and clearness of coloring being desirable. The surface need not be perfectly smooth, but warty or exceedingly rough fruits should be discounted. Fruit should be free from blemishes such as cracks, wind scars, or abrasions. Flesh. The flesh should be of a good butter color, with very little green near the skin. The largest possible amount of flesh is desirable. The flavor should be rich and nutty, the texture soft and buttery, and the quality as high as possible. The less fiber the better. Seed. The seed should be small and tight in the cavity. FOOD VALUE OF THE AVOCADO Professor M. E. Jaffa, Head of the Division of Nutrition, University of California, Berkeley It is admitted by all that the avocado has a food value, and I wish to offer some data which will tend to emphasize this fact and to indicate that the avocado should not be considered merely as a relish. One of the best definitions of food is, “Food is that which when taken into the body either builds tissue or yields energy.” In accordance with this definition, water is not considered as a nutrient in that water cannot build protein, fat or mineral matter as such. At the same time it is agreed to by all that water is abso- lutely necessary for the maintenance of life, health and activity. So is fresh air. Does the avocado meet either or both of the requirements of the foregoing definition? The answer is, “It certainly does.’ The next question is, how? Let us compare the avocado with other fruits. A reference to the composition of fresh fruits in general shows that the amount of water is large, in many instances above S80 per cent, and in the case of melons above 90 per cent. The avocado shows upon an average only 70 per cent of water. Therefore the amount of total dry matter or solids is far greater in the avocado than is noted for any other fruit. The protein content of fruits is low, varying from .02 per cent as an average for the loquat to 2.5 per cent for the olive. The De, REPORT OF THE FIRST SEMI-ANNUAL MEETING stone fruits contain on an average less than 1 per cent. The aver- age for the avocado with respect to this nutrient is 2 per cent. The minimum figure for protein, 1.30 per cent, is nearly equal to the maximum indicated for fresh fruit, 1.5 per cent, noted for figs and currants. The maximum, 3.7 per cent, corresponds somewhat closely to the protein content of some dried fruits. In three varieties the protein is present in excess of 3 pen (€emeymimeet varieties considerably above 2 per cent; while the average for 28 varieties is 2.08 per cent. It, therefore, may be said that so far as protein in fresh fruits is concerned the avocado stands far in the lead. The availability of this protein, however, for the avocado has not been ascertained, but there is no reason for considering that it is any less digestible than the protein of other fruits. The carbohydrate in fresh fruits, consisting mainly of sugar, exceeds the corresponding ingredient in the avocado. At the same time the average for a large number of varieties analyzed is between 7 and 8 per cent. This figure includes what is termed crude fibre, the least valuable of all component parts of any food. In the avocado this nutrient is present to the extent of about 1.75 per cent, comparing favorably with the content of fibre in other fresh fruits. The figures for the mineral matter of ash in fresh fruits are in general much lower than the corresponding data for meats or grain. The average for meat is about 1 per cent, while for fruit it is much less. It must not be forgotten, however, that while the amount of ash is small, the percentage of potassium, so essential to the animal economy, is high. ‘This is a very valuable base-forming element which is necessary in the maintenance of the normal neutrality of the blood and tissues. The importance of the mineral matter in nutrition and the necessity of carefully selecting the dietary so as to secure a proper balance between the base-forming and acid- forming elements 1s becoming more and more apparent. It is of decided interest to note that the mineral matter in the avocado is much greater than that found in any fresh fruit. Just how much importance can be attached to this fact can better be stated after the conclusion of the detailed analysis of the ash, which will indicate the per cent of potassium, calcium, phosphoric acid, iron, etc. The results of the ash analyses will be published later on. CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION DB) The minimum per cent of ash, 0.60 per cent, noted for the variety, Cardinal, from Florida, exceeds the per cent of ash deter- mined for apples, apricots, grapes, blackberries, oranges, pears and plums, and fully equals the corresponding figure for cherries, figs, melons and prunes. The minimum per cent of ash noted for a variety grown in California is .80 per cent, exceeding that found in any of the fresh fruits. The average for 28 varieties is 1.26 per cent, only slightly below the ash percentage in dates. The foregoing discussion clearly indicates that so far as protein and ash in fresh fruits are concerned, the avocado stands at the head of the list, and with reference to the cabohydrates, contains on an average fully 50 per cent of that found in many fresh fruits. These facts alone would warrant due consideration being given to the value of the avocado as a fresh fruit. The chief value of the avocado as food, however, is due to its high content of fat. This varies from a minimum of 9.8 per cemmeoranimaxim«un of 29.) per cent, with an average of 20:1 per Cent. inmewiewniie tne analyiteal data at hand, it is seen that ten Varieties show more than 23 per cent fat and seven other varieties an excess of 18 per cent. The only fruit comparable with the avocado in this respect is the olive. In this connection, it is of interest to compare, as shown in the following table, the fat percentages of the edible portion of ten varieties of the olive. Showing percentage of fat or oil in the avocado or olive: Avocado EDIBLE PORTION ORIGINAL MATERIAL WATER FREE VARIETY Water % Fat % Fat % Chapwelow 2 62.84 29.10 78.01 Deculltite: Niow ai 62.65 2729 74.67 INomeniiipr ss ef 61.08 27.60 70.88 MIA CeS Tera i re cae eee pe OLDS) D500 66.84 (Camere: Se an een ees 63.86 ZL 70.84 FeVMisepmes tenes tes hon a | 65.80 25950 74.48 TALL ese ————————EE Pe ( PoP are gl CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 1916 ANNUAL REPORT wal ¢ / 7 General Office at Citrus Experiment Station RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION Officers H. J. Webber, Riverside... 3.2: 234n0. cc. eee President ©. U.-Barber, Los Angeles. ~ : .an2eee eee First Vice-President Charles Silent; Glendora s:: <2. 3.42 eee ....Second Vice-President Charles. D. Adams, Upland... ..3.2..2.....:55+. 2-3 Secretary C. Py Taft, Orange. . . oo. Ase oe ans ee 2 Treasurer Directors H. J. Webber GC. Po Wait T. U. Barber F. O. Popenoe Charles Silent Wm. A. Spinks Charles D. Adams Wm. A. Sallmon EK. S. Thacher Notice: The Association does not hold itself responsible for the opin- ions and statements expressed by the authors of the various papers pub- lished in its reports. The illustrations used in the report must not be taken as illustrating the most desirable varieties. They are used merely as a means of illus- trating the range of variation. iL & 18mg Table of Contents MR RMRUMRGRISTR IOUS sty ec esis Bail clon me SIR WAS oe AS EI 8 5 - LITLE 20 othe ac Stee a a re rea ar eee a 8 an Sa I ek ny ee re eee cee dyes e 86 Ges hwo Sed 8 Ge Bee ous as 10 2b LE VE DSrS 2. eR era or Meee een ee 12 SECOND SEMI-ANNUAL MEETING 15 Minutes of the Second Semi-Annual Meeting......................... 15 BEEPS) SLPS CISE | 2 RIESE ea a 16 mvGesie &y-Eroducts, by W. V. Cruess and S. K. Mitra................. 16 mainaiaanie of the Avocado, by C...P. Tatton... cee ee ee ees 19 The Mineral Elements of the Avocado, by Prof. M. E. Jaffa............ 23 Progmeeeaiime to Harvest; by IT. Us Barber..........2...2. 2.00 5.0444 27 Marketm= Obstacles and Problems, by Dana C. King.................. 32 Report of the Committee on the Classification and Registration of ESLER oe ce eh a bs alc Lee cee 37 Pewereweine Committee Judging. Exhibits.) ..0.....0. 0260.0 e cee eeees 40 The Classification and Registration of Varieties, by Dr. H. J. Webber.. 42 Semon piceuscsion, ledeby Dr. J. Eliot Coit. ......0..0. 5000000522 bake 44 THIRD SEMI-ANNUAL MEETING 51 Moaawies or tae Chird semi-Annual Meeting...........-..5.. 00.2 206-s 51 aeeiinintcon runs and Nursery Stock... .. 22. 00.6.6. 0 2 eon ees 53 The Avocado Industry and the Avocado Association—Presidential Ad- LOSSES, err Die ELA Pl 0) 00a a aie nee a 55 ine Hotel-and the Avocado, by Thos. H: Shedden............0..-.0+.-- 67 acermocazdo mexico. by RO, Price: oicce 2 be a Sia ee es ee ek rial: Has the Mexican Type of Avocado a Permanent Place in the Industry, (ioe TD Ss eel nv Ra oe ee Bao irk ert ener re ener 73 Experiences with Avocado Varieties, by Chas. D. Adams............... 76 mecessity, of Co-operation, by Chas. D. Adams.......2.. 0... ..32.5-.405.-. 78 myocaia Eerrormance Records, by li. B: Scott... 2.2... 0. cece ee ee ee 80 Further Investigations of the Composition and Food Value of the Avo- PAG Ome VaEMOle Via Ateeet ary Aen 2 set kd 86 The Digestibility of the Fat of the Avocado, by H. A. Mattill.......... 93 BON yen A ee Table of Contents, continued Methods of Avocado Growing in the Tropics Applicable to California, by EB. ES Knight... 0.0 oss. eke ee eee on neo ee 95 Fruiting Habits of Budded Trees of the Different Avocado Varieties, by. T. Us Barber: oo. 06 5 ce helen win sce dale wo > er 98 The Avocado in Southern California, by Joseph Sexton...........: BOAR ri, 103 History of the Avocado and Its Varieties in California with a Check List of All Named ‘Varieties, by’ Prof. Ira J; Gonditi =). eee 105 Illustrations of Interesting Avocado Fruits, by I. J. Condit and H. J. Webber ifs. bola. te dee SUL eee 124 What About the Avocado? by C. E: Utt............ 1) 2) 35ers 145 Our Experience in Growing the Avocado, by W. G. Fraser............ 148 A Bark Disease of Avocado Trees, by Prof. Howard S. Fawcett........ 152 Four Years’ Experience with Budded Avocado Trees, by J. T. Whedon. .154 Planting Plans for an Avocado Orchard, by H. J. Webber.............. 157 Growing an Avocado: Tree, by F. O. Popenoé: i::.. ).).-eee eee eee 160 The Avocado in Florida, by John B: Beach: -. 4:25 > p2geee ee eee 165 The Cultivation and Fertilization of the Avocado in Florida, by W. J. FONE | 6 eb dic gine od ia oa Sale, oo nig b 4 ne Dee ee eae 169 The Growing of the Avocado in Hawaii, by J. E. Higgins.............. 174 Avocado Growing in Porto Rico, by Tracy Bartholomew............... ITT Avocado Growing in the Philippine Islands—Letter from P. J. Wester. .179 The Avocado in Venezuela—Letter from Homer Brett................. 181 The Avocado in Egypt—Letter from Thos. W. Brown.................. 181 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Figure 1—Parent tree of Challenge avocado, at 547 Las Palmas avenue, Hollywood, Cal. (Photo by H. J. Webber.) From Citrograph. Figure 2—Parent tree of Lyon avocado at 7276 Sunset boulevard, Los Angeles, Cal. (Photo by H. J. Webber.) From Citrograph. Figure 8—Parent tree of Dickinson avocado at 679 West Thirty-fifth street, Los Angeles, Cal. (Photo by H. J. Webber.) From Citro- graph. Figure 4—Trunk of original tree of Northrop avocado, showing good arrangement of branches. (Photo by Vaile and Webber.) Figure 5—Two views of trunk of original tree of Royal avocado, with left branch of (a) in front in other photograph (b). Right-hand branch in (a) not divided low enough. (Photo by H. J. Webber.) Figure 6—Trunk of original tree of Lambert avocado, with four main branches springing from one point about 7 feet from ground. (Photo by H. J. Webber.) Figure 7—Large, budded tree of Challenge avocado, branching very low, but satisfactorily. (Photo by H. J. Webber.) Figure 8—Avocado tree in Guatemala from which buds of the “Linda” were taken. (Photo by E. E. Knight.) Figure 9—Growth of the Rey avocado: budded July 2, 1914; transplanted March 10, 1915. (Photo by E. E. Knight.) Figure 10—Growth of tree of the Queen avocado: budded July 2, 1914; transplanted March 10, 1915. (Photo by E. E. Knight.) Figure 11—Diagramatic sketch showing type of desirable growth and growth periods in young avocado tree. Discussed by Mr. Barber under methods of pruning and heading. Figure 12—Bartley (Natural size). This is one of the largest avocados so far produced in California, the fruits averaging about 32 ounces in weight. (Photo by the Division of Citriculture, Berkeley). I. J. Condit. Figure 13—Challenge (Natural size). The fruit is of good size, shape, and color; budded trees are now coming into bearing. (Photo by Division of Citriculture.) I. J. Condit. Figure 14—Dickinson (Natural size). These fruits were picked from the original tree, September 27, and placed in cold storage two days later at 34 degrees Fahrenheit. One month later they were taken from ee, ——E—————————ESs - a storage and exhibited at San Diego, October 30 and 31. Two weeks later they were sent to Berkeley. arriving in good condition. (Photo by Division of Citriculture, Berkeley.) I. J. Condit. Figure 15—Dickey (Two-thirds natural size). In fruit characters, Dickey is an excellent variety but like some other sorts, budded trees sel- dom thrive and only a few are growing out of many hundred propa- gated. (Photo by Division of Citriculture, Berkeley.) I. J. Condit. Figure 16—Ganter (Natural size). These fruits were produced on bud- ded trees and are somewhat larger than those from the original tree. The Ganter is a thin-skinned variety, green in color, and is rather prone to rot at the end and to show cracks and scars. (Photo by Division of Citriculture, Berkeley.) I. J. Condit. Figure 17—Northrop (Natural size). The original tree of the Northrop variety bears.a large fall crop and a smaller spring crop. The fruits are of excellent flavor and quality and have very little fiber. (Photo by Division of Citriculture, Berkeley.) I. J. Condit. Figure 18—Puebla (Natural size). The Puebla budwood was brought in from Mexico in 1911 and trees fruited in California first in 1916. The skin is more leathery than granular. The surface is glossy and purplish-red at maturity. Average weight, 8 to 10 ounces. Season, middle of December to March. (Photo by Division of Citriculture.) Is JeeCondat: Figure 19—Queretaro (Natural size). This variety first fruited in Cali- fornia in 1916, the budwood having been brought from Mexico in 1911. The fruit is disappointing as the seed is large and inclined to be loose in the cavity. The seed coats are thick and separating, and the flesh has considerable fiber. (Photo by Division of Citriculture.) I. J. Condit. Figure 20—Sharpless (Three-fourths natural size). Among the varieties that ripen late in the fall, the Sharpless ranks high. The season in 1916 was considerably later than in previous years, some fruits hanging on the tree through January. (Photo by Division of Citri- culture, Berkeley.) I. J. Condit. Figure 21—Solano (About three-fourths natural size). The Solano has a very small seed and a large proportion of flesh. Analyses have shown a low percentage of fat. (Photo by Division of Citriculture.) I. J. Condit. Figure 22—Taft (Natural size). As a commercial variety the Taft has taken its place in the front rank. Its season is from May to Octo- ber. (Photo by Division of Citriculture.) I. J. Condit. Figure 23—Topa Topa (Natural size). The Topa Topa is a beautiful fruit of the Mexican type with a glossy surface and deep purplish black color. (Photo by Division of Citriculture.) I. J. Condit. Figure 24—Wagner (Natural size). This is a very prolific and preco- Bay coset cious variety. If fruits of some varieties are left on the trees too long, the seed may sprout in the cavity as shown in the cross sec- tion of this variety. (Photo by Division of Citriculture.) I. J. Condit. Figure 25—Carton (Natural size). A medium late, medium sized, Mexican type. Note the fiber showing in cross section particularly at base of seed. (Photo by Citrus Experiment Station.) H. J. Webber. Figure 26—Harman (Natural size). This fruit is a Mexican type that has shown a marked tendency to become disfigured by the cracking of the skin, this seeming to be a varietal characteristic. It is also rather prone to rot at the end. Seed large and loose in cavity. H. J. Webber. Figures 27 a and 27 b—Fuerte (Natural size). A midwinter variety of good quality, maturing normally between January 15 and April 1. Average weight 10 to 14 ounces. Budded trees have fruited this winter in sev- eral places. (Photo by Citrus Experiment Station.) H. J. Webber. Figure 28—Bud variation in Fuerte avocado (One-half natural size.) On right. normal Fuerte fruit; on left, round fruit of Redondo type produced on the same budded tree of the Fuerte on the ranch of Mr. J. T. Whedon, at Yorba Linda, California. The tendency of this variety to produce two types of fruit is said to be the cause for the naming of two varieties, “Fuerte” and “Redondo,” when they were imported from Mexico. The Redondo is now known to be the round fruited bud variation of the Fuerte. (Photo by Citrus Experiment Station.) H. J. Webber. Figure 29—Lyon (Natural size). This is one of the thick, hard-shelled varieties that is attracting considerable comment. Season of ripening. April to June. A prolific and precocious variety beginning to ripen fruit two years from the bud. Tree a tall upright grower. (Photo by Citrus Experiment Station.) H. J. Webber. Figure 30—Lyon (Natural size). Cross section of fruit showing com- parative size of seed and pulp. Note thickness of skin. (Photo by Citrus Experiment Station.) H. J. Webber. Figure 31—Balled avocado tree. (Photo by W. G. Fraser.) From Citro- graph. Figure 32—System of irrigating avocados. (Photo by W. G. Fraser.) From Citrograph. Figure 33—Method of protecting young trees from sunburning. (Photo by W. G. Fraser.) From Citrograph. Figure 34—Two-year-old Northrop. (Photo by W. G. Fraser.) From Citrograph. Figure 35—Newly set avocado trees, protected from wind and sun injury by cloth covers. Judge Silent place, Glendora, California. (Photo by H. J. Webber.) =i FOREWORD Organization of Association.—The growing of the avocado in Califor- nia is just beginning. It is fortunate that an association has been organ- ized thus early in the development of the industry to guide and direct its ilevelopment. The semi-annual meetings of the Association, of which three have been held, have all been notable for the numbers in attendance and the interest and enthusiasm manifested. One of the great benefits derived from the Association is the stimulation it gives to the development of the industry. The holding of the Association meetings serves to advertise the industry, and this is also one of the very necessary factors at the present time. Exhibits and Demonstrations—At the second semi-annual meeting held in Los Angeles, April 29, 1916, a much larger number of varieties of the so-called Guatemalan, or thick-skinned types were exhibited than at the preceding meeting. There was also a good exhibit of nursery stock, including budded trees of a large number of varieties. For a discussion of this exhibit the reader is referred to the report of the committee on the classification and registration of varieties. (See page 37.) The exhibit in connection with the third semi-annual meeting, held at San Diego, October 30 and 31, 1916, was staged in a special room and was notable from the fact that though held late in the fall it contained ex- hibits of a considerable number of thick-skinned, or hard-shelled fruits. Of these the fruits of the Taft, the Dickinson, and the Sharpless were in prime market condition. A demonstration of the methods of serving the avocado was made during the noon hour, and over six hundred people were given an oppor- tunity to test the avocado served in different ways, as sandwiches, salads, and the like. The very enthusiastic comments heard on every side, and the very evident interest manifested, clearly illustrated the great edu- cational value of such demonstrations in the present stage of development of the industry. Publications.—The available information regarding the growing of the avocado and the methods of conducting the industry is very meager. Regarding the methods of practical culture in California, almost noth- ing has been published excepting the papers that have been read before this Association. The experience of growers in various parts of the state must form the basis of knowledge on which a rational and successful sys- tem of conducting the industry can be founded. The recording of the ex- periences of growers and the stimulation of growers to make observations becomes thus an important factor in the work of the Association. In making up the program for the third semi-annual meeting, special atten- tion was given to the presentation of papers outlining personal experi- ences. This series of papers included in the present report will be of great value to the industry. The report of the first semi-annual meeting, held in Los Angeles, Octo- ber 23, 1915, was published by the Association and copies distributed to all members of the Association and to a limited number of public libraries and scientific institutions. A considerable number of copies have also been sold to parties not members of the Association. These were at first sold for 35 cents per copy, but later following the instructions of the board of directors the price was raised to $1.00 per copy. A number of copies still remain on hand for sale and can be had by writing to the general office of the Association. The reports of the second and third semi-annual meetings are pub- lished herewith as the annual report for the year 1916. This report will be mailed to all members of the Association, and copies will be mailed on application and the payment of $1.00 per copy. Membership.—The membership of the Association at present is 141. This is by no means as many members as the Association should have. The advancement of the industry must come through co-operation, and all growers of California interested in the avocado should become mem- bers of the Association. The interest in the industry in California is certain to center around the Association, and the Association will un- doubtedly have greater influence than any other agency in advancing the industry. It thus becomes the duty of every grower to join the Asso- ciation and assist in the great work before us. The support of the Asso- ciation is entirely derived from the membership dues, and without a large membership, funds will be available for only a limited extension of the legitimate work of the Association. At the present time the collection, publication, and dissemination of data regarding the growing of the fruit, is the main work of the Asso- ciation. The avocado plantings, recently increased very greatly, are near- ing productive age, and soon the industry will be confronted with the problem of marketing many hundred times the quantity of fruit now marketed. To dispose successfully of the increasing quantities of fruit means that a campaign of advertising must be carried on, and the Asso- ciation is the only organized agency having this as one of its main func- tions. This purpose, however, cannot be carried out effectively without the aid of all interested growers. If growers neglect to join this Asso- ciation, waiting until necessity forces co-operation, the industry will suffer severely for a period. Every grower expecting to have avocado fruit to market cannot afford not to join the Association. All must co-operate in pushing forward the objects of the Association. The present membership gives only sufficient funds to provide for the meetings and publication of the annual reports. A campaign should be organized to increase the membership next year to 500 at the least estimate, in order to provide funds to begin a systematic campaign of education in the great market centers. If all cities in the United States, of equivalent size to Los An- geles, were equally well educated in the use of the avocado, the present prices for the fruit probably would be maintained for a number of years. H. J. WEBBER, President California Avocado Association. keviguss BY-LAWS OF THE CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION I Name The name of this Association shall be the California Avocado Asso- ciation. II Purpose The purpose of this Association is the improvement of the culture, production and marketing of the avocado. III Directors The governing body of this Association shall consist of a board of nine directors. IV Officers The officers of this Association shall be a president, a first vice-presi- dent, a second vice-president, a secretary, and a treasurer. Any two of these offices may be filled by one person, in the discretion of the board of directors. V Executive Committee The board of directors shall have the power to appoint an executive committee of three members of the board of directors, said committee to exercise such powers as may be delegated to it by the board of directors. VI Powers of the Board of Directors The board of directors shall have the general powers of management of the Association and may make such rules as they deem necessary to carry out the purposes of the Association. VII Powers and Duties of Officers The powers and duties of the officers herein provided for shall be those usually pertaining to said offices, subject to the rules that may be made by the board of directors. VIII Elections The directors shall be elected at the annual meeting of the members of the Association. Immediately upon their election the board of direc- tors shall convene and elect the officers herein provided for. The board ogiQes es of directors shall have the power to fill any vacancy in their number or any vacancy in any office in the Association. IX Membership The qualifications for membership in this Association shall be the payment of the dues required and a membership fee of five dollars. x Dues Regular annual dues, payable in advance, for membership in this Association, shall be five dollars per year, beginning January 1, 1916. XI Meetings The annual meeting of the Association shall be held at a place desig- nated by the president on the second Tuesday of May in each year. Special meetings shall be called by the president as occasion may require. ech aie California Adams, Chas. D. Albertson, Emery Armstrong Nurseries, Ballard, R. L. Barber.) a. Jur Barnes, Mrs. Arthur J. Barron, A. Ellis Bartlett, Rev. Dana W. Bartley, E. D. Bates, Mrs. K. Beattie, A. C. Beattie, G. W. Beck, G. W. Bell, David C. Bentley, W. H. Billingsley, Ray Blackwood, Gordon F. Blakeslee, H. I. Blanchard, Nathan W. Bliss) ho vAr Booth, Chas. F. Browning, V. A. JerAVeNONR, ie. Aly. Buxton, 'G.o He Camp, E. W. Cavanaugh, W. A. Chapman, A. S. Chase, E. A. Chidester, Arthur M. Collins, Isaac Cook, Max. H. Coolidge, D. W. Coulston, J. B. Cubbon, John Danziger, J. M. Dickey, Edward W. Dixon, bea: Downing, Mrs. J. O. Elliott, J. M. Fargher, Robert J. Fesler, Martin Field, C. M. iy VeVi Flynn, W. Earl Fulton, S. M. Gage, Earl D. Gane, Henry S. Garthwaite, J. W. Gray, E. R. Haldeman, H. M. Hall, IM. O: Hardin, «CoH. i. Hardin & Keller Barman, Ed N. Hart, Edwin G. Hertrich, Wm. ES aR Wee ee MEMBERS Upland Whittier Ontario Orange Los Angeles Pasadena San Diego Los Angeles Santa Ana El Cajon Upland Highland La Habra Saratoga Los Angeles Orange Glendora Fullerton Santa Paula Monrovia Long Beach Anaheim Fillmore Carlsbad Sierra Madre Fellows Los Angeles Riverside Whittier Whittier Chula Vista Pasadena Pasadena Santa Ana Los Angeles Los Angeles San Francisco Los Angeles Los Angeles Harper Covina Chula Vista National City Monrovia Pomona Fullerton Santa Barbara Corona Puente Los Angeles San Diego Ocean Park Yorba Linda Sherman Los Angeles San Gabriel San Francisco nish pei 145 North Painter Ave. Recon 518 Van Nuys Bldg. 1875 Summit Ave. P. O. Box 992 1437 Malvern Ave. R, FF. Di Nowe R. D. San Diego Co. Santa Clara Co. R. D. 13 (La Canada) R.. D; 1, Box 493 844 Wild Rose Ave. 837 E. Ocean Ave. Ro. Re No. 2, Sox Sales Agt., S. Coast Land Co. Kern Co. 306 E. 25th’ St. 446 §S. Painter Ave. 608 N. Painter Ave. Colorado & Hill Sts. Pres. Nat. Bank of Pasadena 1006 Security Bldg. 513 Story Bldg. 112 Market St. (care Hunt Bros. Co.) 727 S. Rampart St. First National Bank Val Vista & Cleveland Sts. R. ER .(Di No.2 Bex P.°O Boxcke 214 N. Los Angeles St. 3320/30th St. 155 Dwight Ave. 518 Van Nuys Bldg. 175 Fremont St. Hoff, J.. E. Hoffman, Geo. D. Hosford, G. W. Jamieson, S. W. Johnson, C. W. Johnson, Geo. H. Kirkman, Wm. T., Jr. Kirwin & Bradford Knight, E. E. Kramer, Henry J. Lemona Heights Co. iateleton, C. H. S. McKay, Ellen G. McNaghton, Malcomb Hollywood Pasadena San Dimas Glendale Pomona Los Angeles Fresno Santa Ana Yorba Linda Los Angeles Riverside Pasadena Hollywood Los Angeles Magee Bros. Nurseries Pasadena Mann, O. A. Manning, Dr. Will R. Manz, A. F. Marvin, B. K. Mather, R. J. Matthews, Roy P. Maurer, Oscar Moore, Stephen P. Mooris, R. R. Murry, Wm. D. Needham, C. E. Newkaemper, Wm. Nichols; ‘C.. O. Olshausen, B. A. Pitcairn, Robert Popenoe, F. O. Price, R.. .0. Ransford, J. E. Rechstemer, V. M. Rhoades, Mrs. S. B. Rideout, W. L. Roeding& Wood Nurs.Co. Ross, Geo. F. Roth, Paul M. Sallmon, Wm. H. Sandusky, Earl Sexton, Joseph Shafier, Geo. B. Sharpless, B. H. Shedden, Thos. H. Sherlock, W. P. Simcoe, B. F. Silent, Charles Skinner, R. W. Spaulding, E. A. Spinks, Wm. A. Stearns, A. G. Stearns, Henry A. Stephens, Wm. D. Stevenson, Arthur L. Stewart, Mrs. J. T. Stuart, James C. Swift, A. L. War, CP: Thacher, E. S. Yorba Linda Fillmore Whittier Riverside Altadena Wah-To-Ke Del Mar Azusa Whittier Hollywood Glendora Pasadena Bostonia Los Angeles Pasadena Altadena Upland Les Angeles Pasadena Covina Whittier Los Angeles os Angeles Pasadena San Diego Los Angeles Goleta Los Angeles Santa Ana Monrovia Pasadena Bakersfield Glendora Yuba City Harper Duarte Los Angeles Pasadena Montebello Pasadena Los Angeles Los Angeles Alta Loma Orange Nordhofft a es 1850 Vista - St. P. O. Box 4388 220 S. Louise St. R= D2No. 1 407 Consolidated Realty Bldg. Kirkman Nurseries 932 S. Grand Ave. 370 Arroyo Terrace 1430 Fielding St. 819 Investment Bldg. Re eee D: Nol 2: Philadelphia & Pierce Pe -O-- Box 525 RK. DS Now Fresno Co. Cerritos St. Pennies: Nov 501 Laurel Ave. 788 Curtis St. 143% S. Broadway 289 State St. West India Gardens (500 Crescent Heights Blvd., (Re DP No: 10> Box, 281. James Nurseries, 483 E. Villa Re ES De No: 106 Compton & Washington Sts. 2158 W. 21st St. 82 S. Marengo Ave. 401 So. Title Bldg. 406 W. Pico First National Bank 17th St. & Newport Rd. 231 E. Lemon Ave. boxe 213, Ra Ds Nos 2 1828 Orange St. 601 Story Bldg. 810 N. Los Robles Ave. 969 Topeka St. 2al9 W. Lith St: Antlers’ Hotel Townsend, Dr. E. L. Underhill, E. F. Wtt;, Cy: Walker, T. J. Waterbury, G. W. Waters, Genetta H. Wetzel, Hugo Whedon, J. T. White, Camelia B. Whiteley, Mrs. F. J. Wilder, G. W. Williams, A. B. Woods, Robert S. Webber, Dr. H. J. Tberore, Jee 19}. Zia NV ales, Non-residents of State Bryant & Greenwood Cellon, Geo. B. The Elizabeth Nurs. Co. Harn, Sam P. Linne, Hans. S. Metz, Emma K. Niles, L. D. Ostrand, Edward Wright, A. P. San Gabriel Glendora Tustin San Fernando Corona Lemon Grove Anaheim Yorba Linda Palm Springs Arcadia Redlands Pasadena Los Angeles Riverside Orange Pasadena Chicago, IIl. Miami, Fla. Elizabeth, N. J. Gainesville, Fla. New York City. Chicago, Ill. Lucerne Park, Fla. Chicago, Ill. Mission, Tex. BO W/W R. FD. Nor Bema Bee Riverside Co. Box 55 987 N. Raymond Ave. 919 Bonnie Brae St. Citrus Experiment Station West Walnut Ave., and Santa Fe Tracks 427 S. Madison Ave. 1301-06 Westminster Bldg. Wilder St. Palace Theater, 1564 Broadway 548 Menominee St. 156 Van Buren St. Mission Nurseries. SECOND SEMI-ANNUAL MEETING OF THE CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION HELD AT BLANCHARD HALL, LOS ANGELES, APRIL 29, 1916 E. G. Hart, President Wm. A. Spinks, First Vice-president Charles Silent, Second Vice-president D. W. Coolidge, Secretary C .P. Taft, Treasurer MINUTES OF THE SECOND SEMI-ANNUAL MEETING The convention was called to order at 10 a. m. by President Edwin G. Hart, who presided during the meeting. The following papers were presented during the forenoon session: “By-Products of the Avocado”, by Professor Wm. Cruess, University of California. “Market Value of Fruit”, by C. P. Taft. “Chemical Constituents of the Avocado”, by Professor M. E. Jaffa, University of California. “Marketing Obstacles and Problems,” by Dana C. King, Sales Agent, California Fruit Growers’ Exchange. At the close of the forenoon session, Mr. D. W. Coolidge made an ap- peal for membership. The afternoon session convened at 1:30 p. m., the first portion of the meeting being devoted to a business session. CC. D. Adams, tT. U. Barber, F. O. Popenoe, Judge Silent, and C. E. Utt were named as a committee to nominate the directors of the Association for the ensuing year. The treasurer’s report, printed herewith, was read and approved. After a general discussion, reported elsewhere in the proceedings, the committee on nominations reported the following nominations for directors: Dr. H. J. Webber Riverside T. U. Barber, Los Angeles Judge Chas. Silent, Glendora W. H. Sallmon, San Diego E. S. Thacher, Nordhoff F. O. Popenoe, Pasadena Cc. D. Adams, Upland W. A. Spinks, Duarte Cape att, Orange They also recommended that Dr. Webber be made president and that Mr. T. U. Barber be made vice-president. Mr. Whedon moved that the report of the committee be accepted and that the directors nominated be elected for the next year. Motion seconded and carried. On motion of Mr. Taft a vote of thanks was unanimously given Mr. Hart for his efficient services as president during the year. Following the business session, the following papers were read: “From Seed Time to Harvest”, by T. U. Barber. Ee 16 1916 ANNUAL REPORT Report of Committee on Classification and Registration of Varieties and on the Results of Judgment of Exhibits’”,—Report presented by Dr. H. J. Webber. “The Avocado and Its Future”, by Judge Charles Silent. “Work and Value of the Avocado Association”,—A general discission, led by Prof. J. Eliot Coit, of the College of Agriculture. At the close of this program, the Association adjourned. A feature of the meeting of the Association very much appreciated was the fine exhibit of fruits staged in the rear of the meeting hall. TREASURER’S REPORT Report of the receipts and expenditures of the California Avocado Association from organization to April 29, 1916. RECEIPTS: j By 1 -\> ama INE angels Sh fo es err er AER eM TSN ik $670.00 Advertising in 1915 Report’ .t......:-2 +s. see eee 127.00 Sale of: 1915) Reports 22.7. 8... Jesse eo oe 32.90 Contributions for premiums, meeting 1916........... 25.00 Total receipts. 2.22 0... cane os oe ee eer $854.90 EXPENDITURES: General expense, (includes cost 1915 meeting)....... $153.18 Office ‘expense—postage, etc, 2). .5in pou. s eee eee PS 5 Printineand stationery. <2... ...0 2 e222 06026 eee eee 135.85 Expenses in connection with printing, editing, etc., of L9I5 “Reports foes. oe eee eee eee 252.00 Total expenditures ..... 2.2230. 43s os. eee $573.55 Balance of cash on hand and in bank :. ~:~ >. 2.2) eee 281.35 Due from advertisers in 1915 Report ~. 22.2 227-2 eee eee 30.00 Due from members for 1916 dues .. ..2..5..- 2+. le. eee 50.00 Gash resources: . 23. 280s. 25 1.2 6. wai ee bon eee $361.35 Total, membership: (4.6 sec cutee ee 85. AVOCADO BY-PRODUCTS W. V. Cruess and S. K. Mitra University California Experiment Station. Zymology Laboratory At the present time, there does not seem to be any very great need of a by-product industry to utilize waste avocados. Still there is a cer- tain amount of soft fruit and blemished fruit which normally will find no market in the fresh condition. In order to develop practical methods of utilizing this fruit and any contemplated over production, experiments have been carried on in the Zymology Laboratory during the past two years. : Avocado Paste: Since the fruit is used as a salad fruit, the first thought will be to prepare a paste or minced product from the peeled fruit and preserve it by suitable methods. This idea was tested very thoroughly. Paste was treated with varying amounts of salt to pre- CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 17 serve it without sterilization. Portions of the same lots were sterilized at various temperatures. Various antiseptics were tried, such as vinegar, or benzoic acid. Fermentation of the paste before canning was also experimented upon. In all cases, the results were poor because of the loss of the fresh avocado flavor and the development of an acrid taste. It is possible that if the fruit was treated with lye before making into a paste, the acrid taste would be eliminated. Experiments made on the peeled halves would indicate this to be true. Dried Avocados: Peeled and pitted fruit was dried at 100 degrees C. The flavor of the dried product was palatable, but very much inferior to the fresh article. Used in soup, it was found to impart a pleasant rich flavor. It seems to have possibilities as a flavoring for high-priced soups. The temperature of drying used should not be above 212 de- grees F. The flesh darkens during drying. Canning Avocados: A number of different lots of fruit were canned in various kinds of brines and syrups and at various temperatures. Salt brines were unsatisfactory in all cases. A disagreeable acrid taste develops in the fruit canned in plain water or brines of various degrees of salt. Fruit canned in a 60 per cent cane sugar syrup at 180 degrees F. gave excellent results. The flavor was rich and seemed equal to that of the fresh fruit. The only objection seems to be that the flavor is a little too rich for the product to be eaten freely. Fruit sterilized in a syrup at 212 degrees F. was not equal to that sterilized at 180 degrees F. The addition of a small amount of lemon juice to the syrup improved the flavor of the canned product. Syrups of lower concentration than 60 per cent were not so satis- factory as the heavy syrup. Preservation in Vinegar and in Brandy: The fruit keeps well if stored in ordinary cider vinegar, but the excess vinegar must be leached out before using the fruit. This flattens the flavor considerably, but the product is fairly palatable. The texture becomes soft on long standing. When stored in brandy of good quality the halved fruit retains its color, texture and flavor very well. The alcohol is easily removed by soaking the fruit in water twenty-four hours before use. Oil: As Professor Jaffa has pointed out in a paper presented last year, the avocado is very rich in oil which constitutes a very large portion of the nutritive value of the fruit. It is probable that it will be many years before enough avocados are produced in the state to make possible the establishment of an avocado oil industry. As a point of interest, how- ever, various methods of recovering the oil were tried out on a very small scale. It seemed to be necessary to dry the fruit first. The oil was then recovered by pressure at 500 pounds per square inch and the oil left in the press cake was extracted with ether. The oil obtained by pressure had a pleasing flavor. Its appearance was greatly improved by decolorizing with bone-black and fiiltration. A great deal of solid fat separates on cooling the oil. This can be removed py filtration. The oil at best was inferior to good cottonseed oil. Therefore, avocado oil as a 18 1916 ANNUAL REPORT by-product does not seem very promising for table use. It may later be discovered to have other uses, such as in soap-making. The following table gives a summary of the more important ex- periments performed: Experi- ment Number 1803-a irre -d -k 1803-1 -m(1) -m (2) -m(3) -m(4) -m (95) 18038-n(1) to-n(4) Date Treated 1915 Nov. 23 23 23 23 (19 23 23 23 23 23 23 23 23 23 23 25 25 23 25 | ‘Date Exam- TREATMENT RESULTS ined 1915 Nov. 25 |Dried at 212 deg. F. |Made good soup flavor- ing, Not satisfactory for eating alone. “« 25 |Dried and pressed. Press oil edible. Sol- Pomace extracted with|vent oil poor. ether. Press oil de- colorized and filtered. Dec. 5 |Halves treated with %/Fermented slightly % lye 24 hours. lLyejduring lye treatment. washed out with water.|Flavor poor. Sterilized in 5% brine. “ 5 |Same as. 1803-c, butSame results as 1803-c. 1% lye used. “ 5 |Same as 1808-c, butiFlavor excellent. Tex- 3% lye used. ture a little too soft. ‘“ 5 |Same as 1803-c, but/Results- fair. Not so 5% sodium carbonate'good as “e’’. used. “5 |Canned halves in plain Acrid taste. Not sat- water at 85 deg. C. isfactory. “5 |Canned halves in 3%/Acrid taste. Not sat- brine at 85 deg. C. isfactory. “5 |Canned halves in brine) Not satisfactory. plus vinegar to _ in- crease acid to .38%. 1916 Feb. 1 |Pickled in vinegar. Flavor good if excess ‘vinegar is washed out. ~ 1. |\Pickled in brandy: ‘Flavor good if excess alcohol is washed out. 1915 Dec. 5 /|Paste from boiled fruit Flavor very poor. sterilized at 212 deg. F. “ 5 |Paste plus 1% _ salt,Flavor very poor; col- not sterilized. or, dark. “ 5 |Paste, plus 3% _ salt,/Flavor very poor; col- ‘not sterilized. or dark. “ 5 |Paste plus 6% _ salt,/Flavor very poor; col- not sterilized. or dark. “5 |Paste plus 12% salt,/Flavor poor. not sterilized. “5 |Paste plus 15% salt,Flavor poor. not sterilized. “ 5 |Salt, varying from 1/Flavor poor in all to 15%, followed by cases. sterilization at 100 deg. C, CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 19 Experi- Date Date ment Exam- TREATMENT RESULTS Number Treated ined 1916 1916 1835 (1) Jan. 26 |Mar. 15 |Peeled halves in plain|/Flavor acrid and dis- water. Sterilized at |/agreeable. 212 deg. F. 1835 (2) “ 96 « 15 |Peeled avocados in Fair. Not so good as 30% syrup; sterilized|(3). aG.2i2 deg, F. 1835 (3) “ 96 «“ 45 |Peeled avocados in Palatable. Flavor very 60% syrup; sterilizedirich. Not so good as at 212 deg. F. (4). 1835 (4) “ 96 « 45 |Peeled avocados in Flavor excellent, but 60% syrup; sterilized|very rich. at 180 deg. F. 1835 (5) 6. 26 “15 |Peeled avocados in Best of series; flavor 60% syrup plus 3%\very rich. lemon juice. Sterilized at 180 deg. F. Summary: .Avocados canned in a 60 per cent syrup at 180 degrees F. retained more of the fresh rich avocado flavor than did products pre- pared in any other way. This seems to be one of the most promising avocado by-products. Canning in brine or plain water gave poor results. Avocados treated with 3 per cent lye for 24 hours in the same way that olives are pickled gave a very palatable product, after removal of lye and sterilization in a dilute brine. Avocado pastes were in all cases un- satisfactory. The flavor of the fruit was fairly successfully retained by pickling the halves in vinegar or in brandy. Dried avocados gave a very pleasing fiavor to vegetable soup. The oil is not satisfactory as a food. In general, the canning in heavy syrups seems to be the most satis- factory method of preserving avocados or avocado products. Discussion Mr. Taft: Your investigations as reported were confined almost entirely to the thin-skinned varieties. Have you investigated the thick- skinned varieties also? Prof. Cruess: Our investigations have been confined to the thin- skinned varieties principally and seedlings of thin-skinned types sent up by Mr. Taft. The material worked with was not first class. It was soft fruit in most cases. Mr. Taft: It is possible that when you investigate the larger va- rieties you may be able to succeed better. Prof. Cruess: One of the troubles is that the fruit softens. MARKET VALUE OF THE AVOCADO Mr. C. P. Taft, Orange, Cal. When one begins planting on an extensive scale, the first considera- tion should be, and usually is—“What is the market value of the product that he proposes to raise?” He may be very fond of the fruit of his 20 1916 ANNUAL REPORT choice, very much interested in fruit-growing in general, a thorough botan- ist and an experienced horticulturist, but all this is subservient to the question—“What will the fruit which I hope to produce sell for? What is it bringing in the market at present and what is it likely to sell for in the future?” The very first avocado trees in California were doubtless planted with little regard to pecuniary returns. When Mr. Harvey set out the trees on what is now known as the Buddington Place, Los Angeles, and the Walker Place at Hollywood, he doubtless felt that he was doing little more than trying a doubtful experiment. Other trees planted at approx- imately the same time in Pasadena did not prove a success because they were of hot country types. With better judgment, Mr. Harvey selected seeds from the uplands of Mexico, where the climate is similar to ours. Among the resulting trees were the original trees of the well-known varieties, Challenge, Royal and Walker’s Prolific, and another tree on the Buddington place which came into bearing even earlier than the three above mentioned, but was not so prolific and has not been propagated as a variety so far as I am aware. Somewhat later Mr. Murrieta planted similar Mexican seeds and from them came the Murrieta varieties, of which the Murrieta, a round green fruit, is of unexcelled flavor. About the time these trees came into bearing, Los Angeles was as- suming a metropolitan aspect and metropolitan habits, and beginning to show in its markets, evidence of the rapid increase of wealth and intelli- gence of its people. It may be stated that Mr. Walker’s tree of the Prolific produced fruit which sold in Los Angeles for $400 in one year. Mr. Walker did not try to advertise this, but rather the opposite, for he feared that much increase in production would glut the market, and not hiking the fruit himself at that time he did not see how the taste for it could be cultivated very much. Since his Challenge and Royal, much better varieties have come into bearing, I fancy that he has changed his opinion. But the news of such great prolificness and profit leaked out and inquiries disclosed, that in addition to the local product there was a more or less regular importation of avocados from Hawaii, Mexico and else-— where, which were retailed, at what then seemed, the rather startling prices of $4.00 to $6.00 per dozen. Looking back, it seems as obvious as can be that there was a big future for fruit which could bring such prices under any conditions and that the worst that could happen, were very many grown, would be to cheapen the product somewhat but not in proportion to the increased consumption. Indeed I doubt if the price for large thick-skinned avo- cados will ever be on a par with that received for other fruits. How many people do you suppose in Los Angeles know this fruit even by name? One in ten, in think, would be a liberal estimate, and the num- ber here is far in excess of other large cities in the United States, whose markets we have yet to investigate, educate and supply. We are justified in expecting continued high prices if we do this thoroughly. When imported avocados sell well, there is no reason why CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION ail home grown fruit, if equally good (and ours is), should not do the same, especially as it has the advantage of always arriving in good condition, while the foreign is liable to be more or less decayed. The chef or stew- ard who uses considerable quantities at a time and regularly all the year around, when he can get it, would much prefer to have the fruit hard, so that he can do his own ripening and have an edible supply on hand when needed. We have doubtless much to learn as to the keeping quali- ties of the various varieties and the stage of maturity at which they should be picked, whether for shipping long distances or for immediate home consumption. There are people who “knock” the avocado one way or another, of course, but they are few. One young man in particular has given those who received high prices for the best fruit, quite a scolding in an article read before the Farmers Institute held at Stanford University last August and afterwards published in the Monthly Bulletin of the state Commission of Horticulture, and in that excellent magazine, the Citro- graph. In it he states quite vigorously that the high prices of avocados don’t suit him at all and that by taking them the growers are guilty of “shortsighted greediness” which will “strangle” the industry and that the “greatest problem” of this Association is to put an end to such a lamentable state of things and bring the fruit within the reach of the “masses.” Just how making money out of an industry is going to strangle i. is not very obvious. As to the greediness,—well, the best you can say about that is that it is merely an impolite remark. The prices will adjust themselves as the supply increases and the one object of this Association is to see to it that the classes get this fruit at good prices as long as they want it and are willing to pay for it, and the “masses” will have to wait until there is enough for both. This is not a philanthropical organization, though there is nothing to hinder its members individually from being as benevolent as they please. I know a doctor who bought avocados on the open market at $1.25 each for a poor patient whose stomach could retain nothing else and to whom they were a great benefit. This was philanthropy on the part of the doctor and business on the part of the dealer and both were satisfied. Really, it is no business of anyone’s, what the prices are, except those concerned in the transaction. No fruit is wasted in order to main- tain the prices. No necessity of life is being cornered. No one is com- pelled to buy. No one is any worse off, than if there were no avocados grown. No need of being scared over a situation which didn’t exist and never will! The real “greatest problem” is so to direct matters that avocado growers will receive the full value of their products. There is also something to be claimed for the pioneers in this, as in any industry. Usually they have tried many. things unsuccessfully and taken unusual risks and expense, so that when an opportunity arises for abundant or even phenomenal returns they are certainly entitled to them. We growers are all to a greater or less extent pioneers and this Associa- tion is a pioneer association, and I do not think any attempt will ever be made by it to induce its members to take less for their products than the market warrants, but on the contrary one of its objects will be so to 22 1916 ANNUAL REPORT distribute them that the prices may always be maintained, proportionate to the supply. DISCUSSION Mr. Taft (in answer to question): I am raising only thick-skinned verieties. Whereas last year I received as low as $3.00 to $6.00 a dozen, there have been very few this year that I have sold for less than $9.00 a dozen. Chairman: While on this business, would it not be well for the As- sociation to give some information that the committee can work on in regard to selling prices? Last month an article appeared, showing that $1.25 a crate was paid for avocados, while a crate of the same size in December brought $36.00. All the leading varieties at the present time are spring and summer-bearing, and there is no question in my mind but that just as quick as we get a good winter-bearing, thick-skinned variety all the now leading varieties will drop back to fourth or fifth place. Of course, for home production they are all right, but for com- mercial business there should be a winter-bearing variety. The best variety is .a winter variety. The summer-bearing will net very little revenue in my judgment. I think that we, as an Association, ought to develop the market for the entire year, not for any particular month. If we develop a market for winter varieties, we are developing at the same time a market for summer varieties. The avocado can be produced here for ten months out of the year and probably soon will be produced during the entire year. While there is an advantage in producing fruit at a time when most people are not producing them, it is a good deal a matter of judgment and I do not believe that Florida is really a criterion of our condition. In summer, they go into competition with a lot of Cuban varieties. There is not an organized market to accept the fruit when it is sent in. The dealers do not know when they are going to get shipments, and fruits frequently arrive in bad condition. If dealers were getting shipments so that they could provide their market in advance and know the price, they would be a great deal better off than they now are. At the present time the West and the adjoining states will provide a market for everything we can grow, and this will be the case for the next ten years. At the end of that time we may have to go into the Eastern markets. There is an opportunity of getting a dollar apiece for fruits there, where we may get fifty cents apiece for them here, or in Denver or Salt Lake. I think we can take Los Angeles as a fair sample of market conditions. There were ten avocados eaten in Los Angeles last year to one eaten before. I think the price last year was higher than before. The fact that there was a lot of thin-skinned varieties on the market had no par- ticular effect. Their production and sale will, I think, stimulate a taste for the better varieties, and one of the great things for this Association to take up is that of standardization. During this year we shall un- doubtedly get on a firm basis. At the present time there is no worry about a market. A good avocado will bring such a price that if a man had an acre of them, it would make a small fortune for him every year. I think we can handle every city in the West as we are handling CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 23 Los Angeles today. If Los Angeles is a good example, we shall have a leng future when we extend our shipments and take up San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, and the Middle West, like Salt Lake, Denver, and El Paso. They will keep up business for some time. The trees are not going to come into market with one fell swoop. Three years from now,—and there will not be much production before that time—I think the market can easily be developed to keep up with the development of the orchards planted. The surplus of the fruit here will be as in Florida, of the thin-skinned varieties; that is, the summer and the fall-bearing stock. We are not looking at the past, we are looking to the future, and I believe it is a self-evident proposition that the winter-grown fruits are going to bring high prices. Our efforts as an Association must be to develop the market for the year around. Mr. Whedon: Every person advocates his stock. A man selling a piano, auto, or anything else, advocates the one he carries as the best. Some say the small thin-skinned varieties are the best in our market. Everybody going into the business is new to it, and I think it would be no more than right that the Association should place itself on record as to what is the best variety, so that we would not be compelled to rely on any individual’s opinion. It is a pretty hard matter to say which is the best, but the Association would probably have the best opportunity of knowing what would be the best. Chairman: That is the purpose of the committee we have recently appointed to classify and register all varieties. I think their statement as to varieties and qualities will be far more impartial than if the Asso- ciation or its officers acted. This committee was appointed from people who have no commercial interest and are especially qualified to act on these very questions. This committee has been chosen because they are the best qualified people to pass upon the question and are not interested commercially. While statements may be correct from a writer’s stand- point they are naturally prejudiced to some degree in his own interests. When the Association goes on record, it wants to go on record through its committee. Question: I would like to ask Mr. Taft whether he has noticed a tendency of the thick-skinned varieties to bear on alternate years? Mr. Taft: Yes, with some. Really the industry has not been estab- lished long enough to lay down any rules. Sometimes a tree bears on al- ternate years, especially if one year it bears an enormous crop. If it over-works itself one year, it is apt to rest the next. I have known trees. to bear enormous crops for three years in succession and beyond that our experience does not go. THE MINERAL ELEMENTS OF THE AVOCADO Professor M. E. Jaffa, Division of Nutrition, University, Berkeley, Cal. The analyses that have been heretofore published of the avocado have not given any insight into the nature of the mineral matter of this fruit, merely indicating the total amount. A few years ago when a dietary or even the nutritive value of a food was discussed, it was deemed only 24 1916 ANNUAL REPORT necessary to consider the content of protein, fat and carbohydrate, and the caloric value, no special attention being paid to the mineral matter or to the value of the individual proteins and fats. This is emphasized by reference to the literature bearing on dietary studies and digestion experiments. As has been previously stated, the general subject of the mineral matter has only recently been accorded the prominence which it demands, as evidenced by the fact that the first complete and comprehen- sive bulletin by the Agricultural Experiment Stations of the United States on the importance of the mineral elements in nutrition, was issued by Dr. Forbes of the Ohio Station about seven years ago. It was formerly considered that the amount of mineral matter in any diet or ration, particularly for the adult animal, was ample and that no further attention need be paid to this matter, owing to which, as above mentioned, in the compounding of rations and diets only the organic nutriments were considered. The older views have been gradually changed to meet the results of late nutrition investigations, particularly with ref- erence to not only the amount but the nature of the minerals ingested by animals, and this is particularly true in connection with human die- taries. The mere statement that a combination of foods contains so many grams of mineral matter or such and such a percentage of mineral matter is almost meaningless as far as its physiological value is con- cerned. Not only must there be an adequate supply of mineral matter but there must be an adequate supply of each of the chemical elements necessary and furthermore these must bear some quantitive relation to each other, otherwise the diet is unbalanced in this respect. The most important elements which we have to consider are iron, calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, chlorin, sulphur, and phosphorus, and it may be said that these elements, which are most important as far as animal nutrition is concerned, are equally important to the soil as plant food. The question may well be asked if these mineral elements are so important, why were not earlier investigations conducted with reference to them. As Dr. Forbes writes: “There are a number of reasons why our knowledge of the func- tions of the mineral elements in nutrition has not kept pace with our advancing knowledge along other lines. First, animals need compara- tively little of the mineral nutrients in their food; second, animals’ bodies contain considerable reserve supplies of the mineral nutrients which can be drawn upon in case of need, so that a deficiency of the food in certain mineral nutrients is not at once made apparent by the be- haviour of the animal; third, the excretion into the intestine of waste products containing mineral elements, and their consequent appearance in the feces along with undigested mineral nutrients prevents an ac- curate judgment as to the digestibility of the same; fourth, the rediges- tion and reassimilation of mineral matter from certain waste products which have been excreted into the intestine, thus resulting in a repeated utilization of the same nutrient substance, tends to obscure the facts regarding the nutrient in question; and fifth, most foods, though by CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 25 no means all, even of our commonest ones, furnish as much of the min- eral nutrients as animals need.” “Can it be that such an important matter as the provision of the body with mineral nutrients has not been adequately provided for by natural selective processes? Have not animals’ food-habits and digestive processes been adapted to the provision of the body with all those nutri- ents which it needs? In a general way we may answer these questions in the affirmative, but when we consider them with care we see many exceptions and quali- fications becoming necessary. “Tt is doubtless true that in his aboriginal state man’s food habits provided his body with all those nutrients which his simple life required, but civilization has set up new standards, unnatural ones in the sense that natural selection has not been able to accomplish new adaptations as fast as they were required by changed habits and so we find ourselves living somewhat out of harmony with our physiological processes. “Civilization requires specialized efficiency, and so the organism is put upon a strain by the severity of the tax upon some functions; cer- tain it is that the twentieth-century American has need for more food of a sort capable of developing his nervous system than had aboriginal man. Indiscriminate eating may sustain life at low-pressure, but keen cempetition and highly specialized activity call for definite adaptation of the food, both as to kind and quality, to the necessities for nutriment.”’ Time will not permit entering into detail regarding the use made by the body of each of the different minerals above mentioned. The sulphur, however, that is found in the protein in foods is mainly metabolized into sulphuric acid, the phosphorus into phosphoric acid, etc. It is very nec- essary that there be some base to take up or unite with these acids in order to preserve the neutrality or faint alkalescence of the blood and tissues. Many illustrations could be cited indicating that the continued use of a so-called mineral-free diet will product acidosis resulting from the lack of the base-forming elements in the food. A mineral-free diet is one that consists of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates, but that has been freed from mineral matter and leaves no appreciable residue on burning in the air. Such a combination of foods is termed an acid- _ forming diet because in the body there will be furnished from the metabol- ism of proteins sulphuric and phosphoric acids. As stated by Sherman: “A diet in which the acid-forming elements greatly predominate must result in a withdrawal of fixed alkalies from the blood and tissues or an increased circulation of ammonia salts in the body, neither of which can be regarded as advantageous. While such a diet is more or less habitual with carnivora and may not be dangerous to man, it must put upon the body accustomed to a mixed diet a tax, which, however, small, might better be avoided, especially as we have no reason to anticipate any disadvan- tage from a predominance of base-forming elements, which if not used to neutralize stronger acids, would take the form of bicarbonates and thus aid in the maintenance of the normal and necessary neutrality or faint alkaliescence of the blood and tissues. It therefore seems desirable that in constructing a dietary the foods in which the acid-forming elements 26 1916 ANNUAL REPORT predominate should be so balanced by foods having a predominance of bases that the diet as a whole may yield sufficient fixed bases to neutralize the mineral acids produced in its metabolism.” The foregoing thus indicates the value of the generous use of fruits and vegetables in the diet. Previous to the investigation of the importance of the mineral matter, the value of fruits and vegetables was considered more of a hygienic nature and the fruits themselves more as luxuries. Nuts belong to the foods which furnish the acid-forming elements in excess and therefore the wisdom of the combination of fruit and nuts. An investigation just completed in the Nutrition Laboratory at the University of California, shows that the avocado belongs to that class of foods which yield an excess of the base-forming elements. This was perhaps to have been inferred, but until the investigation was completed, no definite conclusions could be drawn. Four different analyses were made, the varieties examined being the Taft and Sharpless furnished by C. P. Taft and B. H. Sharpless, respectively, and seedlings from Messrs. C. P. Taft and W. A. Spinks. There is evidenced a close agreement be- tween the results of the specimens tested. More than one-half of the ash of the avocado consists of soda, potash, magnesium and lime, the latter occurring, however, in comparatively speaking small amounts, the phosphoric acid averaging about 17.5 per cent, with 1.5 per cent of iron. In the ash of the cereals, nuts, meats, eggs, etc., the phosphoric acid greatly predominates. This element is found in the avocado, on the other hand, as in other fruits, only in relatively small amounts. In view of the low content of lime, therefore, it could not be said that the avocado should be recommended as furnishing any notable supply of bone ma- terial. This, however, is not the function of the avocado. Its great value, as far as mineral matter is concerned, lies in the fact that the ash con- tains a predominance of bases such as sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium. Another advantage which may be cited in favor of the avocado is that its content of ash is far higher than that noted for any other fruit. The pure ash of the edible portion of the avocado shows an average con- tent of 1.05 per cent, while those of the other fruits are as follows: (STAD ES Wy bi eel TS cohen de ees .500 Prunes: 1916 ANNUAL | 3 > : ‘ 7 => ‘A Ms, bi Y ; - i ; CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION , 51 THIRD SEMI-ANNUAL MEETING OF THE CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION, HELD AT THE MARYLAND HOTEL, SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, OCTOBER 30 AND 31, 1916. H. J. Webber, President T. U. Barber, First Vice-President Charles Silent, Second Vice-President Charles D. Adams, Secretary C. P. Taft, Treasurer MINUTES OF THE THIRD SEMI-ANNUAL MEETING Evening Session, October 30.—The first session of the Third Semi- annual Meeting was called to order by Dr. H. J. Webber, President of the Association, at 8 p.m. in the assembly hall of the Maryland Hotel, San Diego. The president introduced Mr. Wm. H. Sallmon, of San Diego, chairman of the local entertainment committee, who was requested to serve as chairman during the evening session. The program arranged for the evening included two illustrated lantern- slide lectures on the avocado by Prof. Ira J. Condit, of the College of Agriculture, and Dr. H. J. Webber, Director of the Citrus Experiment Station. After these lectures, the Association adjourned to give oppor- tunity to visit the exhibition of fruit. Regular Session, October 31.—Dr. H. J. Webber, President of the As- sociation, in the chair called the meeting to order at 9 o’clock and gave the presidential address on: “The Avocado Industry and the Avocado Association.” Then were read the following papers in the order named: “The Hotel and the Avocado,” by Thomas H. Shedden, of Monrovia. “The Avocado in Mexico,” by R. O. Price, of Upland. “The History and Performance of Avocado Varieties in California,” by Prof. I. J. Condit, College of Agriculture, Berkeley. “Has the Mexican Type of Avocado a Permanent Place in the In- dustry,” by E. S. Thacher, of Nordhoff. “Experiences With Avocado Varieties and Necessity of Co-operation,” by Charles D. Adams, of Upland. The president then addressed the meeting on the desirability of as many as possible of those present joining the Association, and stated that a recess of ten minutes would be taken in which they could do so. 52 1916 ANNUAL REPORT At the close of the recess, the following papers were read: “Further Investigations of the Composition and Food Value of the Avocado,” and “Metabolism Experiments with the Avocado,” by Prof. M. E. Jaffa, University of California, Berkeley. “Avocado Variation and Improvements by Bud Selection,” by L. B. Scott, Pomologist, U. S. Department of Agriculture. The meeting was then adjourned until 2 p.m., in order to give all present an opportunity to take part in the avocado luncheon, which was served in an adjoining room. The afternoon meeting opened at the time named, and the following papers were read: “Methods of Avocado Growing in the Tropics Applicable to Califor- nia,” by E. E. Knight, of Yorba Linda. “Fruiting Habits of Budded Trees of the Different Avocado Varieties,” by T. U. Barber, of Puente, who also read “The Avocado in Southern California,” by Joseph Sexton, of Goleta. “What About the Avocado?” by C. E. Utt, of Tustin. “Four Years’ Experience with Budded Avocado Trees,” by J. T. Whedon, of Yorba Linda. The following resolutions, prepared by a committee appointed by the directors, were presented by E. S. Thacher and adopted unanimously: “RESOLVED: By the California Avocado Association, assembled at its Third Semi-annual Meeting: THAT, we warmly appreciate the liberality of Mr. Lilly, manager of the Maryland hotel, in donating the use of the meeting rooms, as well as in other acts of hospitality. THAT, the thanks of this Association are extended to Mrs. Thomas K. Kneale and members of the San Diego Floral Association, who have so kindly come forward to assist in our demonstration of the uses of the avocado as it may be served; THAT, we acknowledge our obligation to those who have promptly and generously supplied us with fruit for serving and exhibition pur- poses; THAT, the San Diego newspapers, who have given ample space in their columns for the spreading of information about these meetings and their purposes, have contributed most valuable aid to their success; THAT, we are greatly indebted to those gentlemen of science who have come from a distance to give us the benefit of their learning and ex- perience, and to those who have sent papers which will be incorporated in our report; THAT, the large attendance and cordial responsiveness of those who have joined us in these meetings have been a most important factor in the success of our gathering and a support to the enthusiasm and vigor with which its sessions have been conducted by our efficient president.” During the part of the meeting devoted to discussions, J. T. Whedon, of Yorba Linda, spoke about having received balled trees with leaves dropping off and otherwise in unsatisfactory condition, and thought the Association should specify the proper balling of trees, and in order to =e ee a ee ee ee eee ee ne eee ee Lee ee ee, Te re CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 53 minimize the danger in transit should order that not more than two trees of large balls should be placed in a box, and also should impress upon the people the desirability in planting, of providing a hole of good size, which should be, he thought, two feet deep and three feet wide. Thomas H. Shedden, of Monrovia, spoke in favor of our taking energetic measures to strengthen the use of the name “avocado” and strive to free the fruit from the misnomer “alligator pear.” He moved that a committee be appointed by the chair to send out circular letters to hotels and dining-cars, urging them to adopt the name “avocado,” giving the reasons why they should do so. The motion was seconded by R. O. Price and carried. The president appointed Mr. Thomas H. Shedden as such committee. C. P. Taft, of Orange, protested against the practice of the Los Angeles Times, of not only always calling this fruit “alligator pear,” but always classing it and placing it among the vegetables, and asked that the matter be referred to the same committee, which was so ordered. A general discussion was had, mainly on sizes of budded trees, on pruning, on tap-root, and on distance of planting. This discussion was taken part in by C. P. Taft, of Orange; Hindebaugh, of San Diego; Marvin, of Riverside; W. L. Rideout, of Whittier; EK. E. Knight, of Yorba Linda; J. T. Whedon, of Yorba Linda; C. E. Utt, of Tustin, and Reiss, of Sierra Madre. After a few announcements from the president, the meeting adjourned. (Signed) CHAS. D. ADAMS, Secretary. Note. Owing to lack of time, a considerable number of papers pre- pared for presentation at the meeting, by authors who could not be pres- ent, were not read. These papers, however, are all printed in this report. THE EXHIBIT OF FRUITS AND NURSERY STOCK The exhibition of fruits and nursery stock, held in connection with the Third Semi-annual Meeting of the Association, was very instruc- tive and greatly added to the value of the meeting. No premiums were offered for competition, the Board of Directors having decided that in the present stage of the industry and of the Association, a non-competi- tive exhibition for educational purposes only would best serve the in- terests of the Association. The success of the exhibit was largely due to the enthusiasm and energy of Mr. T. U. Barber, who was appointed by the Directors to have charge of this part of the meeting, and to the hearty cooperation of the exhibitors. The following is a list of the ex-. hibitors: Allen, R. C., Bonita Shedden, Thos. H., Monrovia Bartley Bros., Santa Ana Smith, Willard, Orange Carton, P. F., San Fernando Spinks, Wm. A., Duarte Chappelow, Wm., Monrovia Stewart, Mrs. J. T., Los Angeles Fulton, Mrs. M., Orange Symmonds, R., Los Angeles Garcia, Manuel, Duarte Lattice e -Orangwe Goddicksen, P., Orange Thacher, E. S., Nordhoff Hart & Barber Avocado Co., Witt ©. Tustin D4 1916 ANNUAL REPORT . Los Angeles Wagner, C. F., Los Angeles Hindebaugh, Mr., San Diego Walker, J. H., Hollywood Knuth, C. A., Orange West India Gardens, Altadena Mather, Robt., Pasadena Metcalf, Volney, Azusa Whedon, J. T., Yorba Linda Sharpless, B. H., Santa Ana Zapf, A. E., Orange An important feature of the exhibit was the avocado luncheon held in special rooms kindly furnished for this purpose by Manager Lilly, of the Maryland Hotel. Here over six hundred people were given an oppor- tunity to test the avocado served in sandwiches and salads. The follow- ing statement regarding the value of the exhibit and demonstration was prepared by Mr. Wm. H. Sallmon. “In estimating the value of the recent meeting of the California Avocado Association held in San Diego, I would say that many expres- sions of enthusiastic appreciation of the value of the gathering have come to me. These expressions group themselves around three features— “j_The Exhibit. The display of fruit was the largest and finest ever brought together, both the thin-skinned and thick-skinned varieties being in evidence. The season was not propitious for a large exhibit of nursery stock, but some splendid trees were shown, a few of which were in bearing. The spirit of the growers shown in the sacrifice of these trees for the good of the cause, and the earnestness with which the ex- hibitors explained the merits of their fruits, were impressive; “2—-The Food Demonstration. Under the guidance of Mr. T. U. Barber, who also managed the exhibit, a most generous and palatable avocado luncheon, consisting of salad and sandwiches, was served to several hundred people. With the assistance of ladies of the San Diego Floral Association this affair was carried out in a most orderly manner and served to advertise the merits of the fruit in the most practical and at- tractive way to many who had never tasted it before; ) “3—The Program. The business-like manner in which the sessions were conducted, the papers on a large variety of subjects filled with most useful information not available elsewhere. and the invaluable dis- cussion contributed to the success of a most successful convention.” CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 55 THE AVOCADO INDUSTRY AND THE AVOCAVJO ASSOCIATION. PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS. By Dr. H. J. Webber, Director, Citrus Experiment Station, Riverside, Cal. GENTLEMEN OF THE CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION: It gives me great pleasure to have the honor of calling to order this Third Semi-Annual Convention of the California Avocado Growers’ Association. This is a great convention of a great industry. In ac- cepting the presidency of your Association, I was mindful of my lack of special knowledge of the avocado industry and of my inability to fill the position as it should be filled. In view of the action of the Association at its last meeting, however, it seemed wise for me to accept the trust and at least for a term serve the Association as best I could. The short history of the Association is a record of success. The first meeting of the Association was an or- ganization meeting only. The first and second semi-annual meetings, both held in Los Angeles, were large and important conven- tions, notable for their great interest and en- thusiasm. This meet- ing, I am sure, is des- tined to be an equally enthusiastic and im- portant gathering. The success of the Association from the first was in very large measure accomplished through the untiring = Me ce 2 Se sooner a s ; igure 1.—Original tree o e allenge avocado, work and the enthusi- Hollywood, Cal. Forty feet high and 38 feet asm of your retiring spread. (Photo by H. J. Webber) president, Mr. E. G. Hart, of Los Angeles. The Association owes to Mr. Hart a debt of grati- tude that can only be repaid by a continued and maintained policy of de- veloping and enlarging the Association to the point where it will fully meet the demands of the rapidly growing industry. The Avocado Association was organized to foster the development of the avocado industry, particularly in California. This, as I understand it, is the broad aim of the Association. The Association will thus expect 56 1916 ANNUAL REPORT to be active so far as possible with all phases of the industry. In the present stage of the development of the industry, the greatest good is likely to be derived from the collection and dissemination of knowledge relative to the culture of the avocado, and for several years it is prob- able that the main interests of the Association will center on discussions of varieties, propagation, cultivation, irrigation, and like problems. Soon, however, we will be confronted with marketing problems and the de- velopment of markets. Indeed in this direction in my judgment, it behooves us to be at work continuously. To provide a market for our fruits, people must be taught to use them. We must recognize conditions as they exist. At the present time the avocado is known only to a few thousand people, and a large crop of fruits could not be sold to advantage. The greatest problem of all the problems before the Asso- ciation is to educate a sufficient number of our people to the use of the avocado, to provide a market for the fruit as rapidly as our new plant- ings come into bearing. Condition of the Industry in California The avocado in California is such a new industry and interest in its culture has developed so rapidly that only a comparatively small number of growers and nurserymen in the center of the activities have any ade- quate idea of the greatness and magnitude of the development in California. I quote the following statement from a publication of one of the best known avocado growers of Florida: ‘This tree (the avocado) is the greatest money producer for Southern Florida, and the people of Southern California have gone wild over it, even though they have to send to Florida for seed, grafts and trees.” It is clear that this gentleman is not aware that California has already developed 10 varieties to Florida’s one and that it has already been pretty definitely proven that our native Cali- fornia seedling varieties are far better suited to our climatic conditions than any of the varieties imported from Florida. We do not necessarily need their stocks and varieties, but we do desire to try everything they have available to be sure of keeping our industry in the fore-front of the advance. The old seedling avocado trees in Florida and in California are in gen- eral of about the same age, but the planting of commercial groves began in Florida at least 10 years earlier than in California. In Florida the in- terest in commercial avocado culture began about 1900; while in Califor- nia the first interest in commercial plantings can hardly be said to have started prior to 1910 or 1912. In California even today our planting is very small and altogether probably does not exceed more than a total of 300 to 400 acres. In large part this area is of young trees from two to four years of age. The Cali- fornia industry is founded on the results obtained with a few trees planted in isolated places in dooryards, such as, the Chappelow tree at Monrovia and the Ganter tree at Whittier. The sale of fruits from some of these old trees, together with the sale of bud wood, has netted such fabulous incomes as to stimulate a gold fever interest. We must remember, how- ever, that in the development of the industry the financial returns quoted from such trees are even more exceptional than California weather, and CALIFORNIA VOCADO ASSOCIATION 57 are a detriment rather than an aid to the industry. Even the present high prices of $5 to $10 per dozen, at which the best avocados sell, are liable to be misleading. The industry must be able to develop successfully and dispose of its products probably at one half the present prices, if itis to become a truly important industry in the state. That this is possible I am certain all of us are convinced. We see in the avocado a fruit of the highest food value, attractive, pala- table, and easily grown. Under our normal conditions it is exceedingly productive and gives a very high food value yield per acre. It ap- peals to the writer to be just the type of product California has need- ed, as it will enable us to produce a much larger percentage of our |own food, and its largest value for a number of years will be for our own home consumption. Indeed one of its most valuable uses will be as a home fruit. Every home yard should contain two or three trees of as many varieties, ripening at dif- ferent seasons, in order to have a continuous succession of fruits. Rap- idly, however, the fruit will become national in character as people learn to use it, and thus the Association will be confronted with all of the problems of a great industry. bl h Figure 2.—Parent tree of the Lyon avo- Problems of the Industry E yeado. (Photo by H. J. Webber) Varieties.—Nowhere in the his- tory of horticulture, so far as I am aware, has there taken place such wonderful advance in the development of varieties in so short a space of time, as has occurred with the avo- cado in California. A decade ago the avocado in California was known only through a seedling here and there in yards, such seedlings having been grown from imported seeds mainly from Mexico, Guatemala, Hawaii and Florida, the Mexican and Guatemalan seedlings predominating. Fortunate- ly, the natural desire of Californians to demonstrate the wide range of tropical and semi tropical products that could be grown here as novelties led to a considerable number of such seedlings being grown. Since the in- terest in the commercial culture of the avocado became acute, every nook and corner of the state has been searched for such seedling trees, and every promising seedling has been subjected to careful scrutiny and study. 58 1916 ANNUAL REPORT The result has been won- | derful, indeed, and far beyond any result that could have been predict- ed. The seedling trees | have been found to be ex- ceptionally variable in all important characters, such as, season of ma- turing, type and habit of growth, size, shape and quality of fruit, and the like. The range of varia- tion exhibited is wonder- ful and is to be account- | ed for probably from the wide range of different sources from which the seeds were imported and the long years of accu- mulated variations that have been produced in the native home of the fruit through its exten- sive production as_ seed- lings, without propagation by budding or grafting. It is fortunate for us at this stage that we are able to reap the benefit from these accumulated natural variations. Al- ready over 50 of these promising native Califor- = , : i nia seedlings have been Figure 38.—Parent tree of Dickinson avocado atgjven varietal names and "679 West 35th Street, Los Angeles, Cal. (Photo= i by H. J. Webber) are being more or less extensively propagated for planting. The intensive interest in the development has also led several enter- prising growers and nurserymen to secure buds from promising trees in Mexico and Guatemala to be grown and tested here. While the result of this rapid development is highly creditable and of the greatest advantage to the industry ultimately, it nevertheless is accompanied with grave danger. Already we have over a hundred va- rieties to choose from in planting an orchard, and in almost no case have we adequate data and knowledge regarding any of them, to enable the planter to judge which are the superior ones. These new seedling varieties have been named and introduced mainly by various parties CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 59 owning the original trees, and naturally each introducer of a variety believes it to be the best variety yet named. I would have scant patience with an introducer of a variety, if he did not believe his variety a su- perior one. These men, as a whole, honestly believe in their varieties. There can be no question of this. Yet we all know that we already have too many varieties and that some of them must be superior to others. The most important work of the next few years will be to determine which of these numerous varieties are the superior ones, worthy of _ general propagation. In the meantime much of the planting that will be put out must be determined largely on imperfect evidence and faith. I do not wish to draw this picture too dismal. There are a few varieties that seem to have been sufficiently tested so that we know them to be good. No one can say, however, that these will not be superseded in a few years by much superior sorts. It is highly interesting and gratifying to note the continuous ad- vance that is being made through the introduction of new sorts in ex- tending the season of ripening of the fruit. The great desideratum is to find satisfactory varieties maturing their fruits in the winter during the period from December to March, inclusive. The general concensus of opinion seems to favor the so-called Guatemalan or thick-skinned varieties. The spring and summer is covered by a number of fairly good varieties of this type, but there are only a few early and late sorts from which to se- lect. The Fuerte and Puebla, both imported varieties, are apparently among the most promising winter sorts, yet introduced, ripening their fruits apparently from December to February. The fruiting habits of these varieties as judged by several budded trees in each case are appar- ently very satisfactory, the trees being of good shape and prolific. Little is yet known in either case, however, about the peculiarities of the fruit and its quality. Of the better known early sorts, we have such varieties as the Challenge, season February to May, Solano, season March to May, and the Spinks, season February to August, and Surprise, season Febru- ary and March. Of these varieties the Challenge has a very large seed, the Solano is very low in oil content, and the Spinks and the Surprise have not yet been sufficiently tested to justify their general acceptance as standard sorts. For early summer and mid-summer fruits, the two varieties that now seem to be in the lead are the Blakeman and the Lyon, with especial em- phasis on the former. The Lyon while a good fruit seems inclined to overbear when young, which tends to weaken the trees, and again the tree is a tall, upright grower of a shape not now recognized to be par- ticularly desirable. The Spinks variety mentioned above also extends into this season. The Dickey, the Miller, and the Monroe are other varieties of this period that are highly recommended by some growers. The Miller is one of the best flavored fruits we have and is rich in oil content, but its productiveness still remains doubtful. The Bartley, a new 60 1916 ANNUAL REPORT sort that is attracting considerable attention, is a large fruit, possibly too large to serve best the market conditions, and has not yet been fully tested. As summer and fall varieties we have the Taft and the Dickinson, both of which are among the best known and test- ed varieties. The Taft, season, May to October, is probably the best prov- en of all of our avocado varieties and may be recognized as a standard sort. The Dickinson, which is a very fine qual- ity fruit, with thick, brit- tle shell, has retained a large part of its fruits this year in good condi- tion. up’ to 2he farsi of October, and a number of fruits have been preserv- ed in good condition up to the last of October and are now, October 31, on exhibit in our fruit Figure 4.—Trunk of original tree of Northrop Se ie Walker, an avocado, showing good arrangement of the Walker prolific, should branches. (Photo by Vaile and Webber) probably also be mention- ed in this class. It is very prolific but not of very high quality. It, however, could scarcely escape mention, owning to the fact that the original tree has been one of the best paying trees in the state up to the present time. As a late fall variety, the Sharpless has this season assumed a promi- nent place. The original tree has this year produced a fine crop, and a large part of the fruit has held on the tree in good condition well into December and some of it into January. It is a large fruit, averaging about one pound in weight, and of very good quality, with a comparative- ly small seed. The flesh shows some fiber, but not sufficient to be ob- jectionable, and the skin is thick and brittle. As this fruit ripens, it gradually becomes a dark purple in color. In the case of the Mexican types much advance has also been made, but the season covered is as yet more restricted. We now have the Chappelow, season, July to October; the Northrop, the Carton, the Topa- Topa, and other midseason sorts ripening from September to November. The Ganter and Harman are catalogued as having the period of ripening extending into December. From the few observations I have been able CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 61 to make thus far, they do not appear to be appreciably later than the Northrop and the Carton. It will be apparent from the foregoing discussion that already we have varieties giving almost a continuous succession of fruits through the en- tire season. It must be remembered by the reader that these varieties are Figure 5.—Two views of trunk of original tree of Royal avocado, with left branch of (a) in front, in other photograph (b). Right-hand branch in (a) not divided low enough. (Photo by H. J. Webber) mentioned primarily to show the range in variation in season of ripen- ing, the names of the most prominent varieties being given in each class. The knowledge of varieties is yet too meager to justify a recommendation of any particular variety at the present time. The experience with other types of avocados, such as the West Indian varieties and varieties from Hawaii, has in general been rather unsatis- factory, owing to their greater tenderness. In does not appear, however, that the trials up to the present time have been sufficiently extensive to justify us in the conclusion that all varieties of these types will prove un- satisfactory. We must continue our search for improved varieties in all directions. ; With the large number of new and almost unknown sorts being plant- ed, it is highly important that growers make a specialty of keeping records of the pick from the different trees, in order to secure a basis of judgment of the variety. The following is a record of the yields of the original Chappelow tree during fifteen years, with other interesting data. data. 62 1916 ANNUAL REPORT TABLE 1. Record of Production, Original Chappelow Tree. (Data furnished by Mr. Wm. Chappelow, of Monrovia) Total Price Price received Main Crop No. of per net for fruit ripened Date fruits fruit 1902 300 10 $ 22.00 September 1903 380 10 32.00 September 1904 605 10 54.00 August 1905 575 25 130.00 August and Sept. 1906 235 30 65.00 September 1907 465 25 85.00 August 1908 1200 15 140.00 July and September 1909 260 25 60.00 August 1910 285 25 66.00 October 1911 1023 25 250.00 July and October 1912 350 25 76.00 September 1913 20 (freeze) 1914 3215 18-25 404.00 September and Oct. 1915 1723 25 199.70 1916 2861 218.00 Sept. to middle of Dec. The above table not only shows the total yield for each season but also the months when the main crop ripened. It is exceedingly interesting to note that apparently the main crop season shifted in various years, showing a range from July to December during the 15 years. Table 2 on following page is a similar record of the Wagner avocado for the years 1915 and 1916. This data shows very clearly a range of ripening season from March to June for the Wagner variety as illustrated by the original tree, but the budded trees might be found to vary slightly. Records similar to this should be obtained for all original trees and a few budded trees of each of our varieties. It is also important to urge at this time the growing of further seedlings from seed taken from the best varieties as it is in this way that new and improved sorts are almost wholly produced. Much of our advance in the direction of better varieties will doubtless come through importations. In all of this development the keynote should be “safety first.” No variety hereafter should be generally sold or offered for sale until it has been fruited for several years in California and is known to be promising in comparison with our known best sorts. Planting Problems.—The most fundamental problems regarding plant- ing are yet in large measure a matter of guess-work. The commercial avocado orchards that have thus far been planted usually have the trees CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 63 placed from 25 to 30 feet apart. The Chappelow, which is 22 years old, has a spread of about 60 feet; the Challenge tree, 19 years old, 38 feet, (Fig. 1); and the Taft, 16 years old, about 35 feet. One would judge from the nature of the avocado tree that a low spreading form of tree is to be preferred. Evidently thus, the distance of the trees in a twenty-five year old grove should not be closer than 40 to 60 feet. Whether a method of pruning can be found to keep them successfully within this size remains to be seen. TABLE 2. Yields of Original Tree, Wagner Avocado (Data furnished by C. F. Wagner, Hollywood) 1915 Crop 1916 Crop Date No. of fruits Date No. of fruits March 20 8 February 1 1 April 1 8 22, 1 2 2 23 1 8 6 March 1 3 13 130 (limb broke) 15 2 23 36 16 1 24 15 21 3 30 6 24 2 May 1 3 25 15 2 1 27 2 6 25 29 7 13 25 30 3 18 25 May 1 4 25 MOT 2 3 June 3 30 3 2 Lisels ILS 4 40 16 PAS) a 37 18 20 8 3 23 P45) 9 4 10 25 12 1 25 26 MODAL CLO...) 52%). 442 186 Certain varieties, such as the Lyon (Fig. 2) and the Perfecto, and the Carton that show a marked tendency even in budded trees to grow tall and columnar, not spreading to any great extent, will doubtless allow of closer planting. The original Dickinson seedling is also an _ erect, columnar tree with little spread, (Fig. 3), but young, budded trees seem to be as broadly spreading in habit as many other varieties. 64 1916 ANNUAL REPORT It appeals to the writer that in planting avocados at the present time in commercial orchards, it would be a wise plan to follow one of two methods: first, to plant the trees in squares, 50 to 60 feet apart, with a filler tree in the middle of each square that can be taken out when the trees become so large as to interfere; or second, to plant the trees 50 to 60 feet apart and interplant with a supplementary, shorter lived tree crop, such as apricots, peaches, permissons, fejoas, or figs. (See article on “Planting Plans” in latter part of this report. If trees are grown too close together so that they interfere, the trees will grow tall, and all of the crop will be deveoped in the uppermost branches rather than on the lower branches where they are desired. Shaping the Trees.—The best avocado trees we now possess have been allowed in large measure to develop without any guidance. Like Topsy, they have “just growed,” and thus we can derive considerable instruction from a study of these trees as to the different branching types and their desirability from a commercial orchard standpoint. The character of branching of the original seedling tree of a variety must not be taken as any sure indication particularly of the character of branching of the bud progeny, although it is much harder to make certain trees spread out than others. There is a certain variation between varieties in the natural branching habits. It is probable, however, that the main differences, good or bad, in the branching of the original seedling trees, is in considerable measure accidental and capable of great modification under the guiding hand of man. That young avocado buds may be trimmed and shaped to considerable extent has been fully demonstrated, I judge, as will be brought out in the papers presented at this meeting. The natural branching of the Mexican and Guatemalan types of avo- cados, with which we are most concerned, is apparently of nearly the same general habit, but marked differences are shown by different va- rieties. In the Guatemalan group, the Taft is a particularly good spread- ing tree. This is shown by the original seedling and by the budded trees. The Lyon in the original tree is a tall, columnar tree, somewhat re- sembling a Lombardy poplar in habit and while this habit is doubtless over emphasized by the original seedling, still the budded trees of the Lyon show strong tendency to grow upright in this form. The Perfecto is a tall, upright grower in budded trees, and judging from the original seedlings, the Carton and the Dickinson varieties might be assumed to be of similar shape. These latter varieties, however, in budded trees examined in various places give evidence of producing spreading trees CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 65 similar in shape to the Taft. In some cases, aS in door-yards, the _ tall, upright habit of growth may be a decided advantage, and trees of this shape can doubtless be grown eloser together in grove plantings than spreading trees. Other peculiar characters may be exhibited by cer- tain varieties. As an_ illustration, the Atlixco shows marked tendency to develop spreading candelabra-like branches. It is too early to say which of such characteristics are de- sirable or undesirable. It is import- ant that growers carefully study such characteristics exhibited by the lifferent varieties. The shaping of the young tree is apparently a very important mat- ter and is certainly largely within the control of the grower. A _ study of the branching of a considerable aumber of trees including that ex- Figure 6.—Trunk of original tree of ;+,. : Onc . Weiter avocsdo with 4 main olbited by various. original seedlings Pee Gene peter Ge ee representing varieties has led the H. J. Webber) writer to the conclusion that the most desirable shaped tree is very wide, spreading, and low in height. The most satisfactory branches, it has seemed to me, are those that originate low down on the trunk and spread out at a wide angle. Such branches are easily supported by permanent props from the ground, and the fruit is borne near the ground, where is can easily be picked. Fine branches of this kind are observable on a number of old trees in the state, and particularly on the original Taft tree. An almost ideal heading or primary branching, as shown in an old tree, is illustrated by the trunk of the original Northrop tree (See Fig. 4). This begins to branch about 2 feet above the ground, and the main divisions of the trunk are all within 5% feet of the ground. The original tree of the Royal (Fig. 5) splits into two main trunks almost at the surface of the ground, and one of the main trunks branches again low down, while the other reaches a height of about 10 feet before branching again. The original Lambert, while a well shaped tree, shows heading rather too high, the four main branches springing from one point about 7 feet above the ground (Fig. 6). A very strong low-branch- trunk is shown in Fig. 7, which is a tree in which the branches have sprung from inserted buds. The original tree of the Sharpless has two 66 1916 ANNUAL REPORT main. branches’ that do not rebranch until they reach a consider- able height, forming a poor shaped tree from which it is dif- ficult to pick the fruit and which lacks stur- diness. This character is apparently entirely due to the fact that the tree was not shap- ed when young. Judging from his study of branching, it seems to the writer that the tree should Figure 7.—Large, budded tree of Challenge avocado, ~ branching very low, but satisfactory. (Photo by be led to throw out H. J. Webber) some branches rather low down, probably not more than 2 feet from the ground, and that the trunk should be headed at a height of not over 6 feet. It would appear also to be important, as in citrus trees, to develop the branches so far as possible from points on the trunk at different heights, no two branches being opposite each other, in order to give greater strength. Cultivation and Irrigation.—Little can be said regarding cultivation and irrigation, as we are here again confronted with inexperience. I have introduced this subject primarily to bring out one factor of the problem. The spread of the trees is such that in a mature orchard a large part of the surface will be covered and shaded. The land under such’ wide spreading trees must in a dry country receive attention. It would seem certain that it must be irrigated if good results are to be obtained. It cannot well be cultivated, as the limbs would interfere, and furthermore experience seems to show that it is far better not to mutilate and disturb the roots. It thus seems to the writer that orchards should be planted with the expectation of irrigating under the trees by the basin method, keeping the soil mulched instead of cultivated. The falling leaves from the tree provide naturally a considerable amount of mulch, which probably may profitably be supplemented by the addition of some other material, such as, alfalfa hay. The practice of mulching in citrus groves is rapidly gaining in favor, as a method of soil treat- ment, and judging from preliminary studies it apparently serves to keep the soil in excellent physical condition. It is a practice especially adapted to the avocado and can probably be recommended for trial as safely as can any other practice with avocados. If the method of mulching under the tree, with basin irrigation, is to be used, it may be desirable to know this when the grove is being planted, in order that the arrangement of the basins may be considered CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 67 and the trees planted accordingly. If the land is sloping, as will fre- quently be the case, large, spreading trees of this sort may require four or more basins at different levels. In such cases the basins might possibly be better put in when the trees are planted or at least while the trees are still young, so that no large roots may be injured by leveling the soil in the basins. The majority of groves that have thus far been planted are irrigated by the furrow method, as in the case of most citrus orchards. Much difficulty will certainly be experienced with this system, as the trees attain maturity, because the soil cannot be satisfactorily wetted under wide spreading trees by this method. If furrow irrigation is to be used, it would seem that permanent furrows that would not be disturbed by cultivation would require to be run under the trees. Considerable has been said of the drip system of irrigation, where the water is supplied by a faucet placed near each tree, from which a small stream of water is allowed to run continuously and sink into the soil. This method cannot give a uniform moisture condition over the large area covered by the roots of the tree and will probably be found to give a very ununiform root development. In a deep, loose soil, the water from a single faucet dripping in this way would probably produce noticeable effect only on a comparatively small portion of the soil. Every subject concerning the avocado that we introduce for dis- cussion is a new one on which little information is available, and the problems discussed by the writer are introduced primarily to show again how little we know about them and to emphasize the importance of all growers recognizing that they are conducting an experiment that is of interest to their fellow growers. Every grower should keep careful notes of every operation performed in his groves and observe and record the results. Every grower should consider it has duty to co-operate with the other members of the Association by furnishing periodically carefully prepared statements regarding his evperience and findings. By such co- operation we shall soon reach a condition of understanding where now we are in doubt. “THE HOTEL AND THE AVOCADO” Thos. H. Shedden, Monroyia, Cal. Mr. President and The Lady and Gentlemen friends of the Avocado: I frankly say that I take earnest pleasure in addressing you upon a subject appropriate to the occasion, and yet, around which hangs a reminiscent aroma of the dining room; being, so far as known, the only hotel “has been” yet budded on to—or “butted into”’—the avocado, the new and fascinating industry now developing in the two Eden lands of our country, Florida and California. The topic is practical, for I believe that the popularity of the avocado as a splendid food, proven by the savants of the University of California to be of the highest value, will come directly via the hotel table and the Cafe too, of course. 68 1916 ANNUAL REPORT The avocado has been an exclusive and elusive foreigner from the tropics; traveling at intervals to our shores in the cold storage seclusion of some big ocean liner; stopping at high priced hotels; dining only a la carte at swell cafes and clubs; attending ten dollar banquets, and appearing, upon occasions, in the homes of the upper ten; the lower mil- lions, for which reason, are either uninformed, or cynical of the gustatory joy in store for them, just as soon as the avocado has been handed its final papers as a naturalized Yankee. Though an alien in our land, the avocado is a nearby native North American. It was a precious food of the inhabitants when Columbus came. During a couple of centuries thereafter, many explorers wrote in high praise of it. The earliest known of such writings is the report of Oviedo to Charles V. of Spain. In a lengthy account of the tree, its fruit and uses, he quaintly says: “The Indians guard them well, but apply no work whatever to them, for the chief gardener is God.” Guarded by the Indian and gardened by God! This beautiful thought of the avocado but adds to its charm. This was in 1526, since which time this aborignal “staff of life’ migrated eastward and westward, to the islands of the Atlantic and of the Pacific, to Spain, France and even to India; and yet, in the fifth century after Columbus, in our own land of good living, so close to its place of nativity, the noble avocado is only beginning to be known! While here in California, where nearly all the treasures of the tropics are being reproduced, an 18-ounce home-grown avocado retailed in the Los Angeles markets, in A. D. 1915, for $1.50!—the price almost suggestive of them being yet in the curio class; and in Monrovia, where grows a sixty-five foot avocado tree, an old residenter recently told me. “he didn’t know anything about either the alligator, or the avocado pears, but he’d bet they couldn’t beat the Bartlett.” How came it about that ubiquitous and omniverous Uncle Sam de- prived himself, for so long, of this delectable diet! Oh, why did Sir Walter Raleigh, when taking over to Queen Elizabeth those plebian potatoes, entirely overlook the patrician avocado! There are some questions that growers have often asked me rela- tive to “The Hotel and the Avocado.” I have always carefully respond- ed, within my scope, knowing how important a place the hotels and cafes now occupy, and will hold, in the expanding realm of the avocado, hence the more formal publicity here given these pointed questions of the prac- tical growers. FIRST: What is the proper size of avocado to grow for the hotel trade? In hotels and cafes of the highest class—as yet, alas! the sole places where the fruit is found—their service limits itself to, practically, two sizes: the 14 to 16 oz. and the 24 oz.; fruit of the first-mentioned weights, constituting, on some tables, one portion and on others, two. The 24 oz. is always cut, making two portions. This has been crystallized into custom, not as might be supposed. by high cost, but through common sense; it being considered sufficient vegetable fat addition to the modern meal. Now, let not the grower of smaller, or larger sizes be at all disap- CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 69 pointed, for all the good fruit that can be raised will be used, in many ways, but probably not for individual service in the hotels that set the pace in these matters. But it would seem, that though the extra large avocado, so mouth- watering to behold, will be apt to carry off the prizes at beauty shows, yet it may not win in the race for popularity and standardization. It will be wanted for occasions, and by the avocado eater of great fond- ness and capacity—God bless him! One of the latter remarked to me, as he sat before a 32 oz. dear darling: ‘‘The big alligator often reminds me of what the old Virginia preacher remarked about the turkey: ‘It’s a rather inconvenient bird; too large for one, and not enough for two.’ ” SECOND: What form of fruit is most desirable for that trade? Most people in thinking of the avocado, picture in their minds a pear, not knowing that it takes on other forms. I was interested in tabulat- ing the great variety of shapes specified by Mr. Popenoe, in his much used booklet on “Varieties of the Avocado,” descriptive of the various shapes now in California. I found that he used forty-three different terms—all in the English language, too. The grower desires to raise the round fruit because it packs and Ships well. But the hotel-man perversely prefers the pear shaped. The term, to him, permits of some variation, but does not include the gourd shaped, or even the round. He wants it probably because he has become accustomed to it. But he will, eventually, accept the spherical fruit, and learn to handle it, be- cause so many of the coming avocados will be round. It will be ac- ceptable by reason of its safe carriage and short time from tree to table. And yet, there is usually some philosophy in his likes. Here are several of his reasons: Ist: In a clean bodied, pear shaped fruit, free from fibre, the flesh is deeper and richer where it thickens toward the neck. 2nd: In eating the avocado on the half shell, any fruit having even a semblance of an end on it can be held easier on the plate, while spooning. 3rd: The gourd like fruit is apt to be bruised in its soft neck in shipping. Ath: The thin skinned fruit, delicious to the taste, does make a mess of itself in public, and finger bowls are out of fashion. THIRD: What colored fruit do they prefer? The hotelman will usually select a fruit that is, or will be colored, other than green, when ready to serve, knowing that, to the uninitiated, green is suggestive of unripeness—like that little young wifie who went to the market to get her poor hubby some lobsters. She rejected the green ones, insisting on getting some that were fully ripe. This is by no means a prejudice but merely a preference that will soon disappear when the splendid green fruits become more aboundant and the guests more educated. FOURTH: Do hotels, generally, call the fruit alligator pear, or avocado ? 70 1916 ANNUAL REPORT Recently I was asked by the Hotel World, of Chicago, to contribute some information on the avocado. It needs publicity, and this oppor- tunity was accepted. I thought it well to embody questions one and four in the article, suggesting that they might evoke discussion, and so help along the coming of the avocado. It is too soon to expect results, but I shall be glad to report them. Few hotels have adopted the name avocado. I don’t blame them if they do seem slow in the matter. The word suggests lawyer. I couldn’t swallow it myself, until I came down south to Monrovia, and smoothed my throat with a 30 per cent oil avocado that is grown there. They are still called alligator pears, in the front of the house, and are nick-named ’gators, in the back of the house, and in the supply houses and markets. Interest in changing has not yet been awakened. There is encouragement, however, in the personal opinion of one of the mas- ters in the humane art of preparing food, Victor Hirtzler, chef of the Hotel St. Francis, San Francisco, who enthusiastically tells me: “I love the California avocado, and I think Avocado is the proper name.” In further consideration of this question, I might quote from the aforementioned article: “Avocado is the name; not alligator pear! Both are misnomers and are misleading, but the former is euphon- ious, and is backed by authority and recommendation of the United States Department of Agriculture, the University of California, all recent writers, and the growers of Florida and California; having been selected from a list of forty-three different names under which it has been a foreigner to us. Henceforth, Brother Boniface, when thinking of a thing so altogether lovely as the avocado, banish the ugly alligator! Hotelmen, you caterers to creature comfort, who well know that the short cut to the guest’s purse is down through Ailment Avenue, take an interest in spreading the kindly gospel of the avocado, that the present generation may yet enjoy much of this food delight before they go hence. You’ve taught ’em to eat the ripe olive; few persons will have to eat the magic three before comes the craving, and then the avocado habit takes a hold, like unto that of John Barleycorn!— Witness the poor victims standing up before the unblushing fruiterer and forking over a dollar for a lone one pound shell of palate tickle! Don’t be discouraged should some beginner get balky and buck and kick at your table when you attempt to “put one over on him.” It was always a source of amusement, the facial and verbal expressions of the tenderfoot when he would first meet one of these alligators. He sometimes acted as through it was a crocodile. He’d “deny the alle- gation and defy the alligator’, but, eventually, he seldom failed to get the habit, and often would take some back east for the home folks.” The avocado is happily constituted for universal consumption. It is food for both the mighty eater and the modest vegetarian. How many of “us poor humans” are under doctors’ orders: ‘Don’t eat sugar.” Don’t eat salt.” “Cut out meat.” Just here the bland avocado comes forward, a real neutral in the war. It contains but a shadow of sugar and salt, and it takes the place of animal flesh. CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 71 All avocados are good, but how much better some are than others! I have, like that popular pickle man, fifty-seven varieties. The hotelman seeks the fruit that is free from fibre, and whose flavor appeals to him as tasting rich and nutty. These words described the perfect avocado. Some cynics think they are applicable to the present day avocado eater— rich and nutty. As yet, with hotels, it remains, practically a salad fruit. It has been doctored by many prescriptions, but there remains only one best way to eat it: with a little salt, and, perhaps, lemon juice; the fewer frills the better—like that Irishman’s celebrated recipe for whiskey punch: “You pour in the whiskey, and then the less water you pour in the better.” And now, fellow growers, benefactors of humanity, who are pre- paring this superb food for the health and pleasure of others—and profit to ourselves—don’t be down-hearted when someone dolefully pic- tures prices “shooting the chutes.” There will, doubtless, be an adjust- ment of prices, but take it rather as evidence that the production and consumption are keeping pace. Be happy, conscious that you are bringing the avocado to stay, and it will soon find its welcome way to a hundred million mouths in the everywhere of “My Own United States!” THE AVOCADO IN MEXICO R. O. Price, Upland, Cal. In complying with a request from Dr. Webber for a paper on the avocado in Mexico, I will state at the outset that I am limited to a gen- eral knowledge only of the subject coming to me as a coffee planter of some fifteen years experience in the Tierra Caliente, or hot country of southern Mexico. Of course on the plantation we had all of the native fruits such as the mango, avocado, banana, pine-appie, orange, lime, guava, naranja- lima, cocoanut, sapote, papaya and many other less known fruits. Our plantation was located in the foot-hill section of the Sierra Madres, some seventy miles back from the gulf coast, in latitude seventeen and a half, at an elevation around eight hundred feet. We were pioneering in a virgin forest as old or older perhaps than the ruins of the prehistoric city of Palenque in the same forest which stretched off to the east of us toward the Guatamalan line. In making our clearings for the “fincas” or plantings, we left the largest trees of the forest to protect the coffee plants from the direct rays of the sun. The ground selected was always a hillside or mountain slope necessary to get proper drainage, as our rain fall often reached one hundred and forty inches. Invariably we found in this tropical under growth the wild avocado, called by the Indians “CHININI’. Apropos of the discussion of the proper name for this fruit, I might Say, in passing, we have here in the Aztec tongue perhaps our oldest precedent. AZ 1916 ANNUAL REPORT We generally left these chininis standing as we did the wild cacao the producer of the chocolate bean and also the different sapotas, i:cluding the ‘Chicle’” whose sap is now so profitably hunted to supply the great American craving for chewing gum. The vanilla vine frequently was found clinging to the trees. The wild orange too is found here along the streams and bottom lands in the deep alluvial soils. The chinini as found in the forest, does not grow to be a large tree. It is usually not over eight or ten inches in diameter and perhaps thirty feet high. The fruit is about the size of a large egg and in shape oval. The quality is only fair. We ate them only when our planted varieties were out of season. This fruit is green in color, and as I recall it now, the skin was of the hard shell type. The planted varieties are all seedlings, and so far as I know very little effort has been made to introduce budded varieties of any fruits into Mexico. We had a number of varieties of avocados, each district having something different. In going about the country, whenever I found a particularly fine specimen, I took the seed home for planting. To show how fast avocados grow in the tropics, in four years time from the seed, we had trees six to eight inches in diameter, thirty feet high, and full of fruit. The fruits of this section of Mexico do not grow as large as our largest varieties here. Crossing the Sierra Madres to the Pacific slope one enters the dry ccuntry, somewhat drier than we have here when irrigation prevails, and still in the lower altitudes we find the avocado fruiting and producing as good a quality if not better than that found in the wet or gulf side. Here also there is a hot wind from the South, “El Sur”, that prevails for a season, very dry and very like our “Northers” here in California. T mention this fact as some of our people have feared that our interior valleys might be too dry and windy to allow the fruits to set. I have spoken so far of the avocado as I have known it in the Tierra Caliente or real tropics, where the temperature varies from a minimum of 50 degrees to a maximum of 108, or an average of 76 degrees. I feel very sure that these tropical varieties are not adapted to this ccuntry, for the same reason the bananna and pine-apple do not mature fruit here. Below the Tropic of Cancer latitude apparently looses its value. Climate is made by elevation and amount of moisture, and climbing the mountains you reach the frost line between 4000 and 5000 feet, the dead line of tropical growth, where the fruits mentioned at the beginning of this paper all end, with the exception of the avocado. Here begins the semi-tropics and it includes the great table land of Mexico, the Tierras Templadas, the land of the scrub oak, pine and maguey. This is the region from which all of the California introduc- tions of the avocado have come, a climate very similar to our own and in fact with a rainfall even less. Here I witnessed the first snow which had fallen in fifty years. Mr. Popenoe and others have introduced their varieties from such altitudes as Atlexco 7000 feet, Queretero 6000, Guanajuato 6800 feet, Guadalajara 5400 feet. This section of course is the natural one to explore for suitable plants for California. CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 73 In Mexico, I know of no large plantings of the avocado. In fact, orchards or commercial planting of any of the fruits is very little developed. In recent years Americans have, here and there, done some planting, chiefly oranges and pineapples in the state of Vera Cruz and bananas in Tabasco. Each family, in the country or in the small pueblas, will have a few trees around their homes, and the surplus finds its way to the plaza or market of the nearest town. As to the popularity of the avocado, there is no fruit among the Mexicans or foreigners in Mexico that is more esteemed unless it be the mango. This fact alone is proof positive to me that the fruit has a great future in this country, and I feel justified in predicting that someday our shipments from California will rank along with its tropical neighbor the lemon, and perhaps the orange. HAS THE MEXICAN TYPE OF AVOCADO A PERMANENT PLACE IN THE INDUSTRY? By E. S. Thacher, Nordhoff, Cal. When I consented to open this discussion, I felt as though I were going to be the bone for hungry dogs to fight over. For, at the meeting of last fall, although this, if any, should be the season for the “thin-skins” to assert themselves, whenever that humble type was mentioned, deep growls of fierce derision could be heard through the hall and there was ro one bold enough to stand up and declare his trembling faith. For myself, I was somewhat bewildered at discovering that the gentle orchardist should find the question of tree varieties a personal matter, involving his hottest feelings; and, being also a little under the weather at the time, I tamely kept silence. After the meeting, I asked a gentle- man who had told us of his considerable experience, in Mexico and in this country. in the marketing of avocados, if it was not the case that, in Mexico, where the fruit has long been an every-day article of diet and is sold on its merits, thin-skinned fruit is generally preferred as being richer and more delicate than the big type. He answered at once, em- phatically, that this is so, but added that he had not ventured to make this statement at the meeting, because he foresaw the uproar that it vould occasion. Possibly that wave of hostile feeling may have passed by, but if I am exposing myself to its return, I count on the shelter due me from our president, who detailed me for this undertaking. It has been interesting to find in our experience with this new in- custry, that some of the large fruits are, nevertheless, very good. Plenty ot varieties there are, handsome and generous in appearance, that are not worth anyone’s trouble to eat. unless it may be an occasional consumer of the mildest tastes, who chiefly desires not to be much disturbed by what he feeds on. We shall eliminate these fruits as we go on, for it will not pay us to market fruits that do not invite the purchaser to come again. By the careful pursuit of this selective study we may be able to offer really good fruit throughout the year, but when large size ceases to be an object, as it pretty surely will when this product is an every-day matter, the discern- 74 1916 ANNUAL REPORT ing householder will recognize that among the thin-skinned varieties, avail- able chiefly in the fall months, the highest-flavored avocado will always be found. Let us look for a moment at this matter of size. At present this fruit is a curiosity. The few people who have heard of it have been as- tonished at the prices paid for single specimens. Astonishment is what they are looking for in this connection, and the growers, who are pretty nearly as green as the public, have to some extent fallen into the error of believing that to astonish is the game we have to play. But the permanent market is not made by surprising people. It rests rather on the persistent supplying of things that are good and convenient, and when you have 100,000 people habitually buying avocados in Los Angeles, instead of a few dozen curious or lavish individuals, they will not generally be found looking for fruits that approximate the pumpkin in size, if not in flavor. What is a convenient size for the avocado? I should say that a fruit that furnishes as much as one man will ordinarily eat at a sitting is quite large enough. A 5-ounce fruit will do that with a reasonable ratio of flesh to seed, and it seems to me that the permanently favorite sizes are likely to run from 5 to 10 ounces, and that we shall soon be looking with commendation on those trees of the large type that can be induced to moderate the size of their fruits in favor of greater numbers. Numbers are a pretty good feature and I have sometimes found that the 3-ounce size, though taken less readily in the market than those from 6 to 8 or 9 ounces, brought more money by the box. Many of us, I presume, ure or have been orange growers, and those who were here when that industry was beginning in California remember that the very large navels were often at a high premium. It was a new thing that California should be producing oranges, and actually making a commercial matter of it; and the bigger the orange, the more surprising and interesting it was. It was not long, however, that this surprise was marketable, and those who in this recent Valencia season have been for- tunate enough to have great numbers of small oranges have had a lesson which may well be applied to the avocado. It has been the habit of our nurserymen to recommend the Mexican seedling for home consumption only, granting its excellent quality, but disclaiming fitness for commercial use. One reason for this is the size question, and it is true that if one grows seedlings there will be many trees whose fruit is too small for marketing satisfactorily. But trees bud- ded from the varieties that have proved their quality are free from this objection. The other point is carrying quality, it having been generally believed that a thick skin is almost necessary for long shipments. My slight ex- perience disputes this and a year ago we had Mr. Boschet’s testimony that there seemed to be no difference between the two types in this respect. The skin of the Mexican type is always much tougher and thicker than that of the Bartlett pear, which California ships in such great quantity to distant markets, and on the other hand there seems to be plenty of room inside the shell of the palta for unhealthy conditions to produce disaster | | a ‘a J 3 ; ‘ 3 CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION =~] Or It is, of course, of great importance to find as fast as possible what thin-skin varieties produce fruit of good size, of the best quality and in dependable quantity; what sorts are hardiest as to frost (there is a great range in this respect); what sorts are handsome, inviting in appearance; what sorts are tenacious (some good varieties drop off very easily); and what are free from the habit of developing soft spots or other blemishes. To this end we should not be too urgent in our advice to plant only the established varieties. We are at the experimental stage and there should be a great deal of seedling observation. Perhaps the most interest- ing feature of the avocado is its immense individual variation, coupled with the fact that until this country took it up there had nowhere been any systematic breeding or fixing of varieties. When I was first inquiring about it, a friend obtained for me a letter from the Mexican minister of Fomento, in which he said, “There are no budded ahuacates in Mexico; in fact there are very few trees planted anywhere. They come up in zorners.” Nevertheless, Mexico, which is our chief source for both types, the so- called Guatemalan as well as the Mexican, has, in a wholly accidental way, produced all sorts of fruits, and our named varieties are simply selections from the product of their seeds. We mustn’t begin just yet to be too wise on the subject, for we have hardly done more than look over the fence upon a field that has not been measured. We have thin-skins to cover the markets from August to November. We have thick-skins from March to July. There remain only December, January and February, and our nurserymen are reaching out to supply these months also, and have perhaps done so already, though it is not cov- ering January and February to pick and market in those months fruit that is not really fit to eat until March. Our unbelieving friends have a patronizing way of conceding the fall market, saying that the thin skins, after all, have their use, as fillers of the gap. The difference between us is that, whereas they conceive that the industry is marking time, or soft-pedaling, through those months when the big fruit is in retirement, I maintain that it is only in that period that the true and supreme ahuacate is to be had and that the rest of the year is just doing what it can to keep the business alive. I have not undertaken to cover all the points in this case. I was sim- ply to put the subject before you, and I have considered the probable scar- city of time as a reason for doing this with extreme brevity. We are all learners together, with a very new subject, and no inquiry can as yet be considered closed. I will only repeat my opinion that, so far as I can see at present, the true Mexican ahuacate, the leading type in the country which certainly has the lead in the use and knowledge of this fruit is well worthy of our serious development and promises a commercial reward to intelligent perseverance. However, the question of comparative merit may finally be settled between the two types, they are so different that neither should be discarded in favor of the other, any more than we should abandon the pear because we approve of the apple. 76 1916 ANNUAL REPORT EXPERIENCES WITH AVOCADO VARIETIES By Charles D. Adams, Upland, Cal. It is desired by our president to have presented at this meeting re- ports of the results so far obtained with avocado varieties by growers in different localities, and with different soil conditions. My report is that of an orange grower, located in the midst of the citrus belt which sur- reunds the San Bernardino valley, 38 miles east of Los Angeles, five miles northwest of the railroad station at Upland, and at 2,000 feet elevation above sea level. The soil is decomposed granite, with good humes content and was also well supplied with boulders, which still remain below the plowing level. It was 14 years ago when I planted my first avocado tree—a small seedling, obtained from Dr. Franceschi of Santa Barbara. It was planted in an orchard row, between two orange trees, where it stands today, twice the size of the surrounding trees, and bearing abundantly purplish- black, thin skin fruit, good to eat, but too small to be of value. Its hardness is its interesting feature, as it has never been unfavorably affected by adverse weather conditions and stood the remarkable cold of 1912-13 without a particle of harm, which could not be said of ad- joining orange and lemon trees. I have been planting experimentally, from time to time, during the past three years, trees of some 30 different varieties, to test value for a commercial product, very few of them being of the thin skin class. This was not because of the belief that this class will have no future com- mercial value. I believe it will, but not, I think, with the California varieties so far obtained. Those of them, such as the Northrop, hardy, vigorous, with abundant fruit of fine quality, have their place for house- hold use, solely some think, but the fruit of our thin skin varieties is certainly in most cases of too small an average size and will not pay to market, when the sizes the public like better are to be had in abundance. I believe the right commercial, thin skin kinds are still to arrive, or, rather, are already here for us to discover among California seedlings or imported buds. This claim is sustained by the prices of fruit in the past and of that now on sale. Last week, in the street windows of one of the largest groceries in Los Angeles, the Ganter fruit was for sale under its variety name, tagged at 20 to 25 cents, though some very few, extra large ones were tagged at 40 cents. On this same day, small purple fruit was on sale at 5 cents, and good sized Florida fruit at 50 cents. The trees of this variety and of the Harman are exceptionally hardy, vigorous and satisfactory, and the Ganter is one of the most prolific varieties, but the fruit of both, in my opinion, has a fatal defect in being so generally subject to cracks, scabs and soft decay spots, that it seems hardly possible it can have any future market value when it comes, in the near future, into competition with other varieties free from these blemishes. I am budding over both varieties. CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION WG Among the thick skin varieties which mature their fruit in the spring, summer and fall, we have a number of sufficient merit to seem very sure of being profitable for orchard planting. As yet, we are not so well off in varieties that mature their fruit in the winter, which is the period of highest prices. Most of us are looking forward with the keenest interest toward the discovery of first-class varieties to mature their fruit at this time and watch hopefully the tests of anything which looks promising for this period of the year. One of them is the Puebla. Some trees of this variety matured some fruit in California last winter, which was reported in a letter I received, to have been three-fourths of & pound and over in weight and of fine quality. Such a record we want sustained by similar ones from other trees before planting many Pueblas, but my tree of the variety pleases me greatly. Though planted only two years ago last spring, this Puebla tree now stands nine feet high and ten feet broad, and is carrying 15 fruits, very handsome by reason of their smooth, glossy skin. The tree of the Puebla has a very distinctive in- dividuality. Its short leaf of deep, green color, its stocky, compact growth, and the form it naturally assumes without pruning has reminded many of an apple tree when seeing it at a distance, for the first time. It appears to have ideal characteristics to enable it to carry and protect a crop of fruit. Another Mexican bud of promise that is beginning to bear in Cali- fornia and produce a large fruit, too large perhaps, is the Grande. My three-year-old tree of this variety. which has made a fairly good growth, blossomed profusely in the spring and set a quantity of fruit, of which one remains and the rest dropped, as usual with young growing tvrees, The variety promises to be fruitful. My trees of the Dickinson, Fuerte, Challenge and other desirable kinds, are very satisfactory, but not yet in bearing in most cases. Is it not a decided mistake to continue planting poor growing, deli- cate kinds, when we can secure vigorous growers with fruit equally good or better? By such a test, we should discard, among others, the Colo- rado, the Dickey, the Royal and the Presidente. Another one is the Murrieta Green. My two Murrieta trees stood absolutely still for a year and a half, not growing an inch, though since growing quite well, which may or may not continue. I failed to raise the Dickey that I planted and two Colorados, one planted to take the place of the other, My Royal stands the same size as when planted two years ago, and my Presidente is a dwarf tree compared with the others. For quite an opposite fault the Atlixco (if my tree is true to name), will hardly find a place in our orchards. It is altogether too aspiring and is determined, in spite of the pruner, to send up into the clouds a straight and branchless stem. The Lyon, some think, goes unjustly into the feeble class. It is so precocious and fruitful that it may commit tree-suicide if not restrained. Two of my one-year-old Lyon trees each set three or more dozen fruit this spring. Could they have been any- thing but feeble if not helped? Alli but two or three fruits were removed from each tree and the growth has been excellent right along. 78 1916 ANNUAL REPORT Neither do the trees need to take the eucalyptus shape of the parent, at any rate to the same extent, for they submit readily to pruning. For one who will handle it with good sense and wants quick crops of large desirable fruit, the Lyon is not to be overlooked, unless, contrary to my own experience, it proves generally sickly, which some growers state they have found it to be. A year ago last spring, I began some commercial planting, feeling it fairly safe to use a selection from some of our numerous fine varieties fruiting in the spring, summer and fall. Planting most largely of the first one I shall mention, my choice from those available were the Blake- man, Taft and Sharpless, which begin to mature their fruit consecutively in the order named. All are vigorous trees and good bearers of fruit, first-class in quality and a pound or more in weight. Those who were present at the Association meeting of a year ago and saw the fruit cut before the audience, will remember the beauty of the Sharpless fruit with its small seed and exceptionally large pro- portions of cream colored flesh. The growth of the young trees is very slender, but good. The high quality of the Taft fruit is well known. The tree is one of the most beautiful of the avocado family, with its bright red young foliage and good, compact form. It is longer in coming into bearing than many others, but fruitful when it does begin and-the tree itself gains by the delay. The Blakeman, not as yet so well known, comes from a fruit from Atlixco, Mexico, sent by his brother to John Murrieta of Los Angeles, from which the seed was planted at Hollywood. The fruit is pronounced by some of our avocado experts as, at the very least, not excelled in quality by anything we have in the thick skin type and the young trees are certainly vigorous beyond my expectations. Though I am in the habit cf heading in and pruning my avocado trees to produce compactness, my Blakeman trees, planted a year ago last April, now stand between 7 and 8 feet in height and broad in proportion. They are larger than any adja- cent citrus trees of three or four times their age and are the admiration ef my neighbors. They blossomed profusely last spring and set fruit abundantly, which naturally dropped off, as is to be expected of one- year-old trees. The parent tree was plantel in 1904; it bore a few fruit in 1913: 25 te 50. in 1914; 250 in 1915, and in 1916 hastaweeedaareecrop now on the tree. NECESSITY OF CO-OPERATION Charles D. Adams, Upland, Cal. The avocado steps into its place among the industries of California at a time when the path it must follow to reach permanent success financially and otherwise is plainly marked out, by the history of the other fruits of importance in the state, to be through co-operation and tc be possible by co-operation only. It is not to be had through the individual efforts alone of the isolated grower. Now, more than ever before ,in all lines of production and manufacture, do we find co-opera- tion in practice and its necessity and strength recognized. CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 79 The advantages in the united action of common interests are so great that our young industry is fortunate in having in its infancy, established a co-operative growers’ organization, which is today demon- strating its value and will do so still more effectively in the future, according to the support it shall receive. It is able to prevent unnecessary mistakes and failures by its record- ing, for general information and for preservation and use in the sys- tematic study of the industry, the experiences of a number of growers, in problems solved, experiments made and successes or failures met. It gathers statistics in regard to trees, acreage-planting, production, orchard and nursery methods, varieties, fruit qualities, soils, diseases or any- thing else tending toward improvement and assistance in the culture and propagation of the avocado. By its semi-annual meetings, its work and its literature, the atten- tion of the public is attracted in an effective and dignified way to the great food value of the fruit and to methods for its preparation and use. And, finally, when problems of crop distribution and marketing are to be met, and they may come sooner than we expect, we have in our organization a means whereby, when it is necessary we can put in operation a non-profit co-operative marketing system, such as the Cali- fornia Fruit Growers’ Exchange which has preserved the citrus industry from destruction. Remember, that the Exchange started at a period of despair for the industry, when, under previous systems, a crop of 4,000 cars was more than could be sold at a profit and red-ink returns were the rule, whereas 44,000 cars were satisfactorily sold this season. I want to call your attention to an action of the utmost importance taken by the California Fruit Growers’ Exchange to illustrate what growers in co-operation can do, and what none but they would do and to meet a need that is plain when we consider, that in the next four years, the average number of acres of new citrus trees coming into bearing is 20,000 of lemons, 21,000 of Valencias and 438,500 of navels, a total of 84,500 acres. Resulting as to the first item that, in three years’ time, the lemon production will be three times as large as at present and, in one year’s time, twice as large. In the last six years, the increase in the production of citrus fruits has been 45 per cent, while the increase in the population of the United States has been 12 per cent. The planting is a condition out of our control. It was and is evident that consumption must be greatly increased to avert disaster and that by advertising. Seven years ago, the Exchange began by experimenting with $2,500 outlay in the state of Iowa, resulting in an increase that year of 50 per cent in sales in that state. The following year in more general advertising the amount expended was $75,000, gradually advancing to $375,000 last season, though at a nominal expense to the individual or- ange grower of only 2% cents per box, and performing a service to the whole industry of so great value that it would be hard to measure. Our avocado organization is of an importance that has not been questioned and, if it be so, why not join it? While our membership is increasing, it must do it faster and we want to see it do so today from 80 1916 ANNUAL REPORT those present who are not already members, and not alone those inter- ested in avocado growing, but also everyone interested in fostering in the state so important and attractive an industry. AVOCADO PERFORMANCE RECORDS By L. B. Scott, Pomologist, U. S. Department of Agriculture. Mr. Chairman, and members of the California Avocado Association. I am intensely interested in the avocado industry, and I believe there is a future for this fruit, provided its culture and development is re- stricted to safe and sane channels. In this connection I know of no other one factor which is bound to play as important a part in the development of this industry as the securing of individual tree per- formance records. The success of the California citrus industry has been due to the fact that early in its development a few varieties were found suited to conditions here. The standard citrus varieties in this state can be counted on the fingers of one hand, the Washington Navel and Valencia oranges, the Eureka and Lisbon lemons, and the Marsh grapefruit. These varieties have distinct characteristics and are easily recognized by the trade. However, even within the standard citrus varieties a wide variation has been found. Mr. A. D. Shamel, of the Office of Horticultural and Pomological Investigations of the United States Department of Agri- culture, in 1909 began an investigation of the improvement of citrus fruits through bud selection which has shown that even the standard citrus varieties are made up of a number of strains, some worthy of propagation, others not. It is not necessary for me at this time to review the progress of this work, because you are all familiar with the details and many of you in your citrus orchards, are securing com- mercial records of the output from your individual trees. I have referred to citrus conditions simply to show what has been accomplished with these fruits and that the work already done in stabilizing and standard- izing our citrus fruit products may be of assistance to us in working out similar methods for our rapidly developing avocado industry. In Florida one standard fall avocado of the thin-skinned leathery class, the Trapp, has been secured. It is true, it is claimed by many, that the Trapp is lacking in quality but the fact remains that this variety is known to the northern markets. Because it is already es- tablished, this variety is going to represent the large bulk of the Florida plantings for many years to come. During the summer months an entirely different condition prevails. No variety as yet has been de- veloped or planted in sufficient numbers to be known as a standard Florida summer variety. The result is that the northern and eastern markets receive shipments from Florida and the West Indies of seedling avocados and mixed crates of seedlings and budded fruits of exceedingly variable quality. Unfortunately the consumer has no means of deter- mining which of the two avocados lying side by side in a basket is a good quality fruit and which a poor. This accounts in part for the fact CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 81 that avocados in our northern and eastern markets during the summer months, even at this stage in the development of the industry, sell at the low figure of ten cents a fruit. Even within the Trapp variety we find a similar variation to that existing in our citrus varieties. I have found at least five distinct strains in this variety, which are characterized by differences in produc- tion, differences in foliage, and differences in the flower arrangements. Correlated with these differences are distinct variations in the shape of the fruit, some being pyriform, others oval, and others distinctly oblate. The accompanying chart (table 1) shows the wide range of varia- tion in production which exists in a young planting of Trapps in which we are securing detailed individual tree records. TABLE 1.—MEDORA SOUTH, 1913 TRAPP AVOCADOS. 1915 CROP NOTES (Number of fruit matured). Counting rows from east side and trees from north ends of rowe. EVONVSE. Seren obs 's Me roe Anise OW ne ven Ore eh’ One SAS PRGeT ies. Gs es. we Heisler elm Gurr apnea poe OS RSM 8) @ “Le (Ey G72 a ka Gk a Coe On acim OM ee Ore. oe les Vl GS e( o's Oval A i Ommln wacant Orn Orc. OM eeee Ooo iG. Qe oi LTRS ard i ie a eee her cet Maher Mie Gye Ae OL PORCE DE oo seis. See ere erm Omri cence ea Qin soy Ob oA RECTOR wis gi st Deen S tee te Men ee ee Ae ee OMNI Oye Die, boar (Ale REGIE e cic eloceins eee eo Menor Un Orem Onite Oia eich Ge cQh Os 3 Meee Sele. Crh eae Oc Ou hone On aU G 2 eis Oh 3 Mee IO oS OR emilee yt S eA ace NOME er ges Ls megan @ Meee ec. Ser lie es ON ea SAS TGR aS vote Oy 28 Mareen ul. eee en nen seer a (Qin Sere LO Ovriais 78 Fruit was picked from this planting as follows: Oct. 1—8 crates No. 1. Oct. 2—2 crates No. 2. Oct. 29—6 crates No. 1. Oct. 29—8 crates No. 2. A considerable number of fruit, aggregating probably 3 or 4 crates, dropped after maturing. These are included in the list for each tree, but are not included in the quantity picked. In this same orchard this year we have found that the high pro- ducing trees in 1915 are also the high producing ones this year, while many of the zero trees are also repeating. Turning for a few minutes from avocados to citrus, you are all familiar with the action which has been taken by the California Grape- fruit Club, an auxiliary of the California Fruit Growers Erchange. Repeated trials of different grapefruit varieties in this state have Shown that only one variety, the Marsh, is suited to conditions here. Even in the Marsh variety a number of inferior strains are found. The California Grapefruit Club has officially agreed that its members will rebud all varieties other than the Marsh and all inferior strains of the Marsh to the smooth thin-skinned ideal strain of this variety. You can 82 1916 ANNUAL REPORT readily see what this action means to the California grapefruit industry. Every grapefruit sold can be guaranteed as a typical standard Marsh. I believe in this day and age no horticulturist or pomologist will admit that a stable fruit industry can be developed on an eighty-six variety basis. As I have just pointed out the success of the citrus in- dustry in this state has been governed, in large measure, by the small number of varieties. Any unprejudiced person will admit that you have too many avocado varieties, I realize when fruits are selling from 50 cents to $1.00 apiece, it is hard to sound a note of warning. Still we have to look ahead to the time when avocados are not marketed by the crate but by the carload. I have had enough experience with avocados to know that a good price will be paid for a standard high grade product, while it will not be paid for an inferior one. The statement has been made that in Guatemala, the high plateaus of Mexico, and the Central American countries, there exist avocado varieties far su- perior to any we now have in California. This may be true. I believe new varieties ought to be introduced, provided they are superior to existing standard ones, under state and federal supervision. At the present time Mr. Wilson Popenoe, of the Office of Foreign Seed and Plant Introduction, of the United States Department of Agriculture, is in Guatemala searching for superior avocado varieties. However, even if no new varieties are found superior to those which you now have, I believe you already have in this state a sufficient number from which a few good ones can be chosen and developed as typical California products. It never will be possible for you to develop a strong market for avocados if you continue propagating eighty-six varieties. You have got to look ahead to the time when the eastern housewife will call up her grocer or fruit-dealer and order not simply an avocado but a Taft or some other typical variety. I believe your big problem is not a search for new varieties but an elimination of many of those which you are now growing and the choosing and developing of a few which can be known as strictly California products. Of your summer varieties, or thin-skinned sorts, an early, a medium, and possibly a late variety are needed and of the thick-skinned winter and spring varieties an early, a medium, a late, and possibly a very late kind. The work which the Citrus Experiment Station has agreed to do in growing trees of the different varieties, at both the Riverside and Whittier stations, will be of great value to the growers but that work ought to be supplemented by definite record work by this Associa- tion. Your trees are just coming into bearing. Now is the time to find out the comparative merits of the different varieties. The only way this can be accurately accomplished will be by securing performance records of every individual avocado tree owned by a member of this Association. By performance records we mean the actual record of the amount and quality of fruit produced by an individual tree for a series of years. Only by securing such records on the individual trees of your different varieties for a series of years can you decide on the six or CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 83 seven varieties which ought to be developed as standard California avocado varieties and which will be the foundation in building up a strong industry. I would like to see this Association devote a large part of its energies to tree registry work. If every member of this Association would agree to keep records of the smount and yualhty of fruit produced by each tree which he owns. and * copier -* the records of his best trees were forwarded to your central office, in a few years’ time definite and accurate information would be secured con- cerning the behavior of individual trees of the different varieties. This information then could be used by this Association as a basis for deciding on the varieties which should be developed as typical standard California products. Your Association would then be able to take action similar to that of the California Grapefruit Club and officially recommend a short list of standard varieties for the entire season. A few important factors will have to be considered in securing in- dividual tree records. These are: first, tree numbering; second, individual tree picking; and third, the recording of the data in some record form which would be chosen by this Association. In numbering trees I know of no method which gives better satisfaction than that now used in citrus performance record work and that is giving the tree an individual num- ber consisting of the block number, row number, and number of the tree in the row. By using such a system of numbering there never will be a single duplication, no matter how large the acreage. Thus tree 8-4-16 written vertically on the tree trunk, thus 8 would instantly 4 16 locate that tree as being in block 8, row 4, and the 16th tree from the end of the row always numbering from some fixed place. The point might be raised that avocado plantings at the present time are so small that it would not be necessary to include the block number. However, loking to the future, when there probably will be larger solid blocks of avocados planted, and in order to avoid all confusion, I believe it would be better to include the block in the series number. If for any reason it should not be practical to paint the numbers on the tree trunks, they could be stamped on aluminum labels and the labels attached by copper wires to one of the main branches. In securing individual avocado tree records it will be absolutely essential to pick each tree separately. While occasionally persons are found who believe they can estimate accurately the amount of fruit produced by an individual tree, the only sure way is by actually picking the tree separately and using some fixed unit in measuring the tree’s production. When the trees are young the actual number or welgnt of the fruit produced by the individual trees could be recorded, as they grow older the unit could be the picking box. The following charts, tables 2 and 3, show respectively the front and back of the forms we are using in securing our detailed avocado individual tree records. These forms are printed in convenient size, 4 by 6 inch notebooks. Each page is devoted to one tree’s record. It is possible that this form may be of value to growers in securing 84 1916 ANNUAL REPORT Table 2. DETAILED AVOCADO PERFORMANCE RECORD BLANK. Size Large | | MC UT. © iG | otal | Large | | | Medium | Small | Total Large | | | ~ |Medium | |): Unt a |Small | | | Total | a es ao ~~ |Medium.. 1... .. . \.) a. a) chant nnn nn Small | | | | | | | Total | | | | | | | Total | | —_..- 1 +1 Notes | | Table 3. DETAILED AVOCADO PERFORMANCE BLANK. Condition: 9... ee a iweb we ref bee Oe) See ne Amount of Bloom.’ 2: 26.5 20h os kes cele ws aero 8 Se ee Amount ‘of Fruit Set. 22. 22.20 See ee Size of Fruit. eo 20 2 re ie a ie ee Remarks 9 or eg ee a ee eee @ 0 0 le «0 0 0 © © © 6 0 «):0 0 (0) ec (0 6 © 0) 10 0 © 0) © 0,0 © « 6 @ © © © © ¢ © 'e © @ ©) 6 ce) wie ee ee wie) eee eee) ale eel soe) 6S oe 0 ©. © © © «0; 6 e@ © © «0 © 6 ss © 0 0:0 © &\:2 eo le © © © © 0 0):0 '¢ © 3 © © ele @ © © © eje 2 @ @ ee © ee) ee) meee eles) 2) e Thinning “Date iso s2ce ek Oe ee ee Number. of -Fruits 200. hoo ee Sa ea eee ee ee ee i a) CC SS Ye YS SY SS YO SS i i ey Ce Pe er ee Pe YS i id CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 85 2 (ij ai eles iaieid fi «© «6 © \« «fe « (0 e « @ © 0 © 6.0 6 0 @ 6 « © 0) « (8 © a2 e € ee cia Gels e © eo ee eee ee eee eee se iaiieie) e/.e) (8 2 6 (An) s 6 6 € @ @ 8 6 6 ¢ « © © © © © 6 \e 0 « «6 6 (0 @¢\6 6 0 = « 6 © « © oc 'a e © © « 0 2 8 v0 8 8 e 2 © 2 iia aii is ee wv 6 «© 6 es 6 6 © «© © e 6 6 6 6 @ © © 6 @ Oe eeesseaeeacew@eescesnetesp ceceeenevees i ee nies is) 6 6 jw. se. 6 «ue s © 6 6 © = « =» @ « « e/a: 6 0,¢ « 0 © 6 ae © © 0 o's « «fe oe 6 6 Se ec eis we eee ean ee Viwiti iii tise s wie ie (6 6 « = os 6s © ¢ 8 « © « 6 @ es ec cose cee eee ee se ew ewe ete eo en eee CC eC ewe eC Oe Bt records in commercial plantings, especially where it seems desirable to study in detail the behavior of individual trees. I believe the form shown in table 4, in which space may be provided on a single page for recording the data for 40 or more trees, will prove practical for commercial orchards. As it is necessary to make a number of picks from individual trees during a season, space is provided for re- cording these different picks. These data could be recorded in number of fruits, weight of fruit, or number of boxes borne by the individual trees. Table 4. COMMERCIAL AVOCADO PERFORMANCE RECORD. RANG aris cw es ha ese 0 owas INO 32, ities 5 3 6 es Wal RV Cb yraciok © Sie avira Date | | Tree No. | Lbs.| Lbs. | Lbs. | Lbs.| Lbs.| Lbs. Lbs.| Lbs.| Lbs. Lbs.| Lbs.) Lbs.| Total Co] boy = i) By securing such records you will be able to find out which varieties ought to be developed as strictly California products. Copies of the records of the best trees ought to be forwarded to the central office of this Association and filed. All members of this Association ought to know the location of these superior trees and ought not to plant trees unless they are propagated from bearing trees whose performance record could be furnished at any time by the secretary of the California Avocado Association. Find out what your individual trees are doing, reduce the number of your avocado varieties from eighty-six to six or seven, make tree registry work an important activity of this Association, and start your new avocado industry on a performance record basis. 86 1916 ANNUAL REPORT FURTHER INVESTIGATIONS OF THE COMPOSITION AND FOOD VALUE OF THE AVOCADO By Prof M. E. Jaffa. University of California The data here reported represents the partial results of chemical studies of the avocado which have been carried on at our station. The complete analysis, physical and chemical of each sample is on record and will be published later by the University. For the present brief discussion, however, the oil content seems to be the most important. Credit is due to Miss Stover, former assistant in the laboratory, and Mr. Albro, at present associated with the Nutrition Division, for the analytical work. ; The results of 95 analyses are summarized in the accompanying tables. Tables Nos. I and II refer to those varieties which are generally supposed to mature in the late summer and fall and Table No. III to those varieties whose season is the first half of the year. In Table No. I the figures relate to but one sample, quite often to but one fruit, while in Table No. II they indicate analyses of two or more samples of the same fruit. The tabulated data might best be discussed under several different heads: A. Total amount of oil. B. Content of oil in seedlings vs. that in the known varieties. C. Oil content of large fruit as compared with that of small fruit. D. The development of the oil in the fruit during the ripening process. A. The toal amount of oil: The highest percentage noted , 31.60, is to be credited to the Purdy variety from Whittier. This is a small fruit analyzed on the 9th of this month. It must be remembered, however, that only one fruit was analyzed. It is our intention to make further analyses of the Purdy in order to ascertain whether or not this high percentage will obtain. The nearest approach to the oil content of the Purdy in the spring varieties is noted for the Miller with an oil percentage of 27.45 and the Knowles from Santa Barbara 27.11. If we omit from the discussion the Knowles and the Miller, it will be observed that the spring varieties do not range as high in oil as do the fall varieties. Before such a statement can be considered as a fact, however, it will require more thorough investigation which the station will be. only to glad to undertake. Furthermore it will be noticed that more analyses have been made of the fall varieties than of the spring and there are a greater percentage of immature and unripe representatives of the latter class. The Chappelow ranks next to the Purdy as far as the oil content is econcerned—the Northrop with 27.60 per cent the next highest. The lowest content of oil noted for fruit stated to be fully ripe is in the case of the Beauty from Orange, showing 15.25 per cent. In view of the fact, however, that the determination on the Beauty included but one fruit it will be necessary to make more examinations in order to have enough ail Misti CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 87 data to warrant the drawing of dependable conclusion. From the present figures it would appear that there is a range of from 15 per cert to 31 percent in the different varieties, said figures based on ripe fruits in all cases. It is of interest to note that Table No. I includes the test of one variety, the Pomona, grown at Sacramento, analyzed the 1th of this month, showing 25.36 per cent of oil, also the analysis of a seedling from Oroville analyized in September yielding 24.8 percent of oil, both good records. Averages have not been indicated in any of the tables because there is such a variation in the oil content and again there are many determin- ations made of immature fruit. It was therefore, deemed best to present only individual analyses. B. Content of oil in seedlings vs. that in the known varieties: The highest percentage noted for the seedlings is 27.89, reported for Seedling No. 1, from Carpinteria, two years ago. This percentage has not been equaled by any seedling submitted for examination since that time, the nearest approach being a seedling submitted by Mr. Popenoe under date of September 22nd of this year, yielding 26.7 per cent of oil. There are six samples of seedlings as indicated by the tables which yield between 24 and 26 per cent of oil—a most excellent showing—five seed- lings testing between 20 and 23 per cent, making a total of thirteen seedlings reported in the table with a credit of above 20 per cent of oil. Comparing the seeedlings with the known varieties, it will certainly be seen that, as far as the oil content is concerned, many of them are, caeteris paribus, well worth propagating. C. Oil content of large fruit as compared with that of small fruit. As previously stated, the Purdy showing the highest percentage of oil, 31.60, is a small fruit, weighing approximately one-third of a pound, and by an examination of the data presented in the tables, it will be noticed that all the high percentages are in connection with comparatively speaking small fruits. The Chappelow with 29.1 per cent weighing 181 grams: the Northrop with 27.60 per cent weighing 218 grams: the Blake with 25.50 per cent weighing 150 grams: the Mattern with 25.7 per cent weighing 96 grams: the Pomona with 25.36 per cent weighing 80 grams: seedling from Carpinteria with 27.89 per cent weighing 150 grams: and the Knowles with 27.11 per cent weighing 100 grams. We do not find any large fruits containing a high percentage of oil. This is emphasized by a reference to Table No. III where will be found listed the Blakeman - with 17.27 per cent weighting 472 grams and the Taft with 18.5 per cent weighing 626 grams. ; D. The development of the oil in the fruit during the ripening process: Definite conclusions can not be drawn on this phase of the work until more analyses have been made. From the data at hand, however, it would appear that the oil certainly increases with the ripening in that we have not analyzed any sample which is immature or partly ripe which shows as high a percentage as does the fully ripe fruit. In the case of the Chappelow we have an immature fruit showing as low as 13.86 88 1916 ANNUAL REPORT per cent of oil while the fully ripe fruit the same season shows 27.66 per cent. In the same year we have a sample analyzed Oct. 15, 1914, showing 17.68 per cent and not fully ripe. Again it is of interest to note, as was to be expected, that in different years or different seasons, the same variety will vary in its maximum oil content. This is emphasized by reference to the figures noted for the Chappelow, Harman and others. Further investigations may also indicate that the same variety grown in different places will yield different percentages of oil. Not enough analyses have been made to warrant the drawing of any definite conclusion on this point. Avocados might be compared to milk. As is well know, there are cer- tain breeds of cows yielding milk of different degrees of richness in fat and that said content of fat is more or less constant, for the respective breeds. While it is true that a herd of Holsteins may be bred to give a milk richer than a poorly bred herd, yet no matter how much breeding is carried on or how well a herd is cared for, it cannot be expected that a Holstein cow will ever yield a milk as rich as will a Jersey cow. Nor. is it right to expect that if a Jersey cow is treated as it should be, such cow will yield a milk with a low fat content. Similarly with reference to the avocado. Those varieties which yield a high percentage of oil will do this consistently under proper conditions, while those which yield a lower percentage of oil will not, it seems to me, increase the percentage of oil materially by any treatment which may be given to the culture of the respective variety. It must not be considered, however, that because a variety is lower in oil than another variety. such a variety will not meet with public favor. While it is true the higher the oil content the greater the food value per unit weight, as is the case with milk, yet those with a lower percentage of oil, of fine flavor, and which are fully ripe will doubtless find a ready market if prices warrant. In fact, it migh be said that in some instances a fruit with a medium oil content might be more desirable than one with a higher content as is oftentimes the case with milk, the Holstein being preferable to the Jersey on account of the fact that the latter is too rich in fat. Of course it must not be considered from the foregoing, that the caloric value of a unit weight of milk is equal to that of the avocado. What has been stated is merely to indicate that those varieties of the avocado which are lower in oil content but other- wise acceptable, may be highly desirable. At the request of some members of the Avocado Association the accompanying set of recipes* were critically tried and the comments and criticisms concerning them are given herewith. A number of persons participated in the testing and among them might be mentioned Miss Josephine E. Davis, Assistant Professor of Household Science at the University, who rendered valuable help in this connection. The discussion of recipes involve the consideration of: *The recipes referred to here were published in the Report of the First Semi-Annual Meeting of the California Avocado Association pp. 91-93. mM CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 89 Palatability. Nutritive Value. Hygienic Value. Esthetic Value. If a combination is not palatable it matters but little whether the nutritive value is high or low. Again the food value or the nutritive value may be high while the combination may be objectionable hygienically, or esthetically. The latter point deserves the careful attention of all those engaged in the preparation of food for the table. Avocado Served in the Skin: There does not seem to be any particular reason why the avocado should be served in the skin. By so doing there is obviously a greater percentage of waste than if the fruit were peeled before serving, in which case the entire portion could be eaten while when served in the skin this is impossible. The consensus of opinion was that the fruit should be served with either lime juice or salt, salt being favored. No one cared for the avocado with sugar or with tomato catsup, and the use of mayonnaise and a French dressing rich in oil was decidedly objected to. The combination of the fruit and mayonnaise is hygienically a bad one in that we have two oily foods—the mayonnaise showing about 95 per cent oil while the avocados average about 20 per cent. Furthermore the strong. flavor of the mayonnaise hides the delicate flavor of the avocado while salt brings out the flavor very markedly and it should be said in this connection that the finer the grain of the salt the better. The objection to French dressing rich in oil is practically the same as that made against the mayonnaise. The tomato catsup also was objected to because the strong flavor of the catsup hid that of the fruit. The riper the fruit the better, and it should not be served too cold. Avocado on Toast: This, while being relished by some, was preferred by others when modified by Miss Davis as follows: Remove the pulp from the fruit and mash. Spread lightly on a triangular piece of thin, hot toast. Sprinkle well with grated Parmesan cheese, add a little salt, a few drops of lemon juice. Paprika is added for flavor and color. Avocado with Caviar: Objection—caviar too strong. Avocado Cocktail: Objected to on the same ground as stated with reference to the use of tomato catsup. Salads Celery and Nuts: The objection to this combination was the use of mayonnaise and furthermore that celery itself has so strong a flavor as to detract, to a large extent, from that of the avocado. Apple and Celery: The statements for Celery and Nuts apply here as well. Combination Salad: It would appear to me that it would be hard work to find the avocado in such a combination and furthermore in view of the high price of the avocado it would seem decidedly undesirable to offer such a salad. Avocado on the Half Shell: This was not tried but it does not Boo bo es 90 1916 ANNUAL REPORT seem to recommend itself for general use. The egg and the French dressing would tend to disguise the delicate flavor of the fruit. Cuban Salad: This was not objected to except that the use of sugar was not advised although there may be some who would prefer it. Onions: The combination of avocado and onions was not advocated under any circumstances. Aspic Jelly: It has been suggested with reference to this recipe that the following be substitutea: 1% pox gelatine 1% ce. cold water 1%e. boiling water 1% ¢. thick tomato juice 1-% e. diced avocado 2 t. of lemon juice salt, paprika, ete. Soak gelatin in cold water. Dissolve in boiling water. Strain and add avocado meat and tomato juice. Add seasonings and place on ice to harden. Serve on lettuce leaf. It will we noticed that this recipe contains tomato juice but this is not tomato catsup. With Bananas and Apple: There was a divided opinion with reference to the use of apples and bananas. Some liked it but others objected. The banana seeming to overpower the avocado. No French dressing or Mayonnaise was used. Sandwiches The recipe for sandwiches is good but the use of pepper may be omitted according to some with advantage. A sandwich made of graham crackers, equal weights of fruit and crackers, makes a most inviting and appetizing sandwich. (8 grams o* fvuit to a sandwich.) With Chili Pepper: This is objected to on account of the strong flavor of the pepper and the use of onion. An Original and Delicious Desert: This is objected to because there is too much fat in the whipped cream. Avocado Ice Cream: It would appear that in view of the high price of the avocado that it would not be profitable in any sense of the word to advocate the use of avocado ice cream. It is doubtful if anyone would be able to detect the flavor of the avocado among the eggs, milk, almond or vanilla extract, ete. Avocado with Sea Foods: The serving of avocado with salmon or lobster was not relished but the avocado and tuna salad was preferred. Soups: When the market price of the avocado is lower than at present the use of avocado soup may be advisable but under present conditions it would seem far better from every point of view to use the avocado as such with salt than to detract from its highly delicate flavor by making it into a soup. It may be stated in summarizing the comments that the avocado served with salt met with more approval and favor than did the avocado served in any other way and personally the writer agrees. For Invalids: CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION Sil There should be no objection whatever to the use of the avocado for invalids provided fat in the diet is not contra-indicated. We will be glad to confer with the officials of the Association with the view of revising the suggestions for preparing the avocado for the table. TABLE I—SHOWING PERCENTAGE OF OIL IN THE AVOCADO Variety Azusa Bartley Beauty Cardinal Champion Fowler Mattern Pomona Purdy Purple Prolific Topa Topa Trapp Ultimate White Seedling Seedling Seedling Seedling Seedling Seedling Seedling Seedling Seedling Seedling Seedling Seedling Seedling Seedling Seedling Seedling Seedling Oval Shape Pear Shape Green Lined Green Lined Doe dw. Varieties Maturing July-December. Single Sample of Fruit Submitted. A. KNOWN VARIETIES Locality Azusa Santa Ana Orange Florida Orange Pasadena Sacramento Whittier Orange Nordhoff Florida Orange Santa Barbara B; Carpinteria Carpinteria Carpinteria Carpinteria Carpinteria Carpinteria Nordhoft Whittier Whittier Taft Altadena Hollywood Hollywood Hollywood Whittier Whittier Oroville Riverside Riverside Altadena Altadena Black Variety Altadena Condition of fruit Dane fadly shrunken 11-19-16 mature 7-31-16 fully ripe 8-21-15 flesh soft 11- 9-14 ripe 8-12-15 ripe 11- 2-14 ripe 10-22-14 fully ripe 10-19-16 fully ripe 10- 9-16 ripe 8-21-15 flesh soft 10-21-14 Meshal oP arg 09 & fiesh soft 8-20-15 flesh hard 10-26-14 SEEDLINGS fully ripe 10-22-14 flesh hard 10-22-14 flesh soft 10-22-14 medium soft 10-22-14 medium soft 10-22-14 very soft 10-22-14 ripe 10-21-14 ripe 9-27-15 ripe 9-27-15 flesh hard 10-15-15 ripe 9-22-16 ripe 9-28-16 ripe 9-28-16 ripe 9-28-16 flesh soft 9-29-16 not very ripe 9-29-16 ripe 9-30-16 flesh hard —10- 2-16 flesh hard 10- 2-16 ripe 10- 6-16 fully ripe 10- 6-16 flesh hard 10- 6-16 Went. Percent of fruit Bel grams 198 21.06 928 13:.35 439 15.26 587 10.70 524 16.54 ilpy 21.20 96 AD TAY) 80 25.36 168 31.60 219 19.93 125 15.48 638 9.80 290 14.51 166 14.64 150 27.89 101 15.30 45) 23.40 105 20.75 Al 7 13.00 96 17.20 223 23.10 aha 20.07 Galt 20.15 127 AZ 1123 26.738 90 22.40 158 21.89 88 25.84 80 18.47 90 14.74 aA | 24.88 70 15.46 68 15.58 1385 23.00 125 25.61 107 14.78 92 1916 ANNUAL REPORT TABLE II.—SHOWING PERCENTAGE OF OIL IN THE AVOCADO Variety Blake Blake Carton Carton Carton Chappelow Chappelow Chappelow Chappelow Chappelow Chappelow Chappelow Chappelow Chappelow Chappelow Chappelow Chappelow Condon Condon Ganter Ganter Harman Harman Harman Harman Harman larman Harman Harman Northrop Northrop Sharpless Sharpless Taft Taft Taft Varieties Maturing July-December. Two or More Samples of Fruit Submitted Locality Pasadena Whittier san Fernando San Fernando Riverside Monrovia Monrovia Altadena Monrovia Monrovia Monrovia Monrovia Monrovia Monrovia Riverside Monrovia Monrovia Pasadena Pasadena Whittier Whittier Sherman Sherman Sherman Sherman Sherman Sherman Sherman Sherman Altadena Santa Ana Santa Ana Santa Ana Orange Orange Orange Condition of fruit ripe ripe not ripe fully ripe flesh hard fully ripe fully ripe immature immature immature not ripe ripe flesh hard fully ripe fiesh hard fiesh hard flesh hard ripe ripe ripe immature ripe ripe flesh soft flesh soft ripe ripe ripe ripe ripe ripe flesh soft not ripe fiesh soft not ripe ripe Date 10- 3-14 10- 4-15 10-15-14 10-15-14 10-16-16 9-21-14 10-15-14 9-24-15 9-24-15 9-24-15 9-24-15 11- 1-15 11- 1-15 11- 1-15 10- 2-16 10- 6-16 10-11-16 10- 7-15 9-28-16 1- 3-13 9-27-16 10-10-13 10-26-14 9-28-15 9-28-15 9-28-15 11- 8-15 11- 9-16 1i- 9-16 10-23-14 11- 6-14 9-13-15 8-17-14 8-11-15 9-13-15 10-20-16 Weht. of fruit grams 150 Percent of oil 25.50 21.65 15.20 19.50 12.76 29.10 17.68 14.66 13.86 16.55 16.26 24.43 22.81 27.66 20.31 18.29 20.28 21.00 23.55 25.60 16.48 19.35 18.30 15.25 15.34 16.26 21.51 18.68 19.18 27.60 23.00 15.87 15.75 18.54 16.39 14.67 mae Aes CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 93 TABLE IIIl.—SHOWING PERCENTAGE OF OIL IN THE AVOCADO Varieties Maturing January-June. iti Weht. Percent Variety Locality me me ae Date a ae nee Blakeman Altadena Fully ripe 5-14-15 472 al C(Parl Blakeman Altadena Fully ripe 6-11-15 454 15.43 Brodia Orange ripe 5- 4-15 405 10.86 Challenge Hollywood not ripe 2-25-15 512 9.48 Challenge Hollywood immature 1-11-16 602 2.66 Challenge Hollywood immature 2- 2-16 ace 6.71 Challenge Hollywood immature 4-13-16 A470 ho. Challenge Hollywood immature 4-13-16 426 5.78 Challenge Hollywood not fully ripe 17-19-16 669 16.37 Dickey Hollywood mature 3- 1-15 363 16.46 Knowles Santa Barbara fully ripe 3- 2-15 100 FHC AL Lyon Hollywood flesh hard 5-24-15 453 16.31 Lambert Hollywood flesh hard 3-14-16 285 14.31 Miller Hollywood ripe 7- 6-14 184 23.70 Miller Pasadena ripe 11- 2-15 2s 27.45 Rhoad Orange immature 5- 8-15 395 9.78 Rita Orange immature 5- 3-15 ByAlL IAS Royal Hollywood flesh hard 3-27-15 600 15.61 Senor Orange flesh hard 5- 3-15 528 17.00 Solano Hollywood immature 3- 2-15 506 3.61 Solano Hollywood immature o-21-15 545 4.09 Surprise Hollywood flesh. soft 3-14-16 537 9.96 Wagner* Hollywood flesh hard 10- 7-15 259 16.03 Walker* Sherman flesh hard 8-10-14 174 18.71 *Mature, May-August. THE DIGESTIBILITY OF THE FAT OF THE AVOCADO By H. A. Mattill, University of California. With the increasing importance and more general use of the avo- cado, it seemed desirable to know something as to its actual food value and the digestibility of its most important constituent. As is the usual procedure in such work, an individual who is well and normal is given a diet of known composition and the solid excreta (feces) are properly collected and analyzed. In this experiment the basal diet consisted of graham crackers, cottage cheese and milk, to which was added on some days 25 grams of butter per meal, on others 100 grams of avocado per meal. In the preparation of the avocado the fruits were peeled and ground to a uni- form pulp which was spread upon crackers like butter. The periods of avocado and butter diet varied in length from 2 to 4 days and the feces resulting from each diet were separated from those of the preceding and following diets by charcoal pills taken at the beginning of each period. Fat was determined by the Saxon method on the fresh samples without previous drying. | . Following is a summary of the data on fat ingestion and excretion: 1 2 3 4 ie 6 Days Diet Fat ingested Fat excreted Fat absorbed Digestibility (grams) (grams) (grams) (5/3x100) (per cent) 94 1916 ANNUAL REPORT SUBJECT I. 1-2 Butter 298.7 20.0 278.7 93.30 3-4 Butter 325.4 21.8 303.6 93.30 5-6 Avocado 292.6 16.8 275.8 94.25 7-9 Avocado 521-9 32.7 489.2 93.77 10-11 Butter 325.4 16.7 308.7 94.89 12-15 Avocado 610.7 42.2 568.5 93.09 16-17 Butter 314.5 19.9 294.6 93.65 Average digestibility of fat on butter diet ............... . 93.80 Average digestibility of fat on avocado diet .............. 93.70 SUBJECT II. 1-2 Butter 313.4 22.8 290.6 92.73 3-4 Avocado 280.6 30.5 250.1 89.13 *equals 3-4. The coefficients uf digestibility have been calculated in the usual way on the assumption that the fat of the feces represents unabsorbed food fat. This assumption can not be held as valid for several reasons: (1) The feces of a fasting animal contain fat. (2) On a diet free from cellulose the amounts of fat in the food may vary considerably without a proportionate variation in the feces fat. (3) In the present experiment the feces fat during the avocado periods was not of the consistency of avocado oil but differed not at all in general: appearance from the feces fat of the butter periods. (This point is still under investigation). But, even though the fat of the feces is not unabsorbea food fat, it may nevertheless be said that its amount is infiuenced by the quality and quantity of the diet, and that the difference between feces fat and food fat represents the net intake of fat by the oa on the given diet. From the table the percentage utilization, or digestibility of the fat on the butter and avocado diets may be seen: in Subject I an average of 93.80 per cent for butter fat as against 93.70 per cent for the avocado; in Subject II 92.73 per cent and 89.13 per cent respectively. In a paper published recently (Bull. 310, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture, Nov. 1915) Langworthy and Holmes show that the digestibility of butter fat in their subjects varied from 90.9 per cent to 96.3 per cent with an average of 93.9 per cent, and since the value obtained on the present subject is 93.8 per cent it may rightfully be concluded that the fat digestion of this individual at the time was very near the average and that the digestibility of avocado fat is on a par with that of butter fat. The single 4-day experiment on Subject II is of less value than the several and continued tests made on Subject I, but from the data of Subject II it would be concluded that the digestibility of avocado fat was not below that of beef fat, a value of 89 per cent being found by Langworthy and Holmes for this fat. The above mentioned investigators find that of the fats tested (butter, lard, beef fat and mutton fat) those of low melting points are CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 95 capable of more complete assimilation than those which have a high melting point. It is highly probable that the melting point is not the only criterion of digestibility but the low melting point of avocado oil undoubtedly favors its utilization. Other factors which must also favor its utilization are its finely emulsified condition in the fruit (suggesting milk) and the relative absence in the fruit of hard and resistent fibre (as in nuts) because of which fat is rendered less accessible to the c: gestive secretions. METHODS OF AVOCADO GROWING IN THE TROPICS APPLICABLE TO CALIFORNIA E. E. Knight, Yorba Linda, California. Methods employed in one country are not always applicable in another, still they offer many suggestions worthy of trial. Having passed practically all my life in the tropics I am more familiar with those countries than with California. In my own planting of the avocado I am trying to reproduce as nearly as possible, the Figure 8.—Avocado tree in Guatemala from which buds of the ‘“‘Linda’’ were taken. 96 1916 ANNUAL REPORT same conditions under which the best fruit is grown there, in the former place. I know that some of my methods of growing avocados are not yet accepted by most growers; but we must each work along the lines that we believe best, and ultimately out of all of our experience develop that which gives the best results. Avocados grow over a far greater range of climate than most avocado growers imagine; but like many other kinds of fruit, those with the best flavor are always found in a cool climate. In the extremely cold climates where the avocado grows, Nature has covered the fruit with a thick and unyielding shell to protect it from the cold. This makes it impossible to tell when such a fruit is ripe; therefore it is use- less aS a commercial proposition. But as the elevation drops and the climate becomes warmer, the shell becomes less rigid and there are found the best of the hard-shelled varieties which give promise of being of great importance to the avocado industry in California. I have never known a first class avocado to be produced in a hot, damp climate. Whatever success Florida will have in growing the hard shell variety re- mains to be seen. I have shipped a number of my hard-shelled va- rieties there and am waiting the results. In Guatemala, the avocado flourishes where the orange will not grow on account of frost. I be- lieve avocado culture will ultimately extend over a much larger area in California than is now believed possible. Seedlings.—All avocados in the tropics are seedlings; therefore each tree produces a variety all its own. The avocado has more varieties along all lines than almost any other fruit that I know. There are only two qualities which are always reproduced in a seedling and these are hardiness and type of skin. For instance, a seedling of a thick-skin variety will always produce thick-skin fruit; a seedling of a thin-skin variety will always bear thin-skin fruit; or a seedling of a hard-shell will always bear hard-shell fruit. Other qualities, such as color, flavor, size, etc. are never constant in the reproduction through seeds. It is a rare exception, that a seedling is found to have all the qualities in fruit and tree which tend to make it a desirable commercial proposition. This is true even where the avocado trees are very numerous. The varieties now found here in California average fully as well, if not better, than the average trees do in the tropics. This, to me, is a proof that we can grow as good avocados here as anywhere else in the world, when we have eliminated the undesirable varieties and concentrated upon the best ones. Varieties.—There is a misunderstanding in California concerning the classification of varieties that ought to be rectified as soon as possible. There are four general heads under which all avocados known in Cali- fornia may be classified. These are: 1, thin-skin; 2, West Indian; 38, thick-skin; 4, hard-shell. The first two classes seem to be fairly well known, but the last two, the thick-skin and the hard-shell are constantly confused or classed as one group. This error should be corrected at once, for if it is allowed to grow, it will be almost impossible to rectify it later on. It is as easy to distinguish a thick-skin from a hard-shell as it is CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION a to tell the difference between a thin-skin and a thick-skin. A _ thin skin will not peel because there is no clearance between the skin and the meat. A thick-skin always peels. A hard-shell never peels. The Picture Taken Oct. 1, 1915 Picture Taken Aug. 6, 1916 Figure 9.—Growth of tree of the Rey Avocado; budded July 6, 1914; trans- planted March 10, 1915. meat and skin of a hard-shell are always differentiated but the shell will not bend, it breaks. The hard-shell also has a distinct way of putting out its flowers. Soil.—The best fruit I have found in the tropics grows in the coffee fields where the land is only hoed about three times per year, never plowed nor cultivated deeply. The avocado does best ona rich heavy soil with plenty of humus and leaf mold. Some of the best. fruit I ever saw were grown on red clay and adobe. The ground should be shaded as much as possible. I believe that there is more danger in over- fertilization than there is in under-fertilization. Water and Cultivation—Most avocado growers use too little water. Some use too much at one time, and still others do not irrigate often enough. Ninety per cent of these fruits in the tropics flower and grow during the wet season and ripen during the dry season. The land should be kept damp, but not wet, where there is no danger of souring the soil. Cultivation is bad for several reasons: First: The taproot of an avocado tree practically stops growing after the first year, or as soon as the side roots begin to grow, and if the ground is soggy with water, the trees easily lean with the wind. Second: Root pruning is harmful to the tree. Third: I have never seen an avocado tree attacked by pests when the ground was hard around it. 98 1916 ANNUAL REPORT Picture Taken Oct. 1, 1915 Picture Taken Aug. 6, 1916 Figure 10.—Growth of tree of the Queen avocado; budded July 2, 1914; trans- planted March 10, 1915. To me the most important methods to follow are: First: To keep the soil damp not wet with frequent irrigations. Second: Not to cultivate in such a manner as to disturb the roots, or, better still use a permanent low cover crop or mulch. Third: To pinch back frequently the lower branches so as to promote growth of the upper ones. Eventually to remove the lower limbs, so that when the tree is ten or fifteen years old the lowest branch will be at least three feet from the ground. FRUITING HABITS OF BUDDED TREES OF THE DIFFERENT AVOCADO VARIETIES By T. U. Barber, Puente, California. Fruiting records and the different growth characteristics of budded avocado trees planted throughout California are of considerable import- ance to the growers. Through careful study of such records and the con- sequent selection of varieties, the value of future plantings can be greatly increased. Varieties such as Dickey, Royal, Murrieta, and Colorado will be eliminated as the records will show that over seventy-five per cent of the budded trees have died within two years and that only a very few of the remaining trees are in a healthy condition. As time passes, it is quite probable that certain varieties will be shown to be far better suited to one district than to another, and also that the season of fruiting may change one or more months. Such facts as these are all necessary to the best development of the industry. Up to the present time, only a comparatively small number of CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 99 trees have come into bearing, but the next few years will show a tre- mendous increase. To obtain the greatest benefit from such work, it is absolutely es- sential that the growers cooperate with the Association by sending in each season, the complete records from their trees. Do not wait for a request from the main office, but send what information you have at once and keep it up. The Association is called upon constantly for information regarding varieties, and it is impossible to give an in- telligent up-to-date answer unless complete records are before them. From the notes which I have made during the past two months, the following list shows the varieties of budded trees which are fruiting and the age that they started to bear: Local Thick Skin Varieties. eR PMR TET Ie Rs het eS 2c chal aw oecle dele eb ke ek de es 3 years MeN ae titen, 2 Sitio YL caste Se Binle Sopa etals 3 years RIM GOK Ee rs ace ys Hat. aes AE. Sb Bs 3 years DDIM ee Ps. ee oe wa AL soles Bidke ed a ele 2 years COLT STP 2g :cy cee zug aaa ie Do a ented es 5 years CNEAITLNESS SE chee AE ee el era era 2 years (top worked tree on 12-year root). Imported Varieties IPOS ETHAR. 1 053s SUA RE Sas ele Aare ie Cs ee ee 2 years Regi BUMP rete eee rari hc os gio alevacele’ ore-a'S 8: 8.18 9 he, i= 2-38 years SUERTE) Soy copia a UES RN bifid eo ee a A years 1S LSPS ED eR ID Ost ec 3 years LTE SE TEs gy SURES SiG RR Rr a 3 years (top worked on 10-year root). Thin Skin Varieties. a SISSON pep SIMRO Sy oe te Ge eae 3) years UL CPD EIION VE Fe BRS 2 aIOae ot ieae C ey A a o 3 years SEILESIE eh ead el aos Bae Se 3 years RNTAO ER GRDy Meds ENN RDR, CULO 6 sore g ia oie ew wee 6s 2-3 years [RS ISTE VG. (ODS ae CO NG ET BI Tg 3 years Different Characteristics of Growth I am sure most of us did not realize when we planted our first budded trees, that there would be such a marked difference in their growth. In nearly all cases, the originals were seven or eight years old before our attention was attracted to them by their first fruits, and at this age were so large and well covered with foliage, that few opinions were formed. We have several distinct types—the tall, slender, sentinel trees like the Lyon which could be planted as close as fifteen feet and have plenty of room for many years of growth; the trees of long branched open growth as the Blakeman and Meserve, and those of wide spread- ing, heavy growth so well represented by the Taft. There are many 100 1916 ANNUAL REPORT other individual characteristics, the examples given being merely repre- sentative. In pruning to form a proper frame work, these traits must all be taken into consideration. One variety will need heavy pruning to hold back the tall growth, while another may have to be constantly checked to keep it from producing long willow-like branches that will droop to the ground. We hear of varieties being impossible on account of their growth. This may be so in extreme cases, but beautifully shaped and well balanced trees can be found in nearly every variety. The avocado requires attention just as any other orchard tree, if we desire to produce a frame which is resistant to wind, well formed to hold a large crop and to give the grestest possible bearing surface. For example the Blake- man, if allowed to follow its natural habit, will be irregular, long branched and exposed to sunburn. When the branches are about two feet in length, they should be cut back to three good buds, leaving about 18 inches of limb. This pruning will usually send out two well spaced branches and these in turn can be headed, resulting in a strong frame- work well protected by its foliage and having a bearing surface three times as large as an unpruned tree. Air Rae In some varieties, it is absolutely necessary to top the young bud and ie ferce branching at the proper height. bloom moderately are showing the largest and most vigorous growth. Fruit Setting. It is not unnatural that we should be anxious to see our trees come into bearing, or wonder why they do not set fruit after blooming and why the fruit drops after having started to develop. In most cases this is the way Nature protects the young trees. We must allow the stock to become mature before it bears any great quantity of fruit. In fact, I believe varieties which scarcely bloom at all until three years of age, will in the end become our largest and most consistent pro- ducers. The beautiful experimental orchard of Mr. Joseph Sexton at Goleta will prove of great interest to any avocado grower who finds time to visit it. The trees are from one to five years of age, and this season eighteen varieties have set fruit, which is a wonderful example of the avocado’s adaptability to the Santa Barbara district. At Monrovia, we have another fine grove which shows the con- stant and careful attention of one of our members, Mr. Thomas H. Shedden. This grove is but two and a half years of age, yet Mr. Shed- den has an exhibit at this meeting of twelve varieties of fruit and sev- eral more are bearing, which have not reached sufficient maturity to display. Mr. J. T. Whedon has a five acre planting at Yorba Linda, which contains a remarkable showing of the Fuerte, an imported variety, and 102 1916 ANNUAL REPORT many others. In this orchard is the most healthy tree of the Dickey variety that I have ever seen. It is excellent in form, vigorous of growth, and at present carries a crop of 80 fruits. This variety, as many of us know, is almost impossible to grow because of an unde- termined trouble which usually kills the budded tree during the first two years of its growth. It may be well to state that the Murrieta, Royal and Dickey have produced very unhealthy growth in Florida, and in most cases have finally died. Other plantings showing interesting growth are those of Mr. H. M. Haldeman, Beverly Hills, Mrs. J. T. Stewart, San Fernando, and Judge Charles Silent of Glendora, who has the best demonstration of the Dickinson variety. Mr. Wm. A. Spinks of Duarte, has more interesting new varieties fruiting than any other grower in California besides most of the varieties of local origin. Mr. Spinks also has fruiting, the only budded Florida or Hawaiian trees that have so far come into fruit in California. Among these is one specimen of the Trapp. The West India Gardens; Mr. C. P. Taft of Orange and Mr. C. E. Utt of Tustin all have important demonstrations. In a recent letter, Mr. Geo. B. Cellon of Florida states that they have fruiting this season on top worked trees the Sinaloa, Schmidt, Grande and Fuerte. It is his expectation that these will mature several months earlier than in California. This question of season is an important one. It seems as though some of the California fruits have been picked before they were entirely mature. For instance, the Dickinson variety has always been picked during April and May until this season, when the crop of 450 fruits from the original tree was marketed through the months of July, August and September, and those picked during the latter part of September were delightfully rich in flavor and in perfect condition. Those on exhibition today are the very last of the crop and have been in cold storage since October first. Another change of sea- son is that of the Sharpless. Mr. Sharpless picked nearly all his fruits last year before October first—today, October 31, 1916, he still has about half the crop of 700 fruits on the tree and hopes to hold some for the Christmas trade. Seldom in the history of fruit growing, if at all; do we find any branch of that important industry fortunate enough to possess a cooper- ative association of growers to guide its development through the early and experimental years, as is found in the California Avocado Associa- tion. We are indeed favored to have the assistance and guidance of so many scientific and practical people as those who are to be found among our members. In closing I must call your attention again to the valuable oppor- tunity which we have through our Association to collect, compare and finally disseminate through our publications and semi-annual meetings authoritative information covering every stage of this interesting branch of fruit growing. Let every grower do his small part by keeping correct records cov- ering the behavior of his trees, such as fruiting and growth habits, pruning, frost and wind resistance and the results of general cultiva- tion methods and help to increase the essential knowledge by sending this CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 103 data regularly to the California Avocado Association, care of The Citrus Experiment Station, Riverside. THE AVOCADO IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. Joseph, Sexton, Goleta, California. I have not had as much experience as some with the avocado. My oldest trees are five summers’ growth. I have a small experimental orchard of over ninety varieties. I have nearly all of the good and some of the poor varieties that have originated in Southern California. I have secured a great many of the Mexican varieties that have been imported by different parties from Mexico, also the best varieties imported from Guatemala, and fifteen varieties of those they consider best in the Hawaiian Islands. Some say that it is foolish to try things from the Islands. My oldest tree is three summers’ growth, and so far it grows as well and stands the winter as well, as any in the orchard. It has not bloomed yet, but there is plenty of time for that. My trees are from all climes and we must not expect them all to grow and thrive in Southern California. That is why I am experi- menting. Some are dwarf and others rapid growers in their native places, and we should expect the same here. Difference in Growth of Varieties —Now let me give a few illustra- tions to show you how the varieties from different sections differ in growth. I have a Mexican variety, the Atlixco, planted in the spring of 19138, that measures 18 feet 4 inches high, and has a 13 foot spread of branches. Twenty feet from the Atlixco, planted the same day, is a Florida Trapp, measuring 5 feet 6 inches high, and with a spread of 6 feet. Twenty feet from the Trapp in the same row is a Taft, one year younger than the Trapp, measuring in height 9 feet and with a spread of 10 feet. Eighty feet from the Atlixco, in the same row, and planted the same day is the Mexican variety, Redondo, measuring 3 feet high with a 2 foot 6inch spread of branches. This tree looks as though it wanted to grow, but makes poor progress. Later I think I will give it a change of climate. I have heard the Redondo spoken of as a good grower in some sections. Needed Experiments.—If we experiment with many varieties, and throw out those that do not grow satisfactorily, then later throw those out that do not produce a good quality of fruit, we shall soon have fewer varieties and fruit of a better quality. Another experiment we want to work on is the season of ripening. After getting a good quality of fruit, then select those that ripen the fruit early, medium and late. I believe if this is followed up we can have fruit on the table every day in the year. I have seventeen different varieties of budded avocados fruiting this year, and some of these for the first time. There are several others of the younger trees that bloomed but dropped their fruit when small, and some that never set. Some of my oldest trees have bloomed every year since they 104 1916 ANNUAL REPORT have been old enough but have never set a fruit. I hope they will change this habit when they get older. Varieties that are hard to handle-—We have about one hundred and twenty-five or more varieties in the state, and one-fourth of that num- ber would be plenty. We can carry a larger number of varieties of the Mexican type as they will be for home use and local trade, but when it comes to the commercial varieties I believe we should have but few varieties. Some markets prefer the black, others the green colored fruit. I think that the size and shape are the most important fruit char- acters. Fruit weighing from three-fourths of a pound to one and a half pounds, would be a good size; round, or if not round, the nearer the better; and firm in seed. At Honolulu some think the loose seed the better fruit. In examining the fruit, they first take it up and shake it, and the looser the seed the better they consider the fruit. As soon as our varieties imported from Mexico commence to fruit, it will be interesting to see how they will do in this climate, and when we have imported all of the varieties from other countries, we shall, I hope be able to show fruit far superior to any now cultivated in California. Pruning.—At the last meeting I attended, the majority of the mem- bers favored light or no pruning for the avocado. I was hoping that I could attend this meeting to get some instructions on pruning. I have formed my tops low, and a great many of the limbs are resting on the ground. The time to prune is another question I shall experiment on in the spring. I prefer that time to the fall. If done in the fall, pruning might force the sap out and start fresh growth for the frost. In the spring I will cut the bottom limbs off so the air can circulate under the tree; then thin the top so the air and light can pass through. The Taft is about as difficult a tree to handle as any variety I have experimented with. I experimented on some last spring, taking off con- siderable brush, but they do not show it now. Another difficulty with the Taft is, it is a tree that wants watching to keep a head or leader. You tie up a branch that looks the best, for a leader, and in a few weeks there is another that has grown faster and looks as though it would be a better limb for the purpose. I will keep on trying and if my bam- boo holds out, I believe I shall succeed. If this is not attended to and such a leader formed, you will have a fork in your tree that will split down and spoil the tree. New varieties——I have shipped from Hawaii several hundred seed of the best avocado fruit they produce there and have distributed these from San Diego to Santa Barbara in tropical places in the hope of getting some good new varieties. This year I have budded a few of the best of these varieties, and shall distribute them to those that will give them good care, and I hope we shall find some varieties that will be superior to our best. CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 105 HISTORY OF THE AVOCADO AND ITS VARIETIES IN CALIFORNIA WITH A CHECK LIST OF ALL NAMED VARIETIES Ira J. Condit, College of Agriculture, Berkeley, California. The first reference to the introduction of avocado trees into Cali- fornia which we have been able to find is in the Report of the Visiting Committee of the California State Agricultural Society for 1856. The committee visited the place of Dr. Thomas J. White near San Gabriel on September 4, and reported as follows: “Dr. White has imported from Nicaragua a variety of choice tropical fruits including the sapota. the Aguacate or Butter Fruit, and the Mango.” With what success these plants were cultivated has not been learned. The early history of the avocado in California is so well described by Dr. F. Franceschi that I wish to quote the following paragraphs from his pen: “Just like the aboved named Mexican fruit trees, also the Ahuacate was first planted at Santa Barbara, but many years later, that is in 1871, when three plants were brought from Mexico by the late Judge R. B. Ord, who brought also the first Cherimoyas. One of these trees died in infancy; the other two were very large and thrifty when I came to Santa Barbara twenty years ago. Both have unfortunately disappeared, the tallest and finest ,bearing fruits of good quality, dying probably on account of the ground being too shallow and dry at the place called “Las Palmas,” in the upper part of Montecito; the other, which was branched low and much spreading, with very small and poor fruits, lecated on De La Vina Street, in Santa Barbara, was cut down some fourteen years ago to make room for a new building. “In 1892, when I lived in Los Angeles, there was only one good sized Ahaucate in all that neighborhood, and precisely at the Jacob Miller place, where stands now beautiful Hollywood. This had been brought from Guatemala, towards 1880 I believe, together with many other rare and interesting trees, and is still extant and thriving. Seedlings from this tree are among the most promising of those which attract the attention of Ahuacate growers in California. “At Los Angeles the first person to give an efficient impulse to the growing of Ahuacates, as well as other kinds of tropical or semi-tropical fruits in the early nineties, was Mr. J. C. Harvey, a Canadian by birth, and during some years agent of the Standard Oil Company in Southern California. It was Mr. Harvey who raised the very remarkable Ahuacate trees now to be seen at Mrs. Buddington’s place on College Street, and in Elysian Park, together with a numberless host of choice and beautiful plants scattered all over the country. “The first orchard of Ahuacates ever planted in California was started by the late Kinton Stevens, along Palm Avenue in Montecito. Mr. Stevens was an Englishman full of energy and enterprise, who had also been the first in California to issue a catalogue of tropical and semi- tropical plants. His orchard was set out in 1895 and comprised about 120 trees, all Mexican seedlings, which in a few years grew to consider- 106 1916 ANNUAL REPORT able size. Most unfortunately Mr. Stevens died in 1897, and then a series of dry years came on when water was very scarce in Montecito, and a great acreage of lemons were grubbed out, as absolutely unprofit- able and alas! the pioneer Ahuacate orchard of California had to share their unlucky fate. “The “White” Ahuacate, to be seen on West Arrellaga Street, Santa Barbara, which has proved to be such a prolific bearer, was raised by me from Mexican seed in 1895. A few grafted plants and a large number of seedlings from this tree were distributed under the name of “Santa Barbara Early.” “It was also about 1895 that I obtained from Chile a few seeds of “Paltita’, as a very hardy form or variety is called there, with small fruits, but of good quality. Most of the plants I raised went abroad, and in this country I know only of one large specimen, on the Nordhoff place at Redlands, which has proved to be much hardier than any other.” Judging from this account by Dr. Franceschi it appears that the older trees planted in Santa Barbara have passed out of existence and that the White tree which he raised in 1895 is the oldest in that city. The tree on the Jacob Miller place, Hollywood, to which reference is made, is probably the Miller, but the year 1886 is now commonly accepted as the date when the tree was planted. This seems to make the Miller tree the oldest by several years of any avocado tree in California. The Chap- pelow tree was planted in 1898, and the White in 1895. In 1897 Dr. Franceschi wrote that the last two years had seen a con- siderable increase in the plantings, several hundred trees having been set out chiefly at Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, and San Diego. Fruits were rot exactly marketed but many more people, residents and tourists had opportunity of tasting the delicious fruit. Mr. C. P. Taft of Orange planted the first avocado seed on his place about 1899 from a specimen obtained on the market. The resulting tree proved a poor bearer of almost worthless fruit. The next year another seed obtained in the same way was planted and later the seedling bere excellent fruits. In 1902-3 more seeds were planted; these were partly from Los Angeles trees but most were from Mexican fruit sent to private parties in Los Angeles. From the seeds planted during the four years, he had in 1912 thirty trees over eight years old in addition to over three hundred younger trees. Twenty-four of the thirty treees had borne fruit and only one or two seemed likely to prove unprofitable. Hight were of the thin-skinned type while the others were of the thick- skinned. In the spring of 1908, Mr. E. S. Thacher planted his first avocado trees at Nordhoff. Most of them were bought from the Exotic Nurseries of Santa Barbara but some were obtained from Mr. Taft and Mr. Camfield of Orange. The same spring he bought some seed from the American Fruit and Produce Company of Mexico City and it was from this lot of seed that trees were sold to W. G. Davison of La Habra in 1910. All of the first seeds planted by Mr. Thacher were of the Mexican thin-skinned type. CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 107 The trees planted by Mr. Davison grew thriftily in the location selected at “Orchard Dale” near Whittier and La Habra, a region that had always been practically frostless until the winter of 1912-13 when they were severely frosted. Mrs. Davison did not care to replace the trees that were most damaged and sold the entire lot to D. IK. Clower who moved them to his nursery in Monrovia. Mr. Clower budded ten thousand seedling avocado trees as early as 1909. In 1910 Mr. Clower published what was probably the first descriptive nursery pamphlet of budded trees in California. Mr. F. O. Popenoe of the West India Gardens, Altadena, began propagating the avocado a number of years ago and, realizing the need of good varieties, imported budwood from Mexico in 1911 and 1912. The first lot of buds was sent by J. M. Goulding now living at Paso Robles. Afterwards Mr. C. B. Schmidt was sent down to collect budwood, and more trees were propagated from the buds he secured than from the others. Later, budwood was secured from parties in Mexico, namely Roberto Johnson of Jalisco and F. S. Furnival of Guadalajara. Twenty- seven varieties in all were successfully established here from these intro- ductions. Mr. W. A. Spinks of Duarte began planting avocado trees about 1907 and produced budded trees in 1908. He has tested out a large number of seedlings as well as budded trees of California and imported varieties. The fruiting habits of such varieties as the Buddington, Murrieta, Colorado, Ferry, Harman, Ganter, Chappelow, and others were ascertained by Mr. Spinks by budding them into larger seedlings. a Mr. Sexton of Goleta planted out a few avocado trees several years ago and has since gathered together a large number of varieties for testing under similar conditions. In 1916 he had about ninety-two distinct varieties representing types from Mexico, Guatemala, Florida, and Hawaii as well as from California. Seventeen have already fruited. I have been unable to ascertain where and when the first budded avocado trees were produced in this state, but Dr. Franceschi probably deserves this credit. The number of varieties of distinctively California origin which I have listed is fifty-four; those of foreign origin number eighty-six, a total of named varieties of one hundred and forty. California seedlings are fruiting and varieties are being obtained else- where in such numbers every season that the list is likely to be con- siderably lengthened. Many local seedlings are undoubtedly as good and some are much better than several of the varieties already named. It is unwise to give names to seedlings which appear here and there until they prove themselves superior to established varieties of the same type. This superiority may manifest itself in productiveness, hardiness, or resistance of the tree to soil conditions or disease, or quality and flavor of the fruit. While some may think it best to omit from the list and forget the names of certain varieties previously described, it is true that many trees under these names have been planted along the coast and through- out the interior valleys of the state where they may prove to have 108 1916 ANNUAL REPORT qualities which show them worthy of further propagation, especially as home fruits. It will be at least several years before they can be eliminated from the variety list in untested localities. The names of varieties follow in alphabetical order, the diheed dhens after each being Guat. for Guatemalan type; Mex. for Mexican; and W. I. for West Indian. Alto. (Guat.) Introduced as budwood in 1911 by the West India Gardens under No. 28 from Atlixco, Puebla, Mexico. Described by K. A. Ryerson in Pomona College Journal of Economic Botany for Feb. 1913. Ameca. (QGuat.) Introduced as budwood in 1912 by the West India Gardens under the name Furnival No. 1, from Ameca Valley, Jalisco, Mexico. Described under the latter name by Reyerson in the Pomona College Journal for Feb. 19138. Atlixco. (Guat.) Introduced as budwood in 1911 by the West India Gardens under number 29 from Atlixco, Puebla, Mexico. First described by K. A. Ryerson in the Pomona College Journal of Economic Botany for Feb- ruary, 1913. Azusa. (Mex.) Original tree at Azusa in the dooryard of Mrs. Henry Roberts. Budded trees bearing in 1916. Described by F. O. Popenoe in these Proceedings for Oct. 23, 1915. Baldwin. (W. I.) A Florida variety described by P. H. Rolfs in 1905 under S. P. I. No. 12988* and included in the descriptions by F. W. Popenoe in the Pomona Journal for February, 1911. Named for Mr. Baldwin of Miami, Florida, who owns the original tree. Bartley. (Guat.) Original tree growing on place now owned by Bartley Bros., Santa Ana, R. D., the same place on which the original Northrop tree stands and adjoining the place on which the Sharpless and Monroe varieties criginated. The tree was planted about 1907 by J. H. Northrop now of Indio, who formerly owned the place. The tree bore thirty-six fruits in 1916 and specimens were exhibited at the Association meeting in Los Angeles in April. Since the descrip- tion of the fruit has not appeared previously in these Proceedings, it is here given: fruit very large, 6 inches long, 4% inches in diameter and 382 ounces in weight. Color, deep green; surface, dull, rather rough; skin, thick, granular. Flesh, creamy, thick, buttery, of excellent flavor and very slight fiber. Seed, tight in cavity, roundish, tapering toward the apex, 2% inches each way, with two seed coats adhering to the seed. Season at Santa Ana, May 15 to July 1. Bartlett. (W. I.) A Cuban variety described under S. P. I. No. 40978. Beauty. (Guat.) *S. P. I. refers to the Seed and Plant Introduction, U. S. Depart- ment of Agriculture, Washington. D. C. CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 109 Original tree on place of C. P. Taft of Orange; seed planted by him in 1902; the latest of all Mr. Taft’s varieties to mature, coming from June to October. First described by F. O. Popenoe in these Proceedings for October 23, 1915. Blackman. (W. I.) A Florida variety described by P. J. Wester and included by F. W. Popenoe in the descriptions in Pomona Journal for February, 1911. Blake. (Mex.) Original tree growing at 389 South Fairoaks Ave., Pasadena; planted about 1903; first described by F. W. Popenoe in Pomona Journal for February, 1911. Budded trees now bearing in many localities, some in the San Joaquin Valley; reported to have matured three distinct crops at Goleta in 1914-15. No longer being propagated in any quantity. Fruit very susceptible to decay organisms while still on tree. Blakeman. (Guat) Variety originated from the seeds of avocado brought by John Murrieta or received by him from his brother near Atlixco, Mexico. He gave some seeds to Mr. Habersham, then residing at the head of La Brea Street in Hollywood, who planted them in 1904. The place is now owned by E. W. Dickey. In 1913 the production was a few fruits; in 1914, from 25 to 50 fruits; in 1915, about 250; and in 1916, good crop. The variety was first described by Ryerson in the Journal of Agriculture for November, 1918, under the name of Dickey No. 2. It has also been known as Habersham. Brodia. (Guat.) Original tree on place of C. P. Taft of Orange; seed planted by him about 1902. When first tasted the flavor of the fruit had a fancied resemblance to that of an onion, hence the name Brodia, a native wild flower, sometimes but incorrectly known as wild onion. Tree severely frosted in 1912-18. Fruits produced at Orange in 1916 on large top-worked seedling. First described by F. O. Popenoe in these Proceedings for October 23, 1915. Buddington. (Guat.) Original tree on place of Mrs. Buddington, 776 New Depot. Street, Los Angeles. No description of fruit published. Butler. (W. I.) A summer ripening variety being extensively propagated by U. S. DD, A. at Miami, Florida, under S. P. I. No. 26690. A tree is fruiting this season at Mr. Spink’s place, Duarte, under this S. P. I. number. ~ Canto. (Guat.) Introduced as budwood in 1911 from Atlixco, Puebla, Mexico by West India Gardens under No. 25. Described by Ryerson in the Pomona Journal for February , 1918. Canyada. Introduced as budwood in 1911 from Canyada, Queretaro, Mexico, under No. 9, First described by Ryerson in the Pomona Journal for February, 1918. One fruit set on a budded tree at Altadena in 1916. Cardinal. (W. I.) A Florida variety described by P. J. Wester; foliage exceptionally 110 1916 ANNUAL REPORT handsome, being crimson when young, hence the variety name. Intro- duced into California and being tested out in some localities. Carton. (Mex.) Original tree owned by P. E. Carton, San Fernando; seed planted in May, 1907, from an extra large, green fruit sent from Guadalajara, Mexico. The tree is said to have borne the third year from seed 67 fruits; fourth year, 780; fifth year, 227; sixth year, 460; and seventh year, 1000 fruits or more. Several budded trees bearing at San Fernando, 1916. Variety first described by Ryerson in the Journal of Agriculture for November, 19138. Challenge. (Guat.) Original tree owned by J. H. Walker, 1547 Las Palmas Ave., Holly- wood; said to have been planted about 1897. Tree began bearing at seven or eight years of age and following crops averaged from 800 to 1500 fruits. It failed almost completely one season several years before the freeze of 1912-13 and also the one immediately after. Im 1914-15 there were approximately 2500 fruits on the tree but in 1916 only six fruits were produced, seeming to indicate the habit of bearing in alternate years which is common with many other kinds of fruit trees, due no doubt to over production. Mr. Walker actually sold 1540 fruits from the tree in 1915 for $756.36. There were also a good many fruits used in the family of which no account was made and 200 were picked to lighten the branches. During the cold spell of January, 1913, the tree was subjected to two nights of frost, the first with a temperature of 24 and the second of 18°; the tips of the branches were frozen and in exposed places some of the older wood was killed, but the fruit escaped. The worst feature was the failure of the tree to set fruit that spring for the following season. The variety was first described by F. O. Popenoe in these Proceedings for October 28, 1915. Budded trees fruiting in 1916. Champion. (Guat.) Original tree on the place of C. P. Taft of Orange; seed planted by him in 1902. Budwood was sent to Florida in 1916 for trial. First described by F. O. Popenoe in these Proceedings for October 23, 1915. Chappelow. (Mex.) Original tree owned by Wm. Chappelow, Monrovia. The seed from which the Chappelow avocado was grown was sent by the U. S. D. A. in the summer of 1898. They had been received from Mr. F. Foex then of Eddy, N. Mexico, who had obtained them from fruits found on trees near Monterey, Mexica, where they had been subjected to a temperature of about 22° F. during several consecutive nights when in blossom during the preceding winter. The seedling was grown in a pot and not planted out until the following spring. The winter of that year (1894) was very cold and the small tree was frosted down to the ground and came up again the next spring. The tree began bearing the fourth and fifth years from planting and has been bearing every year since except the year of the heavy freeze of January, 1913. Buds of the tree were sent to Professor Rolfs of Miami, Florida, ~~ 1902. He top-worked it in seedlings and CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION Justa two years later obtained fruit. Professor Rolfs named the variety after Mr. Chappelow, by which name it has been known since. The tree is now 23 years old and is the largest in California, possibly in the United States. The tree itself has never been injured by frost since it was one year old, but several years the crop of fruit has been lessened by an extra cold snap in blooming time. The tree has always borne a crop with the exception of 1913 when the thermometer went dcewn to 10° and all the fruit and bloom were killed. It bloomed again later on, but only a small number of fruits set. The record of the number of fruits since 1902 is as follows: 1902, 310; 1908, 380; 1904, 605; fPoaeatas 1900, 230; 1907, 465; 1908, 1209; 1909, 260; 1910, 285; 1911, 1025; 1912, 350; 1918, 20; 1914, 3215; 1915, 1728. Seedlings of the Chappelow have borne fruit remarkably like that of the parent tree, due either to its isolation which prevents cross-pollination with other varieties or to the pure strain of seed from which it came. Budded trees have been bearing for several years in various parts of Southern California. Some trees are known to produce small, elongated, seedless fruits in addition to normal specimens. The variety was named and described by P. H. Rolfs under S. P. I. No. 12934 in 1905. A description, history and colored reproduction of the fruit is given in the U. S. D. A. Yearbook for 1906, pp. 368, 364. An outline drawing was published in 1904 in Bulletin 61, Bureau of Plant Industry, by P. H. Rolfs. Chili. (Guat.) Imported as budwood from an altitude of 6000 feet in Chili in June, 1911, by D. E. Clower of Monrovia through Dr. W. E. Aughenbaugh. Described by K. A. Ryerson in Pomona Journal of February, 1913. Christmas Red. (W. I.) Described in John B. Beach’s Florida Catalogue as a seedling from the Trapp which produces a fruit more oval in form than the parent and mahogany red. Colima. (Guat.) Introduced as budwood in 1912 by the West India Gardens from near Colima, Mexico, as Johnston No. 5. Fruit not yet accurately described. Colon. (Guat.) Introduced as budwood in 1911 by West India Gardens, from Atlixco, Mexico, under No. 24. First described by F. O. Popenoe in these Proceed- ings for Oct. 23, 1915. Colorado. (Guat.) Original tree planted on College Street, Los Angeles, about 1901 by J. Murrieta, the seed coming from Atlixco, Mexico. In May 1914 the tree was transplanted by E. L. Doheny to his home grounds, Beverly Hills near Los Angeles, and is fruiting in 1916. Buds of the Colorado placed in large seedlings have produced fruit at Duarte. Variety first described by Ryerson in the Journal of Agriculture for November 1913. Quite commonly known as Purple Murrieta. Cyrus. A Florida variety described by P. J. Wester in 1910 probably under S. P. I. No. 26699. 112 1916 ANNUAL REPORT Dickey. (Guat.) Original tree on place of E. W. Dickey, head of La Brea Ave., Hollywood. Seed from Atlixco, Mexico, planted about 1904. First crop about 300 fruits. Budded trees very difficult to grow and very few thriv- ing; several fruiting, however, at Yorpa Linda in 1916, also at San Fer- nando. Buds sent to Florida fruited during the winter of 1915-16. Variety described by Ryerson in Journal of Agriculture for November 19138. Dickey A. (Guat.) Original tree on place of E. W. Dickey, Hollywood; planted about 1904. Described by Ryerson in the Journal of Agriculture, November 1913, under the provisional name of Dickey A. Davis Nos. 4, 6, 7, Analyses of these three varieties are given in the Hawaii Station Report for 1914, p. 66. Dickinson. (Guat.) Original tree growing at 679 West 35th Street, Los Angeles. Mrs. Mu. J. Dickinson, 6830 West 35th Street, planted the seed and owned the tree up to 1912. According to Mrs. Dickinson, a grocer of the neighborhood went to Honduras and when he came back brought two avocado seeds with him. She planted these about 1899. One seedling was killed by the frost, while the other was planted near the house and grew thriftily, being more sheltered. It bore a few fruits in 1909, 1910, and 1911, 50 or so each year, while in 1912 the fruit on the tree sold for $150.00, at $.25 each. In 1912-18 it was more or less frosted and did not bear much fruit until 1916, when 450 fruits matured. Another report says that the seed came from the city of Guatemala. The variety was first described by Ryerson in the Journal of Agriculture, November 19138. Don Carlos. A Cuban variety described in 1916 under S. P. I. No. 40979. Eskbank. A Hawaiian variety especially recommended for planting in the Islands. Estelle. (W. I.) A Florida variety described in nursery catalogs. Family. (W. I.) A Florida variety described and figured by a colored plate in the Yearbook for 1910, p. 481. First described in 1905 by P. H. Rolfs under ee al eNionel 2935. Farnsworth. A Hawaiian variety especially recommended for planting in the Islands. Ferry. (Guat.) Original tree growing on place of Dr. F. C. Ferry, Hollywood Blvd. and Serrano Ave., Hollywood. Tree was planted in 1898 as a seedling from the Sturtevant Nursery. The first fruits were produced about 1910; there were none on the tree in 1914, but in 1915 the tree bore 12 to 15 dozen and in 1916 a total of 23 dozen which sold at $4.50 a dozen. No fruits have set in 1916. The tree was damaged by fire in 1907, one CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 113 side of the trunk still showing the effects. Buds placed in a large seed- ling have produced fruit at Mr. Spink’s place. Described by F. O. Popenoe in these Proceedings for October 23, 1915. Fowler. (Mex.) Original tree growing on place of Mrs. E. M. Fowler, 363 Grove Street, Pasadena. Seed was planted in 1902 and is said to have been obtained from the garden of Charles M. Cook of Honolulu. One account states that it is a seedling of the Blake. Budded trees fruiting in sev- eral localities this season, some in the San Joaquin Valley. The variety was described by F. W. Popenoe in the Pomona Journal for February, 1911. Nearly 1000 fruits were produced on the original tree in 1915. Fuerte. (Guat.) Introduced as budwod in 1911 from Atlixco, Puebla, Mexico, under No. 15. Budded trees are bearing this year for the first time at Yorba Linda and Altadena. Described by Ryerson in Pomona Journal for Febru- ary 1918 as No. 15. Fulford. A Florida variety, budded trees of which are growing in the propa- gating house of Plant Introduction Gardens, Chico, under S. P. I. No. 36709. Ganter. (Mex.) Original tree growing on the place of H. A. Woodworth, Rideout Heights, Whittier. The seedling tree was purchased with several other trees from a nurseryman of Whittier, I. H. Cammack, by A. R. Rideout who planted it in the spring or summer of 1905. The seedling was about 3 feet in height and at least one-half of the bark sun-burned so that it took a long time for this to heal over. At the same time about a dozen other trees were planted but the Ganter proved to be the only one worthy of mention. Just as the tree came into bearing the place was sold to A. M. Ganter, after whom the variety was named A little later Mr. Woodworth bought the property and some trees have been disseminated under the name Woodworth. Budded trees are bear- ing in many localities. Small seedless fruits are sometimes produced in addition to normal specimens. Described by F. W. Popenoe in the Pomona Journal for February, 1911. Gordo. (Guat.) Imported as budwood in 1911 by West India Gardens from Atlixco, Puebla, Mexico, under No. 14. Described by F. O. Popenoe in these Proceedings for October 238, 1915. Gottfried. A Florida variety described in 1906 under S. P. I. No. 19094. Grande. (Guat.) Introduced as budwood in 1911 by West India Gardens from Atlixco, Puebla, Mexico, under No. 39. Described by Ryerson as No. 39 in Pomona Journal for February 1918. Fruiting at Upland and Riverside in 1916. Grant. (W. I.) A variety collected from Bahama Islands, British West Indies by P. J. Wester in 1906 and described under S. P. I. No. 18731. 114 1916 ANNUAL REPORT Guadalupe. (W. I.) A Cuban variety described in 1916 under S. P. I. No. 40980. Guatemala. A variety introduced by U. S. D. A. and which fruited in Florida for the first time in April, 1914. Harman. (Mex.) Original tree on place of E. N. Harman, Sherman, Foothill Boulevard. It is said to be one of six trees brought to California from South America and planted by Mrs. Charles Horn on her ranch at Sherman in 1899. Mr. Harman: acquired the place in 1905 just as the tree was beginning to bear. Since that time the crop has averaged about 1500 fruits. Budded trees are bearing in many localities and trees have been widely disseminated in California. First described by F. W. Popenoe in the Pomona Journal for February 1911. Hathaway. (Mex.) Original tree on place of B. Hathaway, 1659 Miller Ave., Hollywood. The tree was grown from a seedling obtained from Mrs. Miller in 1904. Described by F. O. Popenoe in these Proceedings for October 23, 1915. Hollenbeck. (Mex.) Original tree growing at the Hollenbeck home in Los Angeles. Budded trees listed in nursery catalogs in 1915. Described in these Proceedings for October 23, 1915. Horn. (Mex.) Original tree growing on place of Ed Harman at Sherman until about two years ago, when it was removed. Budded trees advertised in nursery catalogs in 1914; propagated in small way only. Hulumanu. Recommended for planting in Hawaii in 1915. Ideal (Guat.) Imported as budwood from Mexico by D. E. Clower of Monrovia. Described by Ryerson in Pomona Journal for February 1918. Ingersoll. (Mex.) Described in the California Cultivator for October 28, 1916 as follows: The tree stands eight feet high and has a spread of about 12 feet. “It bore this year 180 fruits of an average size of three and a half inches long and two and a quarter inches in diameter and an average weight of five and a half ounces. It is a thin-skinned variety of deep purple color. The flesh is of excellent quality. The tree blooms in March and the fruit ripens in August, September and October.” Inezholt. A Hawaiian variety imported in the spring of 1914 by Joseph Sexton of Goleta, under No. 1907, or Holt’s No. 1. Especially recommended in 1915 for planting in the Islands. Jersey Cream. A Hawaiian variety imported in 1914 by Mr. Sexton of Goleta as No. 1911. Johnston. (Guat.) ? Introduced as budwood in 1912 by the West India Gardens from near Colima, Mexico, under Johnston No. 6. Fruit not yet described. CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 115 Johnstone. (W. I.) A variety described by P. J. Wester in 1906 under S. P. I. No. 18729. Budwood originally from Bahamas. Kailua. Recommended in 1915 for planting in Hawaii. Knight. (Guat.) Introduced under No. 27 as budwood in 1914 by E. E. Knight, Yorba Linda from Antigua, Guatemala. Fruit round, 4 inches diameter, 1% pounds weight; surface, slightly rough; skin, a hard shell, woody; green in color. Flesh, firm, yellow, free from fiber, rich nutty flavor; seed medium size, tight in cavity. Bloom first of June; season, following November until last of March in Guatemala. Description by Mr. Knight. Knowles. (Mex.) Original tree on place of W. A. Knowles, Santa Barbara; planted in 1898 and at eight years of age produced about 1000 fruits. Annual crop from 150 to 1200 fruits. Described by F. O. Popenoe in these Proceed- ings for October 28, 1915. Lambert. (Guat.) Original tree on place of C. F. Wagner, corner Fairfax and Fountain streets, Hollywood. The seed was obtained from a fruit sold on the Los Angeles market and planted in 1907. In 1915 it bore three fruits and in 1916 four fruits. The variety was given Mrs. Wagner’s maiden name. Described by F. O. Popenoe in these Proceedings for October 23, 1915. Landon. A Florida variety included in descriptions made by F. W. Popenoe in the Pomona Journal for February, 1911. Large. A variety described in 1906 by P. J. Wester under S. P. I. No. 187380; originally from Bahama Islands. Linda. (Guat.) Introduced as budwood from Guatemala in 1914 by E. E. Knight of Yorba Linda as Knight’s No. 39. Described by F. O. Popenoe in these Proceedings for October 23, 1915. Los Angeles (Mex.) A variety originated on the place of W. A. Spinks, Duarte, in 1914- 1915. The tree is a strong grower; the fruit is purplish-black, bottle- necked, glossy; skin thin; seed fairly large; flesh of good texture and little fiber; quality very good. Season late. Luisa. A Cuban variety described in 1916 under S. P. I. No. 40912 and being tested out in Florida. Lycett. Especially recommended in 1915 for planting in Hawaii. Lyman. Recommended in 1915 for planting in Hawaii. Lyon. (Guat.) Original tree on place of Miss A. M. Lyon, 7276 Sunset Boulevard, 116 1916 ANNUAL REPORT Hollywood. The seed was from a fruit purchased on the Los Angeles market and planted in 1908. The original tree is not very large having been cut heavily for budwood and also somewhat injured by the freeze of 1912-18. Budded trees have proved to be very precocious, literally blossoming and bearing themselves almost to death, unless prevented by thinning the fruit. Lyon. (Guat.) Two varieties have been described under the name of Lyon. This one was described by P. J. Wester in the Philippine Agricultural Review for February 1914. The original tree grew from seed imported in 1903 by L. Lyon, the horticulturist of the Philippine Station at that time. Macdonald. Especially reemmended in 1915 for planting in Hawaii. Magoon. Introduced as budwood in 1914 from Hawaii by Joseph Sexton of Goleta, under No. 3203. Especially recommended in 1915 for planting in Hawaii. Makaha I and II. Analyses of these two varieties are given in the Hawaiian Station Report for 1914, p. 66. Matamoras. A hardy variety secured from across the river in Mexico near Brownsville, Texas. A budded tree is growing in the propagating house of the Plant Introduction Gardens, Chico. Mattern (Mex.) Original tree growing in Los Angeles, fruiting in 1912. Short de- scription by F. O. Popenoe in these Proceedings for October 23, 1915. Merced. A Cuban variety described in 1916 under S. P. I. No. 40981 and intro- duced into Florida for trial. Merito. (Guat.) Introduced as budwood in 1911 by West India Gardens from Atlixco, Puebla, Mexico, under No. 18. Budded trees set fruit in Altadena in 1916. Described by K. A. Ryerson in Pomona Journal for February 1913. Meserve. (Guat.) Original tree growing on place of Ralf Goddard, corner Cherry and Hill Streets, Signal Hill, Long Beach. Said to have been grown from a seed obtained from Honolulu about 1901 by Mrs. Meserve, who formerly owned the place. Described by Ryerson in the Journal of Agriculture for November 1918. Miles. (Guat.) Introduced as budwood in 1911 by West India Gardens from Atlixco, Puebla, Mexico, under No. 35. Briefly described by F. O. Popenoe in these Proceedings for October 28, 1915. Miller. (Guat.) Original tree on place of Jacob Miller, head of Miller Avenue, Holly- wood. Seedling tree said to have been brought from Guatemala by John Grelck, an uncle of Mrs. Miller, and planted in 1886 on a neighboring place, from which it was transplanted about 1910. The tree blooms pro- CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION It? fusely and sets an immense crop of fruits which, however, keep dropping until very few mature. Described by F. W. Popenoe in the Pomona Jour- nal for February 1911. Mitchell Originated in Porto Rico and introduced into Florida in 1906 for trial. Described under S. P. I. No. 18120. Moanalua. A chance seedling about 25 years of age growing on the estate of S. M. Damon, Moanalua, Hawaii. A bud on Mr. Spinks’ place at Duarte has developed into a tree but has proved very tender, the young foliage and twigs being spotted and blackened by cool nights; some fruit is matur- ing this season. Described by J. E. Higgins in the Hawaii Station Report for 1910. Modesto. (Guat.) Introduced as budwood in 1912 from Atlixco,.Puebla, Mexico, by the West India Gardens. Briefly described in these Proceedings for October 23, 1915. Monrovia. (Mex.) Original tree on part of the Bradbury Estate, Duarte, formerly called the Winston ranch, but now owned by Miss Louisa Bradbury, who has named it the “Valadenia.” Parent tree quite large, from 20 to 25 years old, bearing a very large oval leaf; very few propagated. Budded tree fruiting at Thos. H. Shedden’s place, Monrovia, 1916. Described by F. W. Popenoe in these Proceedings for October 23, 1915. Monroe. (Guat.) Original tree on place of B. H. Sharpless, Santa Ana, R. D. Tree was planted in 1905 and bore two fruits in 1914, five in 1915, and sixty in 1916. It was named for Mrs. Sharpless, whose maiden name was Monroe. Described by F. O. Popenoe in these Proceedings for October 23, 1915. Montezuma. (Guat.) Introduced as budwood in 1911 by the West India Gardens from At- lixco, Puebla, Mexico, under No. 33. Described and figured by Ryerson in the Pomona Journal for February 1918. Murrieta. (Guat.) Original tree growing at 765 College Street, Los Angeles. Planted about 1910 by John Murrieta; seed secured from Atlixco, Mexico. Buds placed in large seedling trees. have fruited at Mr. Spinks’ place near Duarte. Budded trees fruiting at Mr. Shedden’s place, Monrovia, 1916. Very few trees have been grown on account of difficulty of propagation. Sometimes known as Murrieta Green. Original tree said to have died re- cently. Described by Ryerson in Journal of Agriculture, for November 19138. Murrieta Two Pound or Two Pound Murrieta. (Guat.) Original tree said to be on the old Murrieta Place, 765 College Street, Los Angeles. Propagated and distributed by the Pioneer Nursery in 1915 and 1916. Fruit not yet described. Northrop. (Mex.) Original tree on place of W. R. Bartley, Santa Ana, R. D. It was planted by J. H. Northrop, now of Indio, the seedling having been secured 118 1916 ANNUAL: REPORT from C. P. Taft about 1900. The place was owned for many years by Mr. Eells and some budded trees have been disseminated under the name “Eells.” In 1914 the tree produced 1,800 fruits, and in 1915 about 1,000 fruits, bringing $2.50 a dozen on the Los Angeles and San Francisco markets. The tree produces a heavy crop in the fall and lighter crop in the spring. Described by Ryerson in the Journal of Agriculture for November 1918. Nutmeg. (Guat.) Original tree in orchard at Hawaii Experiment Station, Honolulu; seedling planted in March 1908, and tree came into bearing in December 1911. Described by C. J. Hunn in Hawaii Station Report for 1912, p. 38. Budded trees are growing in California at Goleta and Pasadena. Obispo. (Guat.) Introduced as budwood in 1911 by West India Gardens from Atlixco, Puebla, Mexico, under No. 41. Described by Ryerson as No. 41 in the Pomona Journal for February 1913. Oro. (Guat.) Introduced as budwood in 1911 by West India Gardens from Atlixco, Mexico, under No. 82. Described as No. 32, by Ryerson in the Pomona Journal for February 1913. Pico. (Mex.) Original tree on place of Jacob Miller, Hollywood; moved recently to Doheny place. Very few trees propagated. Described by F. O. Popenoe in these Proceedings for October 28, 1915. Perfecto. (Guat.) Introduced as budwood in 1911 from Atlixco by the West India Gar- dens under Nos. 19 and 22. One fruit matured on a three-year-old bud at Altadena in 1916. Described and figured by Ryerson as No. 19 in the Pomona Journal for February 1913. Plata. (Mex.) Introduced as budwood in 1911 by the West India Gardens from Santa Maria del Rio, San Luis Potosi, Mexico, under No. 2. Described by F. O. Popenoe in these Proceedings for October 23, 1915. Pollock. (W. I.) Original tree on grounds of S. H. Pollock, Miami, Florida, and planted about 1896 or 1897. Budded trees were disseminated under the variety name as early as 1901 by a Florida nursery; described in 1905 under S. P. I. No. 12936. It is fully described and a colored plate of the fruit given in the Yearbook for 1912, p. 272. Budded trees fruiting at W. A. Spink’s piace, 1916. Pomona. (Mex.) Original] tree on grounds of Mrs. Anna Skinner, 533 West Ninth Street, Pomona. A hardy variety distributed a few years ago but no longer being propagated. Fruit small, purplish-black. A three-year-old budded tree is thriving near Sacramento and this year produced twelve fruits. Popocatepetl. (Guat) Introduced as budwood in 1912 by West India Gardens from Atlixco, Mexico. Described by Ryerson in the Pomona Journal for February 1913. CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 119 Presidente. (Guat.) Original tree growing at 765 College Street, Los Angeles. Seed planted by John Murrieta about 1901. Described by Ryerson as El Presi- dente in the Journal of Agriculture for November 1913. Preston. A variety described in Hawaii Bulletin No. 25 as No. 157 and which G. P. Wilder calls Preston. Puebla. (Guat.) Introduced as budwood in 1911 by West India Gardens from Atlixco, Puebla, Mexico, under No. 13. Budded trees are maturing fruit at several localities this season. Described by Ryerson in the Pomona Journal for February 1913. Quality. A Florida variety described by P. J. Wester and included in the de- scriptions given by F. W. Popenoe in the Pomona Journal for February 1911. Several budded trees growing in California. Queen. (Guat.) Introduced under Knight’s No. 28, as budwood in 1914 by E. E. Knight of Yorba Linda from an elevation of 5,200 feet in Guatemala. Described by F. W. Popenoe in these Proceedings for October 23, 1915. Queretaro. (Mex.) Introduced as budwood in 1911 by the West India Gardens from Canyada, Queretaro, Mexico, under No. 11. Described by Ryerson in Po- mona Journal for February 1913. Budded trees fruiting this season at Yorba Linda, Monrovia, Nordhoff and Tustin. Rader. Listed in the 1915 catalog of Griffing Bros., Jacksonville, Florida. Rainey. (Mex.) Original tree on place of Mr. Rainey, Santa Barbara Street, Santa Barbara; said to be a seedling of the White. Described by F. O. Popenoe in these Proceedings for October 23, 1915. Redondo. (Guat.) Introduced as budwood in 1911 from Atlixco by the West India Gar- dens under No. 16. Budded trees fruiting at Yorba Linda this season. Described and figured by Ryerson in the Pomona Journal for. February 1913. Rey. (Guat.) Introduced as budwood in 1914 by E. E. Knight of Yorba Linda from an elevation of 5,200 feet in Guatemala. Original tree low and round in outline; 25 feet high with a trunk about 14 inches in diameter; yield in Guatemala 500 fruits; season October to April; probable age of tree, 20 years. Fruit, average weight one pound; color, green; surface, rough; rind, thick; fiber, none; quality, very nutty; size of seed, medium; tight in the cavity. Description furnished by Mr. Knight. The name Rey was suggested by the owner of the original tree who said it was king of all varieties he knew. Rhoad. (Guat.) Original tree on place of C. P. Taft, Orange. Seed planted in 1902; tree bearing its first fruit at five years of age and it is said to have 120 1916 ANNUAL REPORT brought in more actual money returns than the original Taft tree. In 1915 it produced 500 fruits, and in 1916 1,200 fruits. Budded trees fruit- ing at Orange and Goleta, 1916. First described by Ryerson in the Jour- nal of Agriculture, November 1913. Rico. A Florida variety. Described in 1905 under S. P. I. No. 13781. Rita. (Guat.) Original tree on place of C. P. Taft, Orange. Seed planted in 1902; described by Ryerson in the Journal of Agriculture for November 1913. Rodolph. (Mex.) Original tree on place of Mr. R. D. Fish, 231 Jasmine Avenue, Mon- rovia. Said to be a seedling of the Chappelow; planted about 1906 or 1907. It began to fruit when only four or five years old, bearing a large crop for such a small tree. In recent years it has been an irregular bearer. Described by F. O. Popenoe in these Proceedings for October 23, TOTS: Royal. (Guat.) ; Original tree on place of J. H. Walker, 1547 Las Palmas Avenue, Hollywood. Tree planted about 1897 and began bearing in the seventh or eighth year. It had in round numbers 300, 400 and 500 fruits in 1910, 1911, and 1912, respectively. In 1914 the tree produced nearly 1,000 fruits. Described by Ryerson in the Journal of Agriculture, November 1913. San Sebastian. (Mex.) Introduced as budwood in 1911 from San Sebastian, Queretaro, Mexico, by West India Gardens under No. 7. Proved to be hardy in 1912 and 1918, being untouched in exposed position by temperature of 16 degrees. De- scribed by Ryerson in the Pomona Journal for February 1913. Senor. (Guat.) Original tree on place of C. P. Taft, Orange. Seed planted in 1901. Described by Ryerson in Journal of Agriculture for November 1913. Schmidt. (Guat.) Introduced as budwood in 1911 by West India Gardens from Atlixco, Mexico, under No. 40. The Schmidt ripened fruit in Florida during the winter of 1915 and 1916. Described by Ryerson as No. 40 in the Pomona Journal for February 1918. Sharpless ( Guat.) Original tree on place of B. H. Sharpless, Santa Ana, R. D. No. 1, ad- joining the place on which the Northrop tree is growing. Mr. T. Gackley is said to have bought the tree as a seedling in 1901 from C. P. Taft. It fruited first at nine years of age. In 1912 the crop was two fruits; in 1918, 20; in 1914, 75; in 1915, 250; in 1916, several hundred. Two-year- old buds in large seedling trees are setting heavily this season. Described — by Ryerson in the Journal of Agriculture, November 1913. Sinaloa. (Guat.) Introduced as budwood in 1911 by the West India Gardens from Atlixco, Mexico. The Sinaloa ripened fruit in Florida during the winter of 1915-16. Budded trees at Yuba City, California, have proved hardy. Fruiting on three-year buds on old seedling at E. W. Dickey’s place, Hollywood. The variety described by F. W. Popenoe in the Pomona Jour- CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 121 nal for February, 1911, is no longer in existence, the name being trans- ferred to this variety. Described by Ryerson in the Pomona Journal for February 1918. Skinner. (Mex.) Advertised in nursery catalogs of 1914. Listed but not described in these Proceedings for October 28, 1915. Very few trees propagated. Smith. (Mex.) Original tree on the place of C. R. Smith. 1308 North Main Street, Santa Ana. Said to be a budded tree of a Mexican Seedling, planted in 1906. It bore its first crop at seven years of age, producing 783 fruits at that time. The fruit is small, weighing from three to five ounces, but very rich in flavor and practically free from fiber. During 1914 it pro- duced over 1,000 fruits. Solano. (Guat.) Original tree on the Solano Estate, Hollywood. The origin of the seed not definitely known but said to have been planted by Mr. Murrieta. According to J. E. Higgins, the Solano is a Hawaiian seedling. First crop produced in 1912. In 1913 about 150 fruits and in 1915 about 325 fruits were produced, while in 1916 only two matured. The Solano ripened fruit in Florida during the winter of 1915-16. Buds of the Solano on large seedling trees matured fruit in 1916 on Mr. Spinks’ place at Duarte; fruit also maturing elsewhere for 1917. Described by Ryerson in the Journal of Agriculture for November 1913. Spinks. (Guat.) This variety originated as a promising seedling in a nursery row on W. A. Spinks’ place at Duarte. A bud was taken from the seedling, placed in an older tree and produced 19 fruits in 1915. Described by F. O. Popenoe in these Proceedings for October 23, 1915. Sterling. A Florida variety described by Wester under one of the S. P. I. Numbers 26689 to 26730. Description included in those given by F. W. Popenoe in the Pomona Journal for February 1911. St. Petersburg. A Florida variety described in 1907 under S. P. I. No. 26699. A budded tree is growing in the propagation house of the Plant Introduc- tion Gardens at Chico. Surprise. (Guat.) Original tree on place of C. F. Wagner, Hollywood, California. Seed planted from a fruit shipped from Mexico in the fall of 1908. The tree produced one fruit in 1915 and in 1916, 81 fruits were gathered. De- scribed by F. O. Popenoe in these Proceedings for October 23, 1915. Taft. (Guat.) . Original tree on place of C. P. Taft, Orange. Seed planted in 1900. The tree bore 6 fruits at nine years of age. It then skipped a year and produced a good crop during the next three years. In 1912 it produced 0 fruits; in 1913, 120; in 1914, 120; in 1915, 300; in 1916, 700. Budded trees are bearing this season in different places in Southern California as well as in the San Joaquin Valley. although buds placed in large 122 1916 ANNUAL REPORT seedlings have borne fruit at Mr. Taft’s place the last two years. De- scribed by Ryerson in the Journal of Agriculture for November 1913. Taft Hardy. (Mex.) A variety propagated by some nurseryman and quite widely dis- tributed a few years ago, but is no longer being propagated. Budded trees are bearing in different localities. Taylor. (Guat.) A Florida variety described in 1916 under S. P. I. No. 26710. The original tree is a seedling either of the Challenge or Royal, seeds of which were sent to Washington and planted at Miami in 1908. Topa Topa. (Mex.) Original tree on place of E. S. Thacher, Nordhoff. The tree is one of 122 seedlings which were planted in orchard form in March, 1909, the seed having probably been planted in 1907. In 1911 the tree bore several fruits and has produced crops every year since. In January, 1913 the tree stood a temperature of about 20 degrees, carrying all its leaves uninjured and part of its bloom, maturing some fruit the following season. In 1914 the tree had about 200 fruits, but on account of the greater num- ber they averaged considerably smaller in size. In 1916 the tree set an excessive crop, many dropped when smaller than eggs and of the rest a considerable share ripened at the stem end first, many dropping off. Several hundred marketable fruits, however, matured. Described by F. O. Popenoe in these Proceedins for October 238, 1915. Trapp. (W. I.) Originated as one of a lot of seedlings planted about 1894 by S. C. Trapp in his garden at Cocoanut Grove, Florida. Described in 1915 under S. P. I. No. 12937 and in the same year more fully described and figured in colored plate in the Yearbook. Considered by Florida growers and shippers to be the best variety for commercial planting in that state. Budded trees have been growing in California for several years but have made poor growth. A tree at Mr. Spinks’ place, Duarte, is carrying fruit in 1916. Two Pound Green. (Guat.) Introduced as budwood from an elevation of 6000 feet in Atlixco, Mexico by D. E. Clower of Monrovia through G. Fuentes. Described by Ryerson in the Pomona Journal for February 1913. Ultimate. (Guat.) Original tree on place of C. P. Taft, Orange. Seed planted in 1902 and according to Mr. Taft dropped its fruit badly during the early years of fruiting. Placed by Mr. Taft next to the Taft variety both in quality and hardness. Described by F. O. Popenoe in these Proceedings for October 28, 1915. Val de Flor. (Mex.) Introduced as budwood in 1912 by E. G. Hart of Los Angeles from the State of Oaxaca, Mexico. Budded trees fruiting this season show two types of fruit, one oblong and one bottle-necked. Described by F. O. Pope- noe in these Proceedings for October 23, 1915. Veranero. A variety obtained by U. S. D. A. from Caracas, Venezuela under CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 123 S. P. I. No. 35121, March 1913. It is called Veranero on account of the crop coming at the end of the dry season while the high time for the other varieties growing about Caracas is August. Said by Pittier to grow at some elevation and should do well in Southern California where the rain is somewhat scarce. Verde. (Guat.) Introduced as budwood in 1911 by the West India Gardens from Atlixco, Mexico, under No. 17. Described by Ryerson in the Pomona Journal for February 1913, as the California Trapp. Volcan. (Guat.) Introduced as budwood in 1912 by the West India Gardens from Atlixco, Mexico. Described by Ryerson in the Pomona Journal for February 1913, under the name “Itzia’’. Wagner. (Guat.) Original tree on place of C. F. Wagner, Fairfax and Fountain Aves., Hollywood. The Wagner is said to be a seedling from the Royal and was planted in the spring of 1907, bearing its first fruit the fifth year, ail dropping but three. The crop in 1914 was 36 fruits; in 1915, 442 and in 1916, 186 fruits. Budded trees have been bearing during the last two years; some four year old trees are carrying fruit in the San Joaquin Valley in 1916. Described by F. O. Popenoe in these Proceedings for October 23, 1915. Walker (Guat.) Original tree on place of J. H. Walker, 1547 Las Palmas Ave., Hollywood. It was planted in 1897 or 1898 and began bearing at six years of age, since which time it has produced every year excent in 1914. The crop for the past few years has been from 1800 to 3000 fruits. In 1915 it produced about 3,500 fruits but fewer than in 1916. has probably brought in more actual cash to the owner than any fruit tree in California. Budded trees have been bearing for several years in various parts of Southern California. Described by F. W. Popenoe in the Pomona Journal for February, 1911. Sometimes known as “Walker Prolific”. Wester. (W. I.) A Florida variety described under S. P. I. No. 19297. White (Mex.) Original tree on the place of Mrs. G. A. White, 24 W. Arellaga Street, Santa Barbara. The tree was a seedling purchased from Dr. Franceschi in the fall of 1897, although Dr. Franceschi himself said tbat he raised the tree from a Mexican seed in 1895. The tree matured several fruits at 3 years of age and has borne every year since. During the last few years the approximate number of fruits would be around 400. Budded trees have been bearing for several years and in some cases have matured three and even four crops in one season. Described by F. W. Popenoe in the Pomona Journal for February 1911. Wilson (W. If.) A Cuban variety introduced for trial in Southern Florida and describ- ed in 1916 under S. P. I. No. 40982. 124 1916 ANNUAL REPORT ILLUSTRATIONS OF INTERESTING AVOCADO FRUITS The following illustrations of avocado fruits are from photographs supplied by Prof. I. J. Condit, of the Department of Citriculture, College of Agriculture, Berkeley, California, and by Prof. H. J. Webber, Director of the Citrus Experiment Station, Riverside, California. The varieties reproduced are taken without reference to their com- parative value and are used for the purpose of furnishing growers a means of familiarizing themselves with the characters of the various va- rieties. In comparing the illustrations carefully note in each case whether the photograph is natural size or reduced. Some fruits owing to their large size have been somewhat reduced.—(Editor’s note). CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 125 Figure 12.—Bartley (natural size). This is one of the largest avocados so far produced in California, the fruits averaging about 32 oz. in weight. (Photo by the Division of Citriculture, Berkeley) I. J. Condit. 1916 ANNUAL REPORT 126 Sq OJOUd) ‘sulresq O}UT Suiui0d MOU o1¥ S9eI} PeppNq +10[09 puB edeys ‘yPUOH “Cf ‘JT (ean}[MOMYWOH Jo UOIstAtd ‘QzIS poos jo ST }iIndJ 9U.L ‘(QzIS [BAN}BVU) VsuUeT[VeYO—'sT VINSIW 127 CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION pue oev10}S Wory usyr poovid pure LG . VWPUOO “£ IT (AojoyJeg ‘eanqmMorwsjtO jo MOISTAId AQ oOFOYd) ‘UOTIPUOD poos Ul SUIATIIe ‘AolayI9q 0} JUS JIOM AOU} 19}B] SYOOM OMT ‘TE pue 0§ “FOO OSaIq uUeg }e poejzIqryxe } o10M ADY} J9}VT YJUOU 9UO “WW SooIZap L§ }B JoVVT SAVP OM} 98RIOJS poo ur ydog 901} [VULSIIO OY} UO poxyord oa9 M S}INIZ osouL, ‘(OZIS [B4in}eVU) UOSUTyOIG—'p~ oanSiyy7 1916 ANNUAL REPORT 128 yIpuop ‘f “LT (Aopoysog ‘aany[NopAy OM JO UOTsfAtTcd Aq oyoud) ‘poyvyesvdoid poapuny Auvut JO yno SupMous ore Moy BV A[UO PUB SOAIY} WOpPlos soot} poppng ‘97108 JOYy}JO OWIOS OI ynq ‘ApoHIvBA JUuS[[eOxXe UB BE AOYOIC AoOJpoOVAIvYO FINAJ UT ‘(OZ[S [VANPVU Spsalyy-OMy) AMOI —'GL oaNsy yy 129 CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION (9IN}[NdT ” THTO pue wJoloo ul JEU MOULOS gO UOISIAIG Aq UdsdId ‘AJOLIVA 018 pue soo] — ane 010d) POUUTYS-uly. wB SI poppngq ‘SUvOS puP S¥YO CIO MOUS OF pue puso TOUTE) OUL ‘e0r} [vULsya0 ou}. woud uO poXxonporad eaom S}JIMAS osoy iL ‘(OZ18 ou} ye [vanzeu) J osoyy “yIpuo,) jOL OF OUOId LAY VBA ST UBY} LoSa1V] 19, URH—'9T aL OTN] 1916 ANNUAL REPORT 130 “pU0p. fT (Agjeysog ‘eainj}[MoPyTO Jo UOISIAT pue Ajyenb puv JOA quetjeoxe Jo oe S}INIJ OL asiey, & suvoq AjyoTIVA doryWON oe} JO 901} [BUTSTI0 aq Aq o,oYUd) ‘“1eQIF 91 AdOA DAVY ‘douo Surids s9[[vwus B pues do1o [[eJ au, ‘(ezIs Teanyeu) doryWON—LT INS LY 131 CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION “HO JO uorstaiq 4 pod-ystdind pure A« poeyMay soot] pur SSO[S SI vovjains oY, “TIBI NUBIS OOTXe. WOrIy UL JYSnoIq Tl6r Ut UvYL ATOUTVIT o1OUT SVM POOMpnq vRIqon Apuo) C£ TI ‘(eunjnora qd 010Ud) ‘youry 07 Tsqueo0q jo olpprur UOSBOS “ZO OL 0} § YUSIOM VsBIOAW “AULUN} BU 7e S! UIMS SOUL ‘9I6l UT say BIULOFTTVD Ul d 9UL (ozIS [Vinzeu) viqong—'s~t oanSiy 1916 ANNUAL REPORT 132 ' ‘ypuon “f ‘TL (aanqyMoayYO Jo UOIs] -uoo Ssvy Ysey oy} pue Suyjvavdes pue oly, oe $}woo poses 34h AI Aq 0OYd) “AOQY os1qQeVarepts ‘£YIABD OU} UL VSOOT 9G OF} PoduUl[o -, puBy oS1Bl] ST poses 9} se: Surjuroddestp st yinsay o4L ‘TIGT Ul OOIXeT WOT JySnoiq Useq sur ‘(OzIS [eanyeu) OLBJOIONO— SL BINS -ARY POOM PNG OY} ‘YTGT Ul BIULOFITBD) UT Pe aa ah SaaS aS Ca DS ne LS SS A ECE PE cS Pa Sa i I oN AA LOT EE LEELA LIA AAS AA 2 eee, wma Tear Stee Indy yay AjyotseA SIL 6 TEI mies 133 CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION JPUOD “f ‘TI (Avleysog ‘OINY[NILIIID jo UOISIAIG: AQ 0} OY) ‘ArBnue SnotAcoid UL Uuey} J97e] OJ] UsdlI ey} SoMoea 9ULOS aut I ‘SIBved [¥J 9} UI AIQBIOPISUOD SPM 9QIGl UI UOsees ey, ° oy} suow Vv ‘(OZIS [@in}eU s.zejIeNb-ve £ Ysno1y} 991} 94} UO sulsuey siiMay USsIy syued Ssvo[dievyg IY) Ssojdieys —0Z IVINS 1916 ANNUAL REPORT 134 -I4HO jo uorspArq Aq 0}0Ud) ‘yey JO eseju0d10d MOT B&B UMOTYS esivy B pue poos [[vUIs ALOA B SB ouRlog oUL ‘(ozIs [Banj}eU Ss ‘yIpuoD “fF “T (eanyztno eAvy soss[vuy ‘Ysoey jo uo1j10do1d oyIeNnb-so1y} ynoqe) ourejog—'TZ eins CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 135 Figure 22.—Taft (natural size). As a commercial variety the Taft has taken its place in the front rank. Its season is from May to October. (Photo by Division of Citriculture) I. J. Condit. 136 1916 ANNUAL REPORT Figure 23.—Topa Topa (natural size). The Topa Topa is a beautiful fruit of the Mexican type with a glossy surface and deep purplish-black color. (Photo by Division of Citricul- ture i Je Condit: —_ Ss) Ca Oa eee en 137 CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION JO UOT}O0S 9ULOS Jo ) 1 x Sold oy} dy JI ‘JIPUOD “fF "T (eanqpNorT . 1) Ur UMOUS Sv AIAVO 94} Ul Jnouds AvUI pees oy} [ ‘AJOMIVA S nolwoovrd pue Oyl,oud AIOA & Ss S) TUL I JO UOISIAIG AQ OJOUW) ‘Ajort SWOT 00} Sa04]7 984} UO JJoT ouR (oz1 Ss [TVanzeUu) LIUSVAA—"pZ oANSIyy 1916 ANNUAL REPORT 138 IOQqaM ‘f “H (uoy}e}g Ju wWyodxXG sN441,) Aq 0}0Ud) ‘uoT}OOS Sso1o UL SuTMoYys 10qy 94} 2}0N ‘adA} UBOTXOJT POZIS WIN {pout ‘oe, UNTpeu VW ‘pooes jo osvq ye Aprepnopyard ‘(OZIS [BVANIVU) UWOJLBIY—'GZ OIN BIST ee ee ee 139 CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION —— T Laaeaadanaacate ee is a Mexican type that has shown Figure 26.—Harman (natural size). This fruit a marked tendency to become disfigured by the cracking of the skin, this seem- ing to be a varietal characteristic. It is also rather prone to rot at the end. H. J. Webber. Seed large and loose in cavity. 140 1916 ANNUAL REPORT ! P ¢ ; 5 7 4 Figure 27 a.—Fuerte (natural size). A mid-winter variety maturing normally between January 15 and April 1. Average weight 10 to 14 ounces. (Photo by Citrus Experiment Station) H. J. Webber. CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 141 Figure 27 b.—Fuerte (natural size). A mid-winter va- riety maturing normally between January 15 and April 1. Average weight 10 to 14 ounces. (Photo by Citrus Experiment Station). H. J. Webber. 142 1916 ANNUAL REPORT Figure 28.—Bud variation in Fuerte avocado (one- half natural size). On right normal Fuerte fruit, on left round fruit of Redondo type produced on the same budded tree of the Fuerte on the ranch of Mr. J. T. Whedon, at Yorba Linda, Cal. The tendency of this variety to produce two types of fruit is said to be the cause for the naming of two varieties, Fuerte and Redondo, when they were imported from Mexico. The Redondo is now known to be the round fruited bud variation of the Fuerte. (Photo by Citrus Experiment Station) H. J. Webber. ge ef) ee a ee ie He +x a" es, | ‘ 143 CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION Figure 29.—Lyon (natural size). This is one of the thick hard- shelled varieties that is attracting considerable comment. Sea- son of ripening April to June. A prolific and precocious variety beginning to ripen fruit two years from the bud. Tree a tall upright grower. ((Photo by Citrus Experiment Station) H. J. Webber. 144 1916 ANNUAL REPORT Figure 30.—Lyon (natural size). Cross section of fruit showing comparative size of seed and pulp. Note thickness of skin. (Photo by Citrus Experiment Sta- tion) H. J. Webber. CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 145 WHAT ABOUT THE AVOCADO? By C. E. Utt, Orange, Cal. The title of this paper would indicate inquiry. Can the avocado be grown successfully in California? Will its cultivation assume consider- able proportions? Will the growing of avocados prove remunerative? Will it prove a disappointment and a loss? Will we over-supply the market? Can the market be extended? These and many other questions come to mind when we discuss the avocado. In fact, this is much the same set of questions that has con- fronted practically all the other fruit industries that have been intro- duced in California; and often it has taken a long time and many ex- pensive and disastrous experiments before we have been able thoroughly to establish some of these industries. I believe it likely that the avocado will be quite extensively culti- vated, and that where the business is intelligently conducted it will prove remunerative. I think it will prove a loss and a disappointment to many. Without doubt the market will at times be over-supplied, but that the consumption may be extended to great proportions is a reason- able supposition. It took us about thirty years to find out that we should only attempt to grow two varieties of oranges. It is quite likely that we shall find use for more than two varieties of avocados, but it is a safe guess that we shall eliminate and forget the greater part of the 139 varieties that are being boosted by fond owners and enthusiastic nurserymen. I shall return to the question of varieties later. We also have the question of proper location for our orchards,— soil, climate, water supply, winds, etc. Undoubtedly we shall find some localities better adapted to the economical and profitable cultivation of this fruit than others, just as there are best places to grow oranges and olives and raisins and prunes and apples and walnuts. Some twenty odd years ago the olive boom swept over California. This boom was largely caused by the nurserymen, who by the skillful advertising and exploitation of the enormous profits to be had by any one who would plant olives anywhere, created a sale for their nursery stock. We were told that the olive would thrive in the moist lowlands and in the arid sterile hillsides. In fact, olives would do well anywhere, everywhere. Just plant them out and neglect them; they would thrive on neglect. All we had to do was to plant an olive orchard, and retire to the city and spend the great profits. In fact, most of our fruit industries have been cursed by ignorance, the bombast of promoters, and the “great expectations” of enthusiasts, and the avocado is proving no exception. Location:—My experience and observation have led me to the conclu- sion that the locality best suited to the successful and profitable growing of avocados is the one with the least wind and the least frost, the best soil and the best water supply. The avocado will suffer much more from the wind than the orange or lemon. In fact, I do not think it 146 1916 ANNUAL REPORT advisable to grow this fruit at all in windy localities without thorough protection by artificial windbreaks. Many avocados have been, and are being, planted on very poor soil. I do not think this advisable, as the tree from which we expect from 300 to 1000 pounds of the richest, most nutritious fruit known, must have an opportunity to feed, or fail to give fruit in paying quantities. I think it is perfectly safe to say that half the trees which have been, and are being set out, will not produce enough fruit to prove profitable. This is, of course, not the exception in the fruit growing industry, but the rule. | Soil:—I have formed no conclusions as to the soil best suited to the avocado, only that it should be good rich soil. I think it should have good drainage. We see old trees growing well in rather heavy adobe, and also in sandy loam. Perhaps the best growth is to be found on rich, heavy sediment soils. I do not think clay and hard-pan soils worth considering, not that it is not possible to grow avocados on such soils, but I do not think they can stand the competition of groves on better soil. Frost and Water:—A frostless location is desirable, for while some of the thin-skinned Mexican varieties will stand a very low temperature, even lower than oranges, the hard-shelled varieties now growing in Southern CalJifornia will not, and the big freeze of January 7, 1913, cut one year out of the production of most of the old bearing trees in Southern California, and in some instances practically destroyed the trees. An abundant water supply is necessary for the best development of the trees. They will grow with the same or less irrigation than that given citrus trees, but my experience and observation is that they will do best with considerably more water than is usually given citrus orchards. Propagation:—My personal experience with the avocado is meager, but our president informed me that he desired personal experiences in order that we might begin to get some conclusions. About six or seven years since, we planted a number of seedlings, partly for experiment and partly for ornament. Later we attempted to work them over to de- sirable varieties by top-grafting, with very indifferent success,—in fact if it were my neighbor’s case, I would call it a failure. My first venture in growing an avocado nursery was about five years ago. We began by planting a thousand or so small seedlings in nursery rows. These trees had been sprouted and grown in pots, a method to be avoided, as the small space afforded by the pot often causes congestion of the root sys tem harmful to the future prosperity of the tree. Avocado seeds should be sprouted in flats from which they may easily be removed to the nur- sery row, where they should be irrigated by a small stream of water immediately after planting. We have not found any best season of the year to bud, the best results seeming to come when the stock and the weather have been most suitable, stock sap flowing well, and the climate warm and moist, rather than hot and dry. With some varieties we have experienced much more difficulty in successful budding than with others. Varieties:—I have set out a number of Northrops and Ganters and a Harman or two for the thin-skinned varieties. They each begin to bear at two years from setting. The Ganter has proven the most CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 147 prolific of these varieties, one tree giving one hundred fruits at two years from setting, although I should judge that the trees were two- year-old buds when set. It has always been a question of doubt in my mind as to whether the thin-skinned varieties will ever have any considerable commercial future, so I have only set a few dozen, more for ornament and variety than for profit. Of the commercial sorts I have planted more heavily to Taft than any other variety, not because I think it the only variety worth cultivating, but because it was the first good, well-proven hard- shelled tree that came to my attention. I have also planted three or four acres to Challenge, Monroe, Royal, Walker, and Sharpless, with one or two each of a dozen or more unproven varieties which are of good promise,—according to the nurseryman. The Taft trees have set fruit at three years from setting in the orchard, the buds being one year old at the time of transplanting. The Walker has set fruit which ma- tured at nineteen months from budding. The Challenge has borne at two years from setting. The Royal has not yet borne although the trees blossomed very freely the past spring. The Sharpless have not yet borne at two years from budding. The Monroe has borne at two years from the bud. I do not care to discuss the relative value of various varieties, and I am unacquainted with many of them, but I think it must be apparent that we want different varieties maturing their fruit at different sea- sons of the year. We already have proven hard-shell varieties which cover every month but December and January, with new varieties which it is claimed will fill these months. The most of our proven fruits ripen during the spring and summer, with the thin-skinned varieties covering the fall. We have always supposed the Sharpless to be a summer fruit, probably because an insistent demand on a limited supply caused the harvest to be carried on earlier than necessary. This year the tree is now full of fruit, much of which apparently could be carried until December. If this should prove to be the habit of this tree, the Sharp- less, already classed among the best of our fruits, will be a doubly valu- able variety, as the fall and winter varieties are those on which we are shortest. In fact, an inferior hard-shell which would mature its fruit in the fall and winter months would at this stage cf the game be most valuable, as that is the season when the market is most bare. Of well proven fruit trees, we now have the Challenge and the Royal for Feb- ruary, March and April; the Monroe, the Lyon and a number of others for the spring months; the Taft, the Walker, the Bartley, and others for summer; and if, as I hope, the Sharpless proves to be a fall fruit, we have left only a couple of months when we are not maturing fruit. An ideal avocado farm is one where the harvester is at work every day in the year. In conclusion, avocado orchards should be set on good, well-drained soil, protected from wind storms, with little or no frost. They should be given an abundance of water, and the trees for setting should never be propagated in pots, but should be from trees well proven in Southern California. 148 1916 ANNUAL REPORT OUR EXPERIENCES IN GROWING THE AVOCADO By W. G. Fraser, General Manager Riverside Orange Company, Riverside. We rather hesitated to prepare this brief paper on “Our Experience in Growing the Avocado,” to be read at the Third Semi-Annual meet- ing of the California Avocado Association for the reason that we are mere novices in this line of hor- ticulture; however, we are glad to give what little experience we have had so far in the growing of the avocado tree. The location of our 5-acre avocado grove is on Arlington Heights about eight miles south of the city of Riverside at an ele- vation of about 1100 feet above sea level. The soil is a mixture of decomposed and disintegrated granite and reddish clay of a good depth. The drainage is good as on the southerly and westerly side of the avocado grove there is a deep arroyo into which is drain- ed the surplus irrigation and storm water. The trees are planted 24x24 feet apart and are made up of the following varieties,—Harman, Northrop and Taft, about one- third of each, and from one to nine each of the following were also planted as more or less of an experiment,—Solano, Redondo, Chappelow, Puebla, Walker Pro- lific, Meserve, Ganter, Colorado, Dickinson, Grande, Fowler and Atlixco. We also planted about an acre to the Dickey variety but for some reason the trees did not ae wel and ipracvically, all of the Figure 31.—Avocado tree ready to be trees of this variety have been planted; note roots protruding through replaced with another variety. sacking. The trees that have made the most vigorous growth are those in the following order,—Northrop, Harman, Taft. The land upon which these trees are planted was thoroughly plowed to a good depth, then leveled, so that the water would flow at a reasonable rate of speed while the trees were being irrigated, thus assuring good drainage for all the trees. Se eC eee en a. ay fae 2 CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 149 The holes to receive the trees were dug somewhat larger than is gen- erally the custom in digging holes for citrus trees, (See Fig. 31), thus giving ample room for the roots to extend in the loose soil. The trees were then carefully planted and irrigated (See Fig. 32) in the same man- ner as that employed in planting citrus trees. After the trees were planted we protected them from the hot sun by a covering of cheese cloth supported by four stakes, (See Fig. 38). For the first season after planting the trees were irrigated about every eight days for a period of two months and the time was gradually extended between irrigations according to advice from the West India Gardens. The next season they were irrigated as often as the condition of the soil required irriga- tion in order to secure best results in the growth of the trees, or on an average of about every 30 to 40 days during the irrigating season. The soil has_ been cultivated in the ordi- nary manner and while possibly a little more care was given to the ir- rigation and _ cultivation of the avocado grove as compared with the citrus grove yet the trees were not ‘‘nursed” or “coddled”’ if I may use these terms. Last February we pruned a few rows of a = the avocado trees and en- Figure 32.—System of irrigating the avocado tree 5 thoroughly. deavored to lift the branches off the ground. We also pruned some in March; we cannot see that it did much good as the branches are all down to the ground again and while a good many trees looked misshapen in the spring, this fall they have put out new branches and filled up the spaces, and in discussing the question of pruning with others we think that until some definite system for prun- ing has been settled upon it looks as if we will be very slow to do much pruning. Where we made any cut we waxed the same so that there would be no chance of the branch dying back. Last April we noticed that the avocado trees in our section dropped a large percentage of their old leaves; this was the first time that they 150 1916 ANNUAL REPORT Figure 33.—Method of Protecting Trees. CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 151 had done so and to a novice it certainly looked as if something had gone wrong with the trees but in the course of a month or six weeks the trees looked better than ever. As to the results secured,—the trees are, we think, silent spokesmen for themselves, and in order to give those interested in the development of the avocado an idea of the present size of the trees we have taken a few snap shots of them which we have attached to this paper. (See Fig. 34). We have been told by those far better qualified to judge than we are that our trees have made an exceptionally good growth and equal to any of the trees planted for the same length of time. The bulk of our trees were planted in the month of May, 1914, making them about two and one-half years old from the planting in the orchard to Nov. 1916. It may be _ interest- ing to note that there are quite a large percent- age of the trees of the Northrop variety which have from one to a dozen or more fruits on them this season and we are placing a few of these fruits on exhibition. Half a dozen or so of the other varieties, Puebla, Grande, etc., have a very few sample fruits this season. We are so naturally very much interested in the development of the avocado industry as we Figure 34.—Two year old Northrop tree, approx- JMS Vile BUEUS aie imate height 11 to 12 feet. a large demand for the fruit if it is brought to the attention of the consuming public in a proper and intelligent man- ner and while it is more or less of an experiment with us we have con- fidence that the product can be marketed in such manner as to give the producer a reasonable profit on the investment and at the same time give the consumer a fruit of considerable food value at a reasonable cost. 152 1916 ANNUAL REPORT A BARK DISEASE OF AVOCADO TREES By Howard S. Fawcett, Pathologist, Citrus Experiment Station, Riverside, Cal. Description of the Disease.—In May, 1914, attention was called to a bark disease of avocado trees by K. A. Ryerson, who sent part of a dis- eased trunk of an avocado tree with the request for information regarding the nature of the trouble. The bark was killed and slightly sunken over an area of 8 inches in length and 2% inches (one-half the circumference) in greatest width. A kind of gum had exuded and hardened in small beads on the surface, and in addition a white, powdery, chrystalline substance was deposited over the surface at the lower part and below the diseased area. The freshly killed bark and wood were still firm, not soft or watery. The wood was not affected more than one-eights of an inch inward. This was typical, as was afterwards learned, of a bark disease occasionally occur- ring on avocados in a number of localities in Southern California. The following information regarding its occurrence was obtained from Mr. Ryerson. The disease occurs most often on the trunk not far from the sur- face of the soil, but occasionally it is found higher up and on limbs, begin- ning especially at the base of a leaf. It occurs not only on the trunks of larger trees, but is found on small seedlings, especially if overwatered or if the drainage is not good. This disease, while not frequent enough to cause serious damage unless on particularly valuable trees, is likely to appear suddenly and spread fairly rapidly in spite of care exercised to check it. It does not appear to be confined to any particular variety, but has been found on a number of different kinds. Isolation of Pythiacystis Fungus.—Three culture tests were made from this specimen from Mr. Ryerson, by flaming the surface, cutting off the surface of the bark, flaming again, cutting out small bits of the bark and wood from the junction of the dead and live tissue, and drop- ping them into slant cornmeal agar tubes. A Pythiacystis fungus grew out from the pieces in the three tubes. In July, 1914, specimen of an affected avocado limb which had been unsuccessfully treated by cutting away the diseased bark and disinfecting the area, was sent from the same locality as the first. The bark had be- gun to heal at the cut edges, but the wood underneath was dark in color. The same fungus was again isolated from three different places in the darkened wood about one-fourth of an inch from the surface and in one case 4 inches beyond the point where bark had been cut away for treat- ment. In five out of six tubes made as before, the Pythiacystis fungus grew out from the pieces. Inoculation Experiments With the Fungus.—On October 6, 1914, the trunks of two Mexican seedling avocado trees at the Whittier laboratory were inoculated with this Pythiacystis by inserting into longitudinal cuts three-fourths of an inch long, bits of the mycelium from the culture of the fungus. The cuts were then covered with paraffined paper held with CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 153 raffia. On one tree a cut of the same kind without inoculation was made and covered as the others to serve as a check. When the inoculated trunks were first examined on October 22, 1914, a watery, slightly colored liquid was running from both cuts, and below one of them the white crystalline substance seen on the original specimen, was being deposited as the exuding liquid dried. The check cut was already beginning to heal without any deposit. On January 14, 1915, a considerable deposit of the white crystalline sub- stance had formed at both of the inoculated cuts and the larger area of killed bark was three-fourths of an inch wide and two and one-half inches long. The wood was affected only to a slight depth. The affected bark and wood were cut out at this time to save the trees and four culture tests made as described before from the advancing edge of one of the dis- eased areas. Three of these cultures developed Pythiacystis as before. The incision on the check tree healed rapidly without apparent injury to the adjoining bark. One of the original cultures was kept alive by transfers every one to five months, and on March 28, 1916, further inoculations were made into avocado trunks with it and also with the fungus Pythiacystis citrophthora isolated from diseased bark of lemon Gummosis. Two inoculations from each culture were made and two additional cuts were made to serve as checks. All were wrapped in the same manner as in the previous inocula- tion. All inoculated cuts were showing the white crystalline deposit by April 7, 1916, and the bark about the cuts was discolored. On May 15, a large deposit of this white substance had formed below all the inoculated cuts. The effect on avocado of the lemon Pythiacystis was about the same as the avocado Pythiacystis. A diseased area of each kind was cut out. These showed the cambium killed over an area of three-fourths of an inch. wide and two and one-half inches long. The avocado Pythiacystis was again recovered from the advancing edge of a diseased area. The cuts serving for checks healed rapidly without apparent injury to the tree. The same two cultures were tested out on young orange trees at the same time. The lemon Pythiacystis produced Gummosis on the orange with killing of bark adjacent to the cut. The avocado Pythiacystis, how- ever, produced no effect, the cuts healing almost as rapidly as the checks. Preventive Measures Suggested.—Since the fungus itself and the effects of the disease are similar to that of Pythiacystis on citrus trees, the same methods for prevention and treatment, if carefully carried out, will probably apply to a large extent at least to the avocado. Good drainage, an avoidance of too much water at the base of the tree, keep- ing the soil from washing in and piling up against the trunks and avoid- ing planting too deep, especially on heavy soils, will undoubtedly serve to prevent the disease. Jf it occurs on large trees and is found before it has gone too far, the dead bark can be carefully dissected out and the wound thus made disinfected. After the cut edges begin to heal the exposed wood can then be covered with wax or other good covering. If the bark is killed all the way ’round when discovered, the tree will, of course, eventually die. Mr. Ryerson writes, “The spots were not com- mon and in reality did not cause serious damage unless found on par- 154 1916 ANNUAL REPORT ticularly valuable trees. They were likely to appear suddenly and spread rapidly in spite of the care exercised to check them. Sometimes with the use of Bordeaux paste, after very careful removal of all diseased tis- sue, the trouble was overcome.” Summary.—That a Pythiacystis, similar to Pythiacystis citrophthora, may, under certain conditions become at least a wound parasite of avo- cado trees, is shown by these tests. The fungus was isolated from two different specimens, was grown in pure cultures, was introduced into avo- cado trunks at two different seasons and produced effects similar to those on the trees from which it was isolated. It was twice recovered in cultures from the inoculated trees, in one case six weeks and in an- other three months after the inoculation. The same preventive and control measures as used for Pythiacystis Gummosis of Citrus will probably apply to this disease, though few ex- periments of this kind have as yet been tried out. FOUR YEARS’ EXPERIENCE WITH BUDDED AVOCADO TREES By J. T. Whedon, Yorba Linda, California I planted my first avocado trees at South Santa Anita, in the spring of 1912. The cold winter of 1912-13 convinced me that I would have to find a warmer climate to make a success of the avocado business, which I had decided to engage in. On April 1, 1913, I sold out and relocated at Yorba Linda, Orange county, in May, 1913. I planted 77 trees that summer and finished planting five acres in March, 1914. The trees planted in March, 1914, did much better than those put out in mid-summer, 1913. Yorba Linda is located on rolling ground and about 20 miles in an air-line from the ocean. My place is at an elevation of 500 feet, and the trees are planted 24 feet apart on the equilateral system, irrigating better on account of the lay of the land. I lost six Harmans, and two Tafts, from sunburn and one Harman from wind when first put out in 1913, because they were not properly protected from the sun and wind. All trees set out in 1914 and since are staked, shaded from the noon- day sun, and the trunk protected, for the first year, with paper mattress, such as newspapers are printed on. The second year the trunk is protected with whitewash, (Wickson formula). After the second year, if trees are not headed out too high, they will protect themselves from sunburn. I am now letting all of my trees branch out low, as it protects them against the wind, of which we have considerable, and sunburn, gives a larger and stronger trunk, and holds the moisture much better than when kept trimmed up. I think 24 to 30 inches is as high as any avocado tree should be headed out, and this heading out should be done in the nursery on all CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 155 strong growing trees. Some of the Harmans first planted were headed out at 48 inches, which is entirely too high. Of course, trees only 18 to 24 inches high when planted will have to be taken care of in the orchard. It is a serious mistake in my judgment to plant out any number of avocado trees, expecting to water them through the weir once per month. On heavy soil, well cultivated after each watering, one can raise the strong growing kinds, but when they come into bearing if not watered every week or ten days during warm or hot spells in the summer, they will drop their fruit. Of the thin-skinned varieties, the Harman has proved the most vigorous grower and the most symmetrical tree, but practically all of its fruit matured to date has had the skin cracked open in several places. It furthermore has quite a large seed for the amount of edible matter. I will bud them all over just as quickly as a first class, winter-bearing fruit shows up. The Queretaro is a strong, upright grower and a good fruiter for its age, but the fruit is smaller, 6 to 10 ounces, and the seed is larger than one had a right to expect from the description published in the Associa- tion’s official booklet. Of the thick skinned varieties, the Fuerte and the Taft are the best growing and spreading trees. The spread almost equals the height. The Fuerte and healthy Dickeys are the best fruiters up to date. Of the 50 Fuertes planted, all are fruiting with from two to 54 fruits per tree at the time of writing, October 10, 1916. The 16 healthy Dickeys have from six to 80 fruits. I planted 50 Dickeys, have dug out 25, and there are nine more that may have to go, as they have a slight tinge of yellow, but of the 16 healthy trees one could not ask for a better grower and fruiter at their age. The Grande is making a good growth, and of the two trees I have, each has one fruit that will now weigh close to one pound. Most of the Tafts blossomed, and quite a number set fruit. One tree had over 60 fruits from the size of a pea to that of a cherry, but they all dropped off except four, two on one tree and one each on two other trees. Of the hardshell varieties, the Rey, Linda, Queen and Knight are all making good growth for the time set out. The Knight is an extra good grower, and its new foliage is a beautiful bronze, different from any of my other varieties. The Linda has the drooping habit, the same as the Grande and practically all other trees bearing large fruit. The following table shows all varieties planted: 1916 ANNUAL REPORT 156 youety “Mo “ymaz [[@ poddoap stowoolq osnjorqgT-T -g be et SZ *'* OYOLd 8,104Te@M ALOSINN BuUOI SULLY *]jom Apatey Suryzareys 9I-PI-6 Toe ees OSC ak ee qUu.slU yy ac | aC | "IOMOLS poo’ 9T- 61- G Tm oeoeev ove eee ee usen’) VsUy HA “TOMOTS POOD VAPXT 9T-06-& Gee ar a Or SUBITTIM “Ad V ‘opuBryy B od 0} PeAoId 9T-06-& ae Re Rone aL SUIRITIIM “G “V "YIMOIS POOd SULYVIAL 9T-8T-8 ee OOS FAO eT ToqrVeq_ WY We "YIMOTS IVF SULYeW ° 91-6 -& ger Ol OP IA ToqIVg WY We “YIMOIS IVF SULTRY 91-6 -€ ee ee te ee OED Loqreq_ WY Wey "YIMOIS MBF SULA UiEON=6 Pees... VSMOe la Ioqivg Wy yey "UJMOLS ILC, SULYCIL 91-8 -& Aya ee 8 SSSI TES ‘soor} uMO AW WOI, poppng ‘Ajootu =SuLlog 9I-L -& Ale ee, ee ele ee SLO ay, ‘sooa} UMO AW WOA, poppng Ajao1u = Sulog 9I-L -& Lf ess SE OTBAO TOT) WsUy A A ‘yNO OWT} TOF YYMOAS Pood Julye]| ribet | ore GPa ee ees fe MED Vsuy “A ‘qno OWI} LOZ YIMOAS poos SuLye PSH it et (Aaiecperen cs ipsa lg glare S| AJOSINN SUOTSULW ‘poAlodvod UDYM Pop SJOOY ‘“xoq & UI pesivr suloq Jo yunodoe ‘syoom OM} A[UO POAT GI-91-Z Tee eee as ee eC UO NET SUuOpPAVY) VIPUL ISOM “‘UJMOLS POOS SUIYCI V1I-@ =2 LO eet UOT ON suoprery VIpuy, SOM ‘UJMOIS POOS SBUIYLIT PI-G -8 Te doGer@nodor Suoprery BIpul ISOM ‘MOL OF JI Jods JOU plnoyD VI-G -8 Te ee eR REIS LOI NG Suoprery BIpuyl ISOM ‘poddoip Jina 9T-T -P VI-ZI-S ap Me eee eT Sueprer VIPUuy ISOM ‘oJ1ON JT B@ OG OF poaorg VI-ZL-& [te ee es ODUOWONT suopaer) eIpuy ISOM ‘901} YOVO UO 4JINAZ OUO OALTTOT-T -F FI-Z1-E Ze OR Phe eateeet = DUBE Suopaey eiIpuy ISOM ‘SHOMOIS IOOg VI-Z21-§ Ott eee tes ee BOE ULIG Sueprey Vipul ISOM "MOIS 0} SOOT} Jod JoUURD VI-Z1-& Zi ee aaa ees ETO LT TCN TAT suopiey Bipul SoM ‘poddorp 4in4F [[V9T-OT-E VI-ZI-S Sack abe " OOXIV SuUOpIery VIPUy, ISOM “SULLA S901} [[@ ‘dUlLINZeUL MOU 901} YOVO UO JINAT OS OF OGT-T -TTL VI-ZI-e OR = OFeIoIONt) Suopiey) Vipul ysoM ‘90t} YoRo UO MOU FINI PG 9} GST-GT-IT VI-GT-& Gives Sp ee ee OFAC E Suoprey) BIpuy SoM ‘901, AYA[VeY YOVe UO MOU 4INIF YB 0} 9OT-OT-E VI-GI-& 09ers Geese Aes YyouelWy “M a Soot} OM} UO INAS USZOP SOUOGT-Zo-cT VI-T -& Co nee a ee a ee) YouelW “M “a ‘9 ydooxe yinaz [[e peddorqg¢y{-T -OT (7 elec Z@ ttt ttt mopeddeyD youety “SM a “SYOOT[Od FO PVoxSUr S49] 9 0} POACLAOT-T -7 VI-T -& Geer set ey She ogn youety “MM al 9T-81-8 VI-T -& SP oe oes USULLE FY youety “YM “a ‘yp ydooxe yo poddoap ]je 4nq “yinay 4eS OT-T -7 VIetess pa aae ea ae "* 458, zequinu e@ eyinb puke pawtosso[q jue. dod 0G OqVOT-T -P SI-GT-8 Gigs see ae ele 7" WEL 9T-81-8 Youely “SM a ‘9T6T U9ZOp OT JNoqe pues “GTET “WNIF ZT ee “OT 6T-3I-8 OS ieee iat ea ULWIOSSO oyu Soo], GASVHOUNd WOHM JO SuuVWaY Stn. | Man oe OM eisai SOGVOOAV daaqdnd CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 157 PLANTING PLANS FOR AN AVOCADO ORCHARD By H. J. Webber, Director, Citrus Experiment Station The avocado, while well known, and widely grown in tropical countries, has nowhere been cultivated in extensive orchards on a commercial scale. No literature or experience is available to guide the grower in the laying out of the orchard. The oldest trees in California are still young, twenty to twenty-five years of age, and thus little evidence is obtainable here to indicate how large avocado trees will normally grow in California. Again. in all fruits the trees of different varieties may differ considerably in their size, and judging from the rate of growth observed in the different varieties now being grown, the varieties of avocado apparently present no exception to this rule. It is clearly evident that nobody at the present time can do more than hazzard a guess at the distance apart the trees should stand in a permanent orchard. Furthermore, it is evident that satisfactory in- formation on this point cannot possibly be obtained for a number of years —probably at least ten years. In the meantime, the avocado industry is developing rapidly, and it is very probable that serious mistakes may be made that will be difficult to correct. Are there any precautionary measures that can be taken? It seems to the writer that the only thing to do to guard against loss is to plant the orchards on some flexible plan that will provide for changes iii distance without loss, and this, it seems to me, is possible by carefully planning the orchard in advance. The writer would not assume to be able to make a plan that would fit all conditions, but the suggestions made below may be of value in stimulating growers to devise even better Pians. ; The largest tree in the state, known to the writer, is the Chappelow tree, twenty-two years old, which has a spread of about 60 feet. The Challenge tree, 19 years old, has a spread of 38 to 40 feet, and the Taft tree, sixteen’ years old, about 35 feet. A number of trees of a size equal to the two last mentioned exist in the state. All of these trees are com- paratively young and give an indication of the size the trees may reach. True, we may keep them down in size by pruning, but it has not been determined that this is feasible. It seems to the writer that no distance of less than 50 to 60 feet apart can at the present time be safely adopted for the permanent orchard. At the present time 25 to 30 feet apart is the space at which the trees are most commonly planted. This plan will allow the taking out of every other row and every other tree in the permanent rows ,leaving the final spacing 50 to 60 feet. The plan the writer desires to present (see diagram No. 1) is based on the permanent trees being placed 60 feet apart. These permanent trees are indicated with the letter P in the accompanying diagram. It will be seen from an examination of this diagram, that in the first plant- ing the rows are placed. 30 feet apart, with a filler tree in the centre of each square. The trees indicated by the figure 1 in the diagram are to be the first filler trees, to be removed when the planting becomes crowded. 158 1916 ANNUAL REPORT These first filler trees should be of some precocious variety similar to the Lyon. The removal of the first fillers will leave the trees 30 feet apart each way in squares. When the trees next become crowded, remove the second filler trees indicated with the figure 2 in the diagram. This will allow the permanent trees to spread out into the space occupied by the second fillers, 2. When now the trees become crowded again, remove the third fillers, 3 in the diagram, which will leave the permanent trees in squares 60 feet apart, with a filler tree in the center of each square. (4 in diagram.) These center trees should have been planted with some good variety desired permanently, and are designed to remove if the trees again become crowded. Fillers 1 and 2 should be planted with quick fruiting varieties, as they will certainly require to be removed. Fillers 3 and 4 should be planted with varieties permanently desired, as they may not require to be removed. Diagram 1.—Avocado Planting Plan Irrigation Headline —2—__——_30-ft.———_—_P 30-ft. 30-ft.—— w——80-ft.m_—_ 1 +y ie wo “"SpurIm sul[reAoid pareMo} apts P——_——30-ft.—___2———_——3 0- ft. ————_P A variation of this order of removal would be to take out the fourth fillers, 4 in diagram, before the third fillers are removed, leaving the rows 60 feet apart and the trees 30 feet apart in the rows. If the trees then: should not grow so large as to require further thinning, this will give an orchard arranged on a plan similar to some of the best lemon groves— a plan favored by some good growers. In this case the trees will come close together in the rows, and if the rows are run in opposite direction to the prevailing winds, each row will form a windbreak for the next row. Again, this plan leaves a good space between the rows one way to accommodate the hauling of fruit and the distribution of water. This plan of planting will give approximately 96 trees per acre when first planted, 48 trees per acre with the first fillers removed, 36 trees per acre with the second fillers removed, 24 trees per acre with the third fillers removed, and 12 trees per acre with the fourth fillers removed. CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 159 Another interesting variation of this plan would be to use a tall, up- right growing variety, like the Lyon, for the third fillers—figures 3 and 3 in diagram—in order that they may remain longer without interference and delay the thinning. The permanent trees should be planted with those varieties believed by the grower to be the best. Other filler trees than avocados might be used in some of these places, as for instance, for the first fillers—figures 1 in diagram—such trees as peach or apricot. In view of the probability, however, that the method of handling an avocado orchard is pretty certain to include mulching under the trees, the use of other fillers than avocados may not be desirable. It may be that 60 by 60 feet is slightly farther apart than necessary for the permanent trees, and a second scheme placing the permanent trees with rows 60 feet apart and the trees in the row 40 feet apart, may also be worthy of consideration. This will give 18 trees per acre in the per- manent planting and still leave a space 60 feet wide between the rows one way to provide for irrigation and working space. This plan is indicated in the diagram below. In this diagram P again stands for permanent trees, 1 for the first fillers to be removed, 2 for the second fillers to be removed, 3 for the third fillers to be removed, and 4 for the fourth fillers to be removed. The permanent trees would thus be in rectangles. (See diagram 2.) Diagram 2.—Avocado Planting Plan Irrigation Headline PE a am I PY) RR 0 | : = = So 1 1 ct 7 2 | | es | id 2 4 DG < s . itie} a 1 < S : 3 m prema Me airy SLY MORE! TON airy i ie If this plan is followed, it would seem to the writer that the first and second and third fillers—1, 2, and 3 in diagram—should be of some precocious, early-fruiting variety, like the Lyon, and that the permanent trees P and the fourth fillers 4 should be planted with the varieties desired for the permanent orchard. The principle feateure that recommends the adoption of some plant- ing plan similar to those here suggested is the advantage it gives of using 160 1916 ANNUAL REPORT several different varieties, any one of which may be used ten years later as the permanent trees. Either plan suggested would permit of using feur different varieties and yet when the fillers are removed leaving a uniform solid orchard of one good variety. If, for instance, after ten years, it was found that the variety used as the first fillers (1) had proven to be the best sort in the orchard, these could be left to form the per- manent orchard. In view of the impossibility of judging at the present time which varieties are likely to prove the most satisfactory, some such system of planting may prove helpful. GROWING AN AVOCADO TREE F. O. Popenoe, President, West India Gardens, Altadena, Cal. The germination of an avocado seed and the growing of a fine young seedling tree from it is such a simple, easy and interesting process that it has seemed the subsequent steps necessary to produce a budded tree must be equally simple. This, perhaps, is one reason for many of the efforts among amateurs to propagate budded stock for their own use. And lured by the seemingly high price of trees, nearly all of the nurserymen of Southern California have, during the past five years, also undertaken to propagate the avocado. Not only have practically all of the amateurs failed, but now many of the nurserymen have retired from the field, leaving the work to a few who have devoted their entire time and much study to the business, and who, through such larger experience, have acquired a sufficient knowledge to enable them to go ahead. Propagating the avocado is a work for the specialist. The many dis- appointments and the costly failures of the intelligent amateurs and the most skilful nurserymen referred to, fully confirm this. A history of avo- cedo budding in California, including all efforts, would possibly reveal a ten per cent success. This seems a startling statement but with positive knowledge of numerous instances where nursery rows of seeding stocks reveal from four to seven scars on each tree, showing that many re- peated efforts, and then only an occasional budded tree in a row as the result, I believe this statement of a ten per cent success for first bud insertions is ample. Moreover, the successes are largely based upon the use of buds from strong growing, easily worked varieties such as Harman, while the propagation of the more difficult Lyon and Sharpless may be said to be a practical impossibility for the beginner. I do not hesitate to say, therefore, that the amateur, unless he has rare and exceptional skill, will only meet with discouragement and fail- ure in his efforts along this line. Knowledge to be gained by experi- ence, of the necessary conditions of buds, (which varies greatly with the different varieties), the method of budding and the details of subsequent treatment, are all so vital that one lacking a considerable experience may well take this warning and leave the field open to those who have earned a more enlightened understanding through having traveled the long and costly road leading to a fairly successful effort. So costly has been the work on account of the difficulties referred to and the many failures in consequence thereof, that I believe it is entirely CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 161 within the bounds of accuracy to say that no avocado nurseryman has real- ized a sufficient income during the five or six years in which budded trees have been grown, to equal his expense account. Seeds and Seedlings Seeds from the thin skinned Mexican highland fruits grow stocks that are at once vigorous and hardy. If the seeds selected are of good size, weighing from two to three ounces each, they will produce stocks large enough to take the bud in six months, while a tree grown from a seed weighing one ounce or less requires about two months longer to reach this stage of growth. Taken from a fully ripened fruit and planted immediately—the correct practice—germination begins at once (it is assumed that the seed is taken from a fall ripened fruit) but is retarded by the cool weather of winter and does not assume activity until April or May. With many of the hardy Mexican trees in bearing, an adequate supply of seeds is now obtainable in California for the development of the industry. Such seeds may be purchased for $2 or $3 per hundred, but with the naturally increasing supply each year this price will tend downward. It ought to be a matter of honor with every nurseryman to use only seeds of the hardy character referred to, avoiding those from Tahiti or other tropical regions. Germination is carried forward in a lathhouse for frost, heat and wind protection. The seeds may be planted either collectively in deep fiats, or individually in four-inch pots. Planting in flats is the most economical method, but has the draw- back of some difficulties when the young plants are transferred to nursery rows in the open field, as they must then be planted with bare roots. If a hot spell is encountered the plants suffer somewhat before they become established. It may even be necessary to shade each plant with a shingle for the first two or three weeks after planting. A box six inches deep of convenient size for handling, filled with a mixture of three-quarters clean, sharp sand and one-quarter soil. will afford a suitable receptacle. Set the seeds an inch apart with the pointed end up and just slightly showing above the ground. A few holes in the bottom of the box must be provided for drainage. Keep this mixture of sand and soil moist, not wet. When the young trees are eight or ten inches tall the boxes may be taken to the field, one side knocked off, and the young plants easily removed by breaking up the loose mixture with the fingers. They should, of course, be planted as rapidly as taken out, with no opportunity for the roots to become dry. The method of starting the seeds in four-inch pots is perhaps the most efficient and satisfactory. The unfilled pots may be set in beds and a mixture of sand and dirt thrown on with a shovel. Thus the spaces between the pots are also filled, which is desirable, as this tends to an even degree of moisture. Level off the soil and plant, a seed in each pot, water thoroughly and keep moist. Little loss is realized in transferring plants so grown to the nursery rows in the field. An objection to this method has been made and much discussion has resulted therefrom on the ground 162 1916 ANNUAL REPORT that the roots are curled by the pot and the tree on that account is not so thrifty or desirable. This objection has been overrated. The curled roots may remain so, but they are immediately replaced by others. which grow naturally and form the real root basis of the tree. True, a plant or tree may become stunted or pot bound by long growth in a pot, and a long time be required for its recovery. But the process of starting seeds in pots and planting them in the field early is in my judgment the ideal one, with no disadvantage whatever attending it. The Budding Process While propagation has been accomplished by the rooting of cuttings and by grafting, experiment reveals many objections to each of these methods, and shield budding is the accepted practice. The young trees should be set eighteen or twenty inches apart to allow for an adequate sized ball of earth at transplanting season. When the plants are as large as a lead pencil (or preferably slightly larger) budding may begin. This may be at any time from the first of May to the first of January, the season not being so important as the condition of the stocks, which must be in vigorous growth, with an abundance of sap running. ) as . tion to State from other sections great- er than ever before. “‘The Truth About From Bearing Trees .- ps ) Florida” FUERTE d Told in Florida Grower, an < leader of State’s agricultural press. It gives dependable - RANDE -f >: information, treating bad and N good with equal candor. \ Citrus interests ae especial attention—experts discuss in = 7 7 its columns all growing and and other Leading Varieties . marketing problems. Official paper Florida Citrus Ex- The Fuerte and Grande stood the late change, growers’ organiza- tion. Subscribe if interested j in Florida or in citrus culture. freeze planted alongside of a dozen : | ep ppg oe Se other leading varieties that were badly Wij, 20 cents. Sample copy free. . s iS = crippled or killed. yf Florida Grower 23 Hill Bldg. J.T. WHEDON ‘ Tampa, Florida Yorba Linda, Orange County, Cal. i oe y 4 i uy ) ae ia “ } Hh <= Annual Report 1917 ifornia Cal o-X -VOCADO tion 1a ASSOC la fo rn 1 ide, Cal Ivers R ANNUAL REPORT OF ThE CALIFORNIA AVOCADO fm ASSOCIATION FOR THE YEAR [ol7 Including Reports of the 4th Semi-Annual Meeting held in Los Angeles, May 18, and 19, 1917, and the 5th Semi- Annual Meeting held in Riv- erside, October 26 and 27, 1917 ISSUED APRIL 30, 1918 RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA 1918 UR baat a Yj Yj; SS Se \ Y, YW, N NS ‘ SS N SN ‘ ¥ SS Y; Mays [9¢ o5e 32S "HOS “gd “T 49 904g] TTAHS-ATIVH AHL NI GAAUAS OGVODOAV CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 1917 ANNUAL REPORT General Offices at Citrus Experiment Station Riverside, California CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION OFFICERS Miemiss ft. SHEDDEN, Monrovia. .........5.-- 0020s eee President Seed. SALEMON, San Diego...................- Vice-President fee SU EBBER, Riverside.............-..- Secretary and Treasurer DIRECTORS CuHas. D. Apams....Upland THos. H. SHEDDEN. Monrovia ee DARBER....... Puente B. H. SHARPLEss. .Santa Ana Mieverr L. HARDIN... .. Wn. A. SALLMON.San Diego |. = Los Angeles F. O. PopENoE....Altadena E. E. KNIGHT... Yorba Linda FRA AWEsBBERe oe 36 Riverside NoticE—The Association does not hold itself responsible for the opinions and statements expressed by the authors of the various papers published in its reports. The illustrations used in the report must not be taken as illustrating the most desirable varieties. They are used merely as a means of illus- trating the range of variation. CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 7 TABLE, OF CONTENTS Page ev goes TRIN SNe oii pat ea aimee (a coal AA ith a a Nira MP MRMMINIR CS eco oe ree eed ee ac SS 13-16 Fourth Semi-Annual Meeting Minutes of the Second Annual and Fourth Semi-Annual Meeting 17-22 Remarks Made in Opening the Fourth Semi-Annual Meeting, Pemetesicent 11. J. Webber. .: 65 605 i. obese wo ob ene 23 Avocado Varieties in Florida, by E. D. Vosbury........... 24-25 History and Propagation of the Sharpless and Monroe Avocados, pe eS anpless. 310004 oe Gis < ocho tsb duc eielans o's dw soe 26-27 The Wagner, Lambert, and Surprise Avocados, by Chas. F. Re SN SNe ln, Vs Li shoe Salon i 28 My Experience in Growing the Avocado, by Martin Fesler..... 29-30 Notes on Avocado Varieties for Commercial Orchards, by Chas. a Prat ee ee ee eee 31-34 The Avocado in Central and Northern California, by Prof. I. J. OREM ie ee oat a del Same aks A yl's ig sates 35-38 Additions to the Check List of Varieties, by I. J. Condit....... 39-40 How Shall We Eliminate the Misnomer ‘Alligator Pear’’>, by WET MEMNICAGEN? (6). 32 Se is bie Ste eel bb ae we 41-43 Interplanting and Changing Varieties, by Wm. A. Spinks...... 44-48 Cold Resistance of the Avocado, by Dr. H. J. Webber....... 49-50 The Avocado for the Table, by Victor Hirtzler............ 51-54 The Taft Avocado and Its History, by C. P. Taft........... 55-56 Comparative Merits of the California Avocado Varieties, by SSCP ee Oo ee, ght anh goa eae LE 57-62 My Experience in Growing Avocados, by Mrs. Margaret Stewart 63-66 Fifth Semi-Annual Meeting Minutes of the Fifth Semi-Annual Meeting................ 67-68 Presidential Address, by President Thos. H. Shedden........ 69-74 Joseph Sexton—An Appreciation, by C. W. Beers.......... 75-76 Resolutions on Death of Joseph Sexton................... 77 Symposium on Irrigation, Discussion led by Dr. Lester Keller... 78-82 8 1917 ANNUAL REPORT Page Utility and Sentiment Applied to the Avocado, by J. M. Elliott. 83-84 Studies on the Composition and Nutritive Value of Some Sub- tropical Fruits, by Prof. M. E. Jaffa and F. W. Albro... 85-91 A New Sugar in the Avocado, by W. P. Kelley............ 92-93 Chemical Constants of Avocado Oil, by F. W. Albro........ 92 Symposium on Heat Injury, Discussion led by F. O. Popenoe.. 94-98 Special Report of Directors on Avocado Varieties, by T. U. Barber: .s:s.3 gs eta atace on are a 99-100 Avocado Varieties Recommended for Planting in California, Circular Nos. 62 Se ee 101-103 Avocado Tea Recipe, by Mrs. G. W. Beck......... ee 104 Exploring Guatemala for Desirable New Avocados, by Wilson Popence °. .. 2.00. vin eae ae 104-138 In Memoriam (36 2)... 3s a oe eee 139 CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 9 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Opposite Page Frontispiecee—Avocado Served in the Half-Shell Plate I, Figure |—-Fuerte, Top-worked on Seedling Stock, 15 Months’ Growth. U. S. Plant Introduc- tion Garden, Miami, Florida.......... 24 Figure 2—A Packed Crate of Trapp Avocados. Some Growers Prefer a Partition across Center Ol Craters 208 ie neat ee ee tee 24 Plate II, Figure 3—-Joseph Sexton, of Santa Barbara, Pioneer PNOCAdOGIOWED' F553 76 5 6 es ee 76 Plate III, F igure 4—The Guatemalan Avocado at Its Best..... 104 Figure J— The Chisoy Avocado... .... 5.0.0. 0...: 104 PlateIV, Figure 6—Bringing Avocado Budwood across the Nlountainsics cis etn eit es eae a 104 Figure 7—Ejight Thousand Avocados for Seed...... 104 Plate V, Figure 8—The Valley of Antigua ............... 104 Plate VI, Figure 9—Examining Avocados in the Expedition Headquarters at Purula, Baja Verapaz.. 104 Figure 10—In the Market at San Cristobal Verapaz.. 104 Plate VII, Figure 11—-The Upper Limit of Avocado Culture in @uatemalace, i ee es a oe eta 104 Plate VIII, Figure 13—-Primitive form of the Guatemalan Avocado 104 Figure 14——Parent Tree of the Nimlioh Avocado.... 104 Page Foemre 15—Ttamat .........:; ROE Went Roe eta ein eg ey Sed M SERe AU aes 119 ream hI ee oes hie ss wk Sal Se ene 120 Remar —— Cab ati oooh. dco ene eieiahe a FG yn cna Wr ate eiye 121 Rrra east aan estos, Giese Grd ite aN Ge Oe RIS ae Sa 122 PREIS | Ss GIO Ra eae PPE eg pee a 1 aPC rr 123 Pen bane tee es Ne Ce Sse 124 PESOS | I EAT ete ey a et eae cn oe 125 Recerca inion see nets es ere hee he locas Wien 126 RPE ANNOY OAC este hog grees didia Sn wacs Wale ee ee [27 10 ; 1917 ANNUAL REPORT Page Rigure 24——bamin ae ee a ee eee 128 Figure 25-——Benik): 22). 607. <).\ss 3 se oe oo me ee 129 Fisure 26-—Kekehi 2. 00 ss Soe a eee 130 Figure 27—~Miayaran). 23 i. Oe ee) eee 131 Figure 28—Kayabi o'r 132 Figure: 29=-Manik’ fo 0 Sos eee, OP 133 Figure 30—Cabnali 225) 3. Ok oo i eee 134 Figure 31——Cantel e. OS) 5 oY a a eee 135 Figure.32—— Tertoh:) so. 0. See ss ee ee eee 136 Figure: 33—=Akbalei.. ees ons eee Se ee ee 137 Figure 34—-Kanan 2.0500 wc oes 0 138 Foreword THE AssociaATION—At the close of the third year of its existence, the California Avocado Association is stronger than ever before, and the membership more enthusiastic. Confidence in the industry is rapidly growing as experience increases. Cold waves and hot blasts have come and gone, and the best varieties have withstood the crucial tests success- fully. Young trees have not been seriously injured, and old trees have shown no appreciable injury in the majority of sections where they are growing in Southern California. Ass in the citrus industry, experience is rapidly demonstrating the areas where the industry may be sofely extended. A careful study of the reports of the Association indicates very clearly that the Guatemalan varieties may be expected to succeed in those sections where the lemon industry is considered successful, and Mexican varieties may be safely planted in any good orange section. VARIETY STUDIES— The problem of greatest importance before the avocado grower is the selection of satisfactory varieties. It is almost im- possible for the beginner to make an intelligent selection from among the 150 or more varieties that have been listed. The Association through its Committee on the Classification and Registration of Varieties has made a careful study of al! varieties available, and in October of this year, the Directors approved a list of varieties to be recommended by the Associa- tion. This was printed and distributed as Circular No. | of the Associ- ation. (See this Report, p. 101). This list has already had a profound effect in stabilizing the industry and creating confidence. Copies of this circular may be obtained by addressing the secretary of the Association. PUBLICATIONS—The most reliable information regarding the avo- cado is to be found in the annual reports of the Association. The reports are unique in that, up to the present time, they are almost the only literature available on the avocado. Copies of the 1915 and the 1916 Reports still remain for distribution and are sold at $1 per copy. ‘The present report (1917) contains much new and valuable matter and will be sold at $1.00 per copy. STATISTICS—The avocado plantings in the state have been greatly increased in the last few years, and no data exists as to the number and age of trees planted, or the total acreage in the state. It is highly desirable that fairly reliable data of this nature be available, so that market condi- tions may be anticipated and proper plans perfected for distributing the crop, and new markets developed as necessary. Such data is also desirable as a guide in the extension of the industry. Recognizing the desirability of having such data available, the Board of Directors authorized the secre- tary to make an avocado census of the state. Blanks have been printed, and data is being collected, from which reliable summaries can soon be compiled and published. MEMBERSHIP—The membership in the Association is gradually increasing. Att the end of the first year, the Association had 85 members; at the end of the second year, 139 members; and now at the end of the 12 1917 ANNUAL REPORT third year, the membership stands at 193. While this is not as rapid an lncrease as it was hoped would be realized, it nevertheless is very satis- factory and evidences the growing interest in the industry. [he meetings and exhibits of the Association are increasing in interest and have a high educational value for those interested in the industry. H. J. WEBBER, Secretary. MEMBERS CALIFORNIA eters mnt er serene ek a UR MHL eM Bery AE Pn UNG Ls UM Upland PRIBEKESONSVECMELY ¢ 22 hk bec csv eso gels hanes 145 North Painter Ave., Whittier Sa NSTE 28 (CaS 2 ye SRE OG A nee arg FOU SOU oP a an SE ORT Su EA Seu Bonita CG See ertiy SLT aE Sa eae nt acm RRnUAN erg RIN coal A ira ED exis inns CC Ee eta Nat Yorba Linda DCEECRCSMENG CO aie Ga Ut say 1552 Pioneer Drive, Glendale PMPMESEROTIG UE INUTSERIES (6 S00 ic he hg Seah ue ti COE Se Re ae Ontario Ede STELLA, LIS a a Ui ORC GRE ie nL Ea RT Ge ea Inet ate NEEL R.F.D. 1, Orange Penmaes wat EA iene eta Ma leer erat 518 Van Nuys Bldg., Los Angeles eames NATSS ATENUTA). 6 oo aoc ce nels viele ose sce alse ot 1875 Summit Ave., Pasadena EET EEC OTE te nce ned cy noe RL UNE RN oA os oie Puente Peon PNG cs Va Oe eels OR al AN P.O. Box 992, San Diego Bareett, nev. Dana W.......6.. 00602655 eee 1437 Malvern Ave., Los Angeles eveue 2 Gat 1) By Oe SA He Sota ee ee Cc R.F.D. No. 1, Santa Ana REE UTS esa ee Si eh alin ce keels R.D. San Diego Co., E] Cajon Pe ari ee AO i See MAb er a ene aia eau See ee ccd uN Upland et BU tN tat a ie en A eta Sith UTLEY AIG MAC) Ce ato Highland CCG OW ee =p ahs aetna CER aN CER ROE TO Je APR 9) La Habra RRC AMIC Cie Mc ee a le be ee aes Santa Clara County, Saratoga es em ces Diy i CI ME ST Sac ay TN Route No. 2, Anaheim Pee G Ae ye eee see DEE Ph ins I ie OL Lordsburg 12s [TTSSL CEN, 21S ie a eae R.D. 1, Box 115, Orange PREMIO ee lo os OO 100 Bay State Ave., Alhambra LENEGS IL Stlig 5 ik id aie nA anon Oar Rea ROU se an ee deatca Box 86, Altadena PeaeieweodsGordon’ Ba. ok i ee ee OS ee Glendora ‘But BES ISS. LSU) USNC We lie vein een nee rennin ULI Ne ent ca Sue ee Fullerton Peres Pe oe Oks Oo ek Oe: 844 Wild Rose Ave., Monrovia rater nasn ik. ills ce vee Gide lee es 837 E. Ocean Ave., Long Beach Pee Oc yao en OP Oe eR Cee Placentia Preis DEWIEL Joc 88 ek ees Sok a 1807 Giameicy Place, Los Angeles SRE NG he esis rs el ON Lg Sra os R.R.2, Box 34, Anaheim especie, (TIS oP ASE huh 20) i gel Gol area oa Sal nen VU eR ra “Fillmore LETETESS EIS, JANI Siar Coe Ie eet SIRE Mea ORG ee Po ape IN UR tha eC RS re Redlands Perron Gre ok ee ac ee Sales Agent, S. Coast Land Co., Carlsbad EME Ba Nag ee sR Ae) ea Sea Nea en ae Sierra Madre ern IBCECH A se ee on oo Oe Se Box 496, Riverside VAST DOTS NGG aye Oe a eee ae vee Kern Co., Fellows BME aa AS si ek cles Gee ede 306 E. 25th St., Los Angeles CEES, 1B ANG Ga pe ORR a eee an Ue ie ety ten aE PPAR a May Cale Riverside @hidester, Arthur M:..........:........... 446 S. Painter Ave., Whittier Meotlnaas elsaace ee en 608 N. Painter Ave., Whittier CE DELES NESS, (sa SUR SII he OE DA Aes Re Ue UE Ue TEAC UMNO MN DRRA Ni ec Chula Vista @oolidce: DEW. . 2 ec eee else. Colorado and Hill Sts., Pasadena @suiston..). B.. 00s . President National Bank of Pasadena, Pasadena Sires tn coraermy Cobar v hoe Sly A AL TN ON ieee ae LIRR AN Oh ce Mel TS Santa Ana we BELTS (Cae eS RI el Pe a Ventura Co., Camarillo Mamciver ew Nis ua 1006 Security Bldg., Los Angeles Pea ea INy Tira aN ON oe a ae 2 Covina Iinon oA.) ek. ek. Care Hunt Bros. Co., 112 Market St., San Francisco Dorsey, Clarence W................... 520 S. St. Andrews Place, Los Angeles 12) oT Es 0 CSNY] (spe CIN Bn CU an First National Bank, Los Angeles leas telat ee ose che cay an el fe ta! olen Mei G) Sao. We iN Glendora 14 1917 ANNUAL REPORT Fancher’ ‘Creek ‘Nursenes/ 4). 0) 40,5) ue eee Fresno Fargher; (Robert: Juice 8 vo oa es he Harper Fesler,: Martin.) )70s 3, 02 OR OE a a eee Covina Field, Co Nie ee aia ge Mian hat ILS ee ea rr Chula Vista Flys fsb eis so nurses ah ttl, eee ce en National City Flynn; Wikarl ee es en op i Renn Ul ee Monrovia Fulton?) SVG Ore oie een oan Val Vista and Cleveland Sts., Pomona GagelsPanl Ty eon he es yn knee ues enone ann ea R.F.D. 2, Box 12, Fullerton Gane, Henry Sea ATS OES Sn 1 nk i A ee Santa Barbara Goodrich jE Ba ia eels Nasik AuNeeey nae sas 337 S. Hill St., Les Angeles Gould ele oer chs te pels (Onna rata on aL Lied ay Bale! 268 Mills Bldg., San Francisco Graves es cer ee 911 Merchants National Bank Bldg., San Francisco Grave Ess Ros se ea i ees 0 ae Puente Greenwald; Orsi i Ga Dn 702 W. 17th St., Santa Ana Haldemany Fle Wien a he cre ei 214 N. Los Angeles St., Los Angeles POM OE Rete 5 gt § Ceo Ra RUN RN Ae A AE a ana 3320 30th St., San Diego Flamititons Ebi. oy ie io 6 crise Lome me te 1803 Morgan Place, Los Angeles Hardin; "Go ee ee 2 ae ee Ocean Park Hardin Walle ten ey eee ak el eas ak ae Mount Washington, Los Angeles plants. Eid wants Gaye oy atin, Meant nents 518 Van Nuys Bldg., Los Angeles Fleas, Gey BC ih Oi Ss aoe Pe ee PT AL Ree Oe 1322 Laurel Ave., Los Angeles Flertrich Wim. 0) oi es Oe a San Gabriel iter Reick pore eo Neda a Ne Pear neice Sak Ra 175 Fremont St., San Francisco Flislop) Winch yo cu N SV Me nya ky aie ael, eek ie R.F.D. 13, Box 121H, Los Angeles | eet ai el WEAR) SSL ie ieee Meh am aaron Rte Wc tC. 1850 Vista St., Hollywood Rlofiman, 2Geo wm Dai kya iit Si de) na Eee ad see evan P.O. Box 438, Pasadena Punt) Johny Ae! Sie oe his rei eno hal ON ce North Pomona A EGE WORN, a) RS ee AU ata NEON M nk al Suave aati College of Agriculture, Berkeley JAMICSON OF WV eee Te ee ene R.F.D. 1, Box 159, Burbank Johnson 2 Wats i ee i pe Sadie | ac. bck ie eon A R.F.D. 1, Pomona Keller Tester). 0030. 2 ae a se aoe le Tn ee Yorba Linda Kirkman<: Wim ig cpr ane ea iene ae aan Kirkman Nurseries, Fresno Knight tb Bie ie ee a el oh cea ee ce Yorba Linda Kramer* Elenry J... 5053. 1500 South Figueroa St., Los Angeles Weekes Ws Tie SYR ee ee a a ee Upland emona.. Heights. Cos es os Oa ea ee ne ee Riverside esperance,: eeo Bir soe oe Ue ie ene aie 521 Central Bldg., Los Angeles ivtletons (Ge Bie Se eae trae See ean ek ake 370 Arroyo Terrace, Pasadena Bayon c Ni MY nese oh Hin ah aches ah oe oak El Monte MeRayeae len: Gi ei eae Gas ase Ie Cen ae 1430 Fielding St., Hollywood Melaugnlins an Bivesaacie sees nee eure 405 Bullard Bldg., Los Angeles McNaghten, Malcolm.................... 819 Investment Bidg., Los Angeles Wiann) Once oe nis Geis Cee Wiel ye ea Sie se Ae Yorba Linda Manning; Dro? Wall Roo cs ee ie en ee eee Fillmore Wha Be ur ae ia REN Une elace aB aiii Phildelphia & Pierce, Whittier Martiny Brothers. iG oc ee Claremont Miarvan;, BERG Gini ie Son On Bain hate aiiinn. uaa sere Will seein aN P.O. Box 525, Riverside Mason i& (Doerr) i i sikicn, os ON id Ca a) Na ee Claremont Mathers James: oan ce ath ey ie cor eee 137 N. Fair Oaks Ave., Pasadena Matthews;: Royidet) acpi, CONG OE nN A alert Fresno Co., Navelencia Wea: IWirese Wann 8 i ia a ah i Wao ee 2401 N. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles Merritt; (Geos ie tev) as a ae ie 1202 Garden St., San Luis Obispo Moore; ElizabethvAg a). 3 ae ioe a 340 S. Kingsley Drive, Los Angeles Moore; Stephen P57 yo isn os Oe hi aan Oa ieee Nn ete tee Cerritos St., Azusa JAY) Foy oh a t= phiel © aut 5 CHA RM Net arnecMise Onna MERI Um MeL omaney LR: R.F.D. 1, Whittier Morrison}: ‘Alexi Bey Gere ee ie aes 2822 Huron St., Los Angeles Miarry 3 Wig IDS ie ae ke era na ce 1285. Laurel Ave. .. Hollywood CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 15 VEER | (Cys Bae EOE eS ACen pC a eh Glendora iemeicaenrpersy) Winks Ns reeks a wud 788 Curtis St., Pasadena Spree ee Ohya BOM Calais Pere MRM TIS, Li ca So tbc dean d muse Bostonia Olshausen, B. A....................:....143 1-2 S. Broadway, Los Angeles Pacific Guano & Fertilizer Co.,................ 718 Central Bldg., Los Angeles Sarin, Ca NU aN aR MR Tc SS BIG Ea a Uy yO eC ca San Fernando EA nvr sk te ey LE INA Maren Th eA, oe Altadena Barer IEUIS VG ook ia cb lea mea id ed Be lem 828 S. 4th St., Alhambra Rare Os i oc a oe gik Sn CGs 1309 N. Douty St., Hanford Rplemceeip Ce ig oa. od ee ae R.F.D. 2, Box 308, Fullerton felted IRODert: ee de oes hehe ee 289 State St., Pasadena repre mere Oe hos Rh re ee ae West India Gardens, Altadena RprmemLO Ullen he Uy ena Ea ARe till Se eae are kar whe vat taal aN al |e Upland ecimeormcits bdanriet Fas!) 4 082s foes oe ee iis Sates R.F.D., Puente eer SPIRO Ee reo Bah ee a ree! aU ton occa 4 Causa iS aN Altadena Ransford, J. E.... .500 Crescent Heights Blvd., R.F.D. 10, Box 281, Los Angeles keenstemer, V2 Mo. 06. ee eee James Nurseries, 483 E. Villa, Pasadena [Ps Sero So. |: IPESSpOSS Mal B Aig RN ie aes IEE Ale NeoPa ee R.F.D. 106, Covina PTS B/N TRA aie RRR 2 Peo Yate Un) a a aT Whittier CCIE Pee re hy ee ted s 5 jee en She 27 Pine Ave., Long Beach ESRC CG | Os Chal Fae 1813 Pierce St., San Francisco rea seem eSTIOM EI IO) i et Sen eee ASL c bt caval cra aieldl ow Osa Gus Sie ee Fullerton Ramer ee og i discal ace ce able 8 2158 W. 2Ist St., Los Angeles NREL MUNIN ee os ak OR LV his & Oe ele 82 S. Marengo Ave., Pasadena SEE, A/c. LBs ise see Re le PS gon '....Upland Me CTOV EE av ial als feck ele ns Son ake 518 Van Nuys Bldg., Los Angeles SALT AW) a 401 So. Title Bldg., San Diego aE Ean eee ee a ek 406 W. Pico, Los Angeles RTE COs Ey! oss acck beds so eas First National Bank, Los Angeles SPEC SSS: 1B | ic CUR eee ee 17th and Newport Road, Santa Ana PARE LEMIONOS EE ek ce es Ca eda a 231 E. Lemon Ave., Monrovia PARI ME ee ee Box 213, R.F.D. 2, Pasadena SS, COT AE A ie asc es Urry n Glendora SPORES, |B Le ie ae Ue oe ene cee er 1828 Orange St., Bakersfield Supt, LESS Usa te Ak 0 haa as a eG oe Ae GRR ti go to Yuba City SPEED JAVA Ca o's aa ee ee ee en R. R. 1, Box 395, San Gabriel are SP PRERTINCMMES AO ye Pets de teeth isis iia etc cabs 4 alc) Hal's c ie, yualanh: aislals Harper apa CaM TTEM Te rie he ety cn hn eine amide ke se ee Ne Duarte elegy, AULT Sy Ws NDS ae ae Pen Bs Fullerton SPERTIE SS Ae UCU a ON te Os aS en ee 601 Story Bldg., Los Angeles SEAMS MONEY) Ai 2 ook eis ice dae apes L ciend Sew és 937 Atlantic Ave., Long Beach PSRERSES, « WD BE ROS Ps al a lc RN Se ce Paria inn OU Montebello Mtevens, Oherman...........--6-0.405- Sec’y San Joaquin Fruit Co., Tustin SPSS SOT AE a gi De en 969 Topeka St., Pasadena PROM WITS. Pose on oak heck okies bw caw ot 2319 W. 11th St., Los Angeles eR ECAN EN ye ee ta lint ts et ee Sh Lah BT UN eae La Verne Sunshine Co, The. ........... 407-8 Consolidated Realty Bldg., Los Angeles SeycTERE, ty cl Ls See Ra eee le aan at ae Ne RR PR PG Alta Loma PE ae RA SRO Ca: ected Sa RANA INCRE Ee aN iO Sei ees Ae Raat an Cen Ni nae Orange TT ea tty non yee oN las 5 Hint kh a AM ie deat lls Nordhoff Wiomudtcends Drk Lee a5 oo ee ea eos woe w belle -.R.F.D. 1, Box 175, San Gabriel a EG Oe] Heo) Be 1 a aR SO ON en CRN at wea Se Oe A Glendora “EEE, Soa. od Bose 2s oe CONGR eg ea oS a LANE GE AP UH MET Tustin tere Hast ey oe cy nie eabira) s oboe eet wis dls 1295 Fairfax Ave., Hollywood Peralierey vibe sok ee eee ae eS 1547 Las Palmas Ave., Los Angeles 16 1917 ANNUAL REPORT Walkers Puce eye ee a hcg ec ae ee ie San Fernando Waterbury, 4G) Wie ie ee so a eee Corona Waters \Genetta Hii. or re Ss Lemon Grove Wetzel.) (Hugo Gh oe ok Sel oe aoe ea a eens R.F.D. 3, Anaheim Whedon thes oye he eee io ee ee Yorba Linda White,.,\Cormelia + Ben oe soe obs oa ee Riverside Co., Palm Springs White; Ralph Avena ee ai) ao ae ee ae ar ae Box 263, Glendora Whiteley, Mirss Fo .J Se5G i ee a Box 55, Arcadia Wilder, (Go Wee a ee ee es Redlands Wrlliamis Ay ee eel arse hah ras eas 987 N. Raymond Ave., Pasadena Wimberly; eo Wie oo eee ee Ontario Woods! Robert) Site eas seine 919 Bonnie Brae St., Los Angeles Waegys VAL Recah oad eestor mmen 2138 Emerson Ave., Santa Barbara LE) NSE ol, NG ct intent ee ear a ee ey ar 755 N. Kenmore Ave., Los Angeles ould We Me is aa eee aed ae ie sae re a ae 427 S. Madison Ave., Pasadena NON-RESIDENTS OF STATE Beach John’ Bae ere ie a sae ue ae ea West Palm Beach, Fla. BowssMressbio Lis cies ee RO ok Homestead, Fla. Bryant & Greenwood................ 1301-06 Westminste: Bldg., Chicago, III. Carrier, We ais cs yeoued sue at aes nen toe ne a Winter Haven, Fia. Cellon,) Geo Be oo. oo oi iis wince oes 6 Sone se eee Miami, Fla. Doerr, Chass Peo ees ee ee ee ea Aguascalientes, Mexico Elizabeth Nursery Co. The.............. Wilder St., Elizabeth, New Jersey Fishers be Tosa) ah cies Sees cee eee snscect Victoria de las Tunas, Oxiente, Cuba Harn; Sam) (Pej o ce eer soe Gainesville, Fla. Netz; Emma ‘Ke. Ces ee eee es 548 Menominee St., Chicago, IIl. Niles she Doe ies ccans SING cust ie cee aan ane es one ee Lucerne Park, Fla. Ostrand, Edward ic2". oes eae oe ee 156 Van Buren St., Chicago, III. Schaethers: Joss25. 4255 jai) oe ae ee eae ee ee Doctors Inlet, Fla. Wright, A. P......................>....Mission Nurseries, Mission, Tex. HONORARY MEMBERS Webber (DresHeign OC a Citrus Experiment Station, Riverside Fourth Semi-Annual Meeting of the California Avocado Association, Held in Auditonum of Normal Hill Center, Los Angeles, California, May 18-19, 1917 Dr. H. J. WEBBER, President T. U. BARBER, First Vice-President CHARLES SILENT, Second Vice-President CHARLES D. ADAMS, Secretary C. P. TAFT, Treasurer MINUTES OF THE SECOND ANNUAL AND THE FOURTH SEMI-ANNUAL MEETING AFTERNOON SESSION, MAY 18 The meeting was called to order by the president, Dr. H. J. Web- ber. The minutes of the Third Semi-Annual meeting were read and on rrotion were approved as read. ‘The president stated that the directors had found it desirable to appoint a slightly later date for this meeting than the time named in the By-Laws and that it would be well for the Association to confirm this action and legalize the meeting. The following resolution oftered by J. E. Hoff, was presented and carried: Resolved that this meeting of the California Avocado Association held in Los Angeles, May 18 and 19, under ar- rangements made by the Board of Directors, be declared the regular annual May meeting of the Association. The following amendments to the By-Laws and the following new By-Law were recommended by the president in behalf of the Board of Directors and were carried by two-thirds majority of members present on motion duly made and seconded. AMENDMENT TO SECTION XI oF By-Laws That Section XI of By-Laws be changed to read as follows: Meetings The Annual Meeting of the Association shall be held at some convenient period during May of each year, the time and place of such meeting to be designated by the Board of Direc- tors; special meetings shall be called by the president with the approval of the Board of Directors as occasion may require. New By-Law No. XII. Amendments These By-Laws may, on the recommendation of the Board of Directors, be changed or amended at any regular annual meeting of the Association by a two-thirds vote of all members present at such meeting. 18 1917 ANNUAL REPORT The attached financial report for the fiscal year was read by the president and the financial conditions considered and compared with pre- vious years. TREASURER’S REPORT OF THE CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION Receipts and expenditures for the year from May 11, 1916, to May 10, 1917 RECEIPTS— Cash on hand!-May 11, 1916. 33 25822 357 3 eee $ 249.73 Dues: 1996 eS es ee 70.00 Dues, LOLA sve. Bos POR ae eee 525.00 Sale of 1915, Reports 5.07500) 245 ee eee 25.45 Sale of [916:Reports 2 f0) oS 61.10 Donation]. M. Eliott. 2. 00.003... 22.4) 2a ee 10.00 Advertising in 19:15. Report... ; 2... 2.4.02 62 eee 30.00 Advertising in 1916 Report . 2. . 2. . sche eee 150.00 ‘Total receipts): is). eee elo ee ee $1121.28 EXPENDITURES— General expenses (including expenses of October MEGEING) foley eed eles gn es Gacy aaa a $ 60.44 Clerical’ work ic aij22 ssa arn ec evo as 70.55 Postage i ile iate Nie Ls Woes a are a era 60.40 Stationery and miscellaneous printing......... 62.60 Engraving in 1916 Annual Report .......... 106.17 Printing 600 copies 1916 Annual Report..... 350.70 ‘Total expenditures 2.2.0). 3.56 Gate $710.86 710.86 Balance.in bank). 200033) .r.'3. os Dae ee 410.41 RESOURCES— @ashiin banks nh Aa oo neers $410.41 Due on advertising—1916 Report .......... 7.50 Membership dues 1916 unpaid ............. 35.00 Membership dues 1917 unpaid ............. 195.00 Net resources eee ye $647.91 647.91 Total membership— 1 39. The president then explained the recommendation by the Board of Directors of an amendment proposed to Section 3 of the By-Laws, the reasons for it, and if approved, the method this meeting would need to prescribe to put it into effect. In accordance with this recommendation the following amendment te Section 3 of the By-Laws and the following resolution, were moved by F. O. Popenoe, seconded by J. T. Whedon, and carried. AMENDMENT TO SECTION III. or By-Laws Resolved that Section III. be changed to read as follows: Directors The governing body of this Association shall consist of a board of nine directors, three of whom shall be elected at each CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 19 annual meeting of the Association and serve for a term of three years. Resclved in putting this new amendment into operation; that, of the directors elected at this meeting, the three having the highest number of votes serve for a term of three years; that the three having the next highest number of votes serve for the two year term; and that the three receiving the lowest number of votes serve for a one year term. In case the ballot electing the directors does not serve to designate the terms of service as above indicated, it is recommended that the newly elected direc- tors at their first meeting determine by lot the length of their respective terms of service. The election of the Board of Directors under the new by-law and according to the resolution just adopted was declared in order, and the secretary, as chairman of the Nominating Committee appointed by the Board of Directors, presented the committee's report, explaining that it was in accordance with their own requests that the names of some of the most valuable members of the old board did not appear on the printed ballot, which itself was only the suggestion of the committee, ample space being provided on the printed ballot for the substitution of any other names desired. The president announced that word had just been received from Mr. Thacher, whose name was included in the ballot presented by the commit- tee, that he would be unable to serve and requested that his name be with- drawn. Other nominations being in order, E. G. Hart was nominated but withdrew his name; W. P. Sherlock was nominated; Dr. Lester Keller was nominated; and E. E. Knight was nominated by W. A. Spinks to take the place left vacant on the ballot by the withdrawal of Mr. Thacher. The president appointed as tellers B. K. Marvin and W. A. Spinks, and the vote was taken. Before proceeding far in the count, the tellers asked for instructions how to count certain ballots. From their report, so many defective ballots and uncertainties as to the intention of voters were found, that a motion, made by Dr. C. W. Johnson, to destroy the old bal- lots and take a new vote was carried, and the old ballots were destroyed and a new vote taken, after a motion had been lost, that the secretary cast the vote of the meeting for the list of names as printed, only substituting the name of E. E. Knight for that of E. S. Thacher. - Moved by F. O. Popenoe, seconded by Wm. Hertrich, that the Board of Directors be empowered to appoint as honorary members of the Association without fees, such scientists, especially interested in avocado culture as, in their judgment, are worthy of this honor. Moved as an amendment by C. P. Taft, seconded by E. Albertson, that the Board of Directors recommend such names to the Association for appointment. The amendment was adopted and the original motion as amended was carried. The following resolution offered by E.. G. Hart was carried: Resolved: That the Association does hereby instruct its officers and directors to take every legitimate and proper means to counteract and prevent any fraudulent practice in connection with the avocado business. 20 1917 ANNUAL REPORT The tellers announced they were ready to report and brought in the following report of the election: Total number of votes cast, 56; neces- sary to a choice, 29. The names as listed according to the number of votes received were: I. -Chas.sDsAdams.(442 55 10. - W. P. Sherlock 2222-94 2 Ell Webber. <2. 54 ll. GCG. Po Wate eee 6 Do de Wey Barberces. 42 54 12. Wm. Al Spinkse eee 4. B. H. Sharpless.... 54 13... E.G. HareS ee 4 5. Thos. H. Shedden.. 53 14. J..M. Eller 2 ee 2 6. > Dr IW., Le ’Hlardin 3252 15.) Dr. Lib Reller Saeaee é 7. Wm. H. Sallmon... 51 16.. W. Lo Rideouts. | 8. _F..O; Popence... 50 17. W.D. Murrayeeeee l Oe LE Ea sinigit. eras 42 The tellers pronounced the first three names in the list as presented, to be elected directors for three years, the next three to be elected directors for two years, and the next three to be elected directors for one year. Their report was accepted and the directors as named, declared elected for their respective terms of office. 3 After the announcement of the election the following papers were read: ‘““Avocado Varieties in Florida,’’ by E. D. Vosbury, United States Department of Agriculture, read by Professor L. B. Scott. ‘History of the Sharpless and Monroe Avocados,” by B. H. Sharp- less, Santa Ana. “The Wagner, Lambert, and Surprise Avocados,’ by Chas. F. Wagner, Hollywood, read by his son. The president announced that the evening session of lectures with lantern slides would begin at 8:30 and that in the meantime the exhibit of fruits and nursery stock would be open to the public, after which the after- noon meeting adjourned. The program for the evening session was carried out as follows and proved as attractive to the public as a similar one had done in San Diego at the semi-annual meeting last October. EVENING SESSION, MAY 18 The evening session was called to order at 8:30 p. m. with Vice- President T. U. Barber presiding. ‘The following addresses were given: “*The Avocado in California,’’ lantern slide lecture, by Dr. H. J. Webber. Director, Citrus Experiment Station, Riverside. ‘“Notes on Methods of Pruning,”’ (with lantern slides) by Burdette K. Marvin, Riverside. ‘““Avocado Varieties,’ lantern slide lecture, by Professor I. J. Con- dit, College of Agriculture, Berkeley. FORENOON SESSION, MAY 19 The second day’s session was called to order by President Webber at 10 a. m. on Saturday, May 19, and was opened by Professor I. J. Condit with a paper on “The Avocado in Central and Northern California,’ followed by a paper by Thos. H. Shedden on ‘How Shall We Eliminate the Misnomer ‘Alligator Pear?’ ’’ and CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 21 a paper by Professor M. E. Jaffa, read by Professor Mattill, on **Further Investigations in the Nutritive Value of the Avocado.” There was a discussion after these papers on mulching methods and optimum use of water by Messrs. Whedon, Knight, Hamilton, Wright and Rixford. The president called the attention of all present to the value of the avocado industry in providing an actual food, and to the possibility of its worth in California being such as to make it a rival of the citrus industry, and to the importance in this connection of our Association and of all be- coming members of it who are interested in the avocado industry. He anounced a short recess in which those present, not already mem- bers, could become members. At the conclusion of the recess he was able to state that some fifty new names had been added to the membership roll. There followed to conclude the morning session, a symposium discus- sion on © lhe Susceptibility of Avocado Varieties to Frost Injury,”’ the discussion being led by F. O. Popenoe, of Altadena, H. J. Webber, of Riverside, and T. U. Barber, of Puente. A general discussion then took place, participated in by Messrs. Chidester, Keller, Sherlock, Knight, Fes- ler, Whedon, and Payne, which was followed by an adjournment until the afternoon session. AFTERNOON SESSION, MAY 19 The afternoon session was called to order at 2 p. m., President Web- ber in the chair. Papers were read in the following order: “Notes on Avocado Varieties for Commercial Orchards,’ Charles D. Adams, Upland. “Interplanting and Changing Varieties,’ Wm. A. Spinks, Duarte. “The Taft Avocado and Its History,” C. P. Taft, Orange. “Comparative Merits of the California Avocado Varieties,’ Pro- fessor L. B. Scott, United States Department of Agriculture. ““My Experience in Growing Avocados,’ Mrs. Margaret Stewart, Los Angeles. ““My Experience in Growing the Avocado,’’ Martin Fesler, Covina. “The Avocado for the Table,’’ Victor Hirtzler, Maitre de Cuisine Hotel St. Francis, San Francisco, read by Thos. H. Shedden. After the paper by C. P. Taft, Mr. Taft offered the following reso- lution which was seconded by Thos. H. Shedden and carried unanimously: Resolved that the California Avocado Growers Asso- ciation do hereby request the various Los Angeles papers pub- lishing market reports to use the name “‘avocado”’ instead of “alligator pear’ or “avocado pear,” and to class the same un- der the appropriate head of fruits and not vegetables, and that the secretary be instructed to send each paper publishing market reports a copy of the above resolution or its equivalent. The Committee on Resolutions presented their report which was adopted as follows: Report of the Committee on Resolutions, at the close of the second annual convention of the California Avocado Asso- 22 1917 ANNUAL REPORT ciation, held in Los Angeles, California, May 18 and 19, 1917. The young and growing avocado industry in California is grateful to all who extend a helping hand. In this spirit, the avocado growers upon finishing the proceedings of their second annual meeting, desire to give thanks to the following: The Chamber of Commerce of Los Angeles for the free use of the Auditorium, Normal Hill Center; Mr. Edwin G. Hart, the Reed & Miller Company, and the Los Angeles newspapers, for publicity; The many men of science who have come, or sent, from afar to give us of their learning and experience,—Professor Vos- bury and Professor Jaffa, also Mr. Tenny and Mrs. Rolfs, of Florida, Mr. Bell, Santa Clara County, and Victor Hirtz- ler, Hotel St. Francis, San Francisco, and particularly to Pro- fessor Condit, of our own University, and Professor L. B. Scott, Pomologist of the United States Department of Agriculture, who has come from Washington, and spent so much time among us, delving with head and hands into the development of the avocado in California; All others who have contributed papers for our edification and instruction, one being the first avocado lady to tell of her experience in the fascinating industry; All those who have given such gratifying displays of beau- tiful avocados, hand picked, the “‘ocular proof’ of what is now growing in our own land; : The four retiring directors who have done so much in bringing the Association thus far in successful growth, Judge Charles Silent, and Messrs. Wm. A. Spinks, C. P. Taft, and E. S. Thacher; , President Webber for his untiring and whole-hearted work, and Vice-President Barber who, at the meetings, works with his coat off and sleeves rolled. Respectfully, THos. H. SHEDDEN, W. L. HarDIN, Committee. In the general discussion following the reading of the papers, Leo B. Lesperance spoke in favor of the thin-skin avocados to supply the poor man’s table and Messrs. Metcalf, Hall, and Door, about the preference in Mexico by the Mexicans for the thin-skin kinds. Professor Scott stated emphatically that the thin-skin kinds were too small to market to advantage, that the market in the East had been developed by the Florida growers for the large fruit, and he had no doubt the Western market would demand the same class of avocados and that they could be supplied from our com-- mercial varieties here as they have been in the East by Florida. Mrs. Bradbury remarked, as an indication of their great oil content, that avocados were made use of in Central America for axle grease, and W. L. Rideout hoped Professor Scott at our fall meeting, would give us a list of the best thin-skin varieties. At the conclusion of the general discussion, the meeting adjourned on. motion duly made. CuHas. D. ADAMS, Secretary. CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 23 REMARKS MADE IN OPENING THE FOURTH SEMI- ANNUAL MEETING By PRESIDENT H. J. WEBBER Gentlemen and members of the California Avocado Association: In opening this Fourth Semi-Annual meeting of the California Avo- cado Association, I wish, as president of the Association, to express to all members my heartfelt appreciation of their kind support and enthusiasm. We are pleased to note by your presence in such large numbers your con- tinued support of the Association and its ideals. This Association is made up of a body of enthusiasts. It is the type of enthusiasm that is char- acteristically American. We are now engaged in the great world war. All of our resources as a nation are being taxed to the utmost in the conduct of the war. Many of our members individually are daily laboring to the utmost on war meas- ures: to increase our quota of fighters, to augment our food supplies and prevent suffering, to endow the Red Cross with sufficient funds to conduct its great work efficiently; and yet despite all this extra activity in the nation’s service, we do not forget the future and the demands of our developing in- dustry. Only an inherently great industry can engender a lasting interest. It is your confidence in the final success of the avocado industry and _ its benefit to the state and nation that holds your attention and stimulates your enthusiasm. This high idealism may in many individuals be subconscious only, as in many cases it is the possibility of financial gain that first attracts attention. Yet no individual is likely to strive to improve and develop an industry in a broad-minded way, as this Association as a body is doing, unless he is inspired with higher ideals than simply the benefit to accrue to himself indi- vidually. In no way is this high-minded purpose demonstrated more clearly than in the service rendered by your Board of Directors. The directors serve without pay, or even a return of expenses. ‘To attend a meeting, each must travel a distance of from 20 to 75 miles, spend an entire day and some- times more. From two to three meetings of the directors are regularly held between each semi-annual meeting and yet time after time every direc- tor has been in his place at each meeting. At no time has any director been absent, unless compelled by illness to remain at home. So strikingly has this interest of your directors been manifested that I desire especially to direct your attention to it. Never have I served on any public board where each member has shown such interest and attention to duty. I can assure you that every member of your board is abundantly worthy of the confidence you placed in him, by electing him to his respective position. The activity of the Association has served to call attention in a strik- ing way to the importance of the industry. Our membership during the year has increased from 96 on May 10, 1916, to 144, May 10, 1917. The annual report published during the year is recognized as a valu- able addition to the literature of the avocado. Indeed it can be said with- out boasting to contain the most reliable information regarding the avocado that has appeared in any published work. In the year ending May 10, 1916, the total receipts were $955.55 and the total expenditures $705.82, leaving a cash balance on hand of 24 1917 ANNUAL REPORT $249.73. In the year just past, ending May 10, 1917, the total receipts were $1121.28 and the total expenditures $710.86 leaving a cash balance on hand of $410.41. The net resources May 10, 1916, were $313.63 and May 10, 1917, they are $647.91. The Association is thus on a good financial footing, but it must be admitted that the Association has not reached the magnitude that will enable it to take up an advertising campaign such as will soon be needed as our new plantings come into bearing. It is highly important that the mem- bership of the Association be greatly increased if the funds are to be pro- vided to do the work the Association is organized to do. During this meet- ing every effort possible should be made to enlarge our membership. Only by the united support of all growers, can the work of the Association be made fully effective. The Association is again under obligation to its members and friends for their hearty co-operation in the fruit exhibit. The excellent exhibit staged in the adjoining hall is an evidence of the extent of this co-operation. As president of the Association, I desire to extend to each exhibitor the thanks of the Association for his kind co-operation. We will now proceed to the regular business of the meeting. AVOCADO VARIETIES IN FLORIDA By E. D. Vossury, U. S. Department of Agriculture In Florida, as in California, the most important problem before the avocado growers is that of varieties. In each state the extension of plant- ing awaits in large measure the testing of the many varieties now available and the selection therefrom of those half-dozen or so, best suited to rank as the standard commercial sorts. WeEsT INDIAN VARIETIES With few exceptions, bearing avocado trees in Florida, both seedling and budded, belong to the so-called West Indian race. Of the many varieties of this race which have already been propagated and named, the most important and the best known variety on the market today is the Trapp, introduced by Mr. George B. Cellon, of Miami, in 1902. It has proven a reliable heavy bearer, and the fruit is good in quality, maturing from October to January after most of the other varieties have gone. The fruit, moreover, has a distinct characteristic shape which has served to identify it on the market where Trapps command a substantial premium over un- known varieties. Of the 500 acres of budded groves in Florida, upward of 90 per cent are Trapp. Other satisfactory West Indian sorts are now available which ripen from July to January. While most of these, includ- ing Trapp, are ideal commercial sorts, they are all somewhat more sus- ceptible to cold than the Mexican lime or lemon guava, so that their culture in this country will doubtless be limited to the best protected sections of south Florida. Within this reasonably safe area, however, there is room for a considerable development and it may be expected that Florida will ship in the near future large quantities of avocados of the West Indian varieties from July to January. GUATEMALAN VARIETIES Guatemalan varieties of avocados have recently attracted great in- terest in Florida on account of their late season of maturity and superior ‘ePlLOTyT ‘TUIBIW ‘Uapaer °91B10 JO 19}U99 SSOudOw UOTIWAed & JayJoud SI9MOAS DULOS UOTJONPOIUT JURIq “S “QQ ‘WIMOIS (syuJUOU Ud9IJIY Sopuvo0ay dduay, Jo 92uAQ POyoug V YOOMS Sulpoos wo poyasom-doy, op10nyT Z oINSly “J 918d [ 9INSIY “T 97P[g Ls OS Be v, CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 25 hardiness as compared with the West Indian sorts. ‘The first trees of this race bore in Florida in 1912 and during the last six years budwood of many varieties has been introduced from California. Several trees have already fruited but none of them have been sufficiently tested to determine fully their value in Florida. Fuerte bore for the first time in Florida at the Miami Plant Introduction Station last November and December, where the tree has attracted much attention on account of its exceedingly vigorous growth. The fruits of the first crop were somewhat disappointing in quality, possibly as a result of the excessively rapid growth of the two- year-old tree on which they were borne. This behavior indicates that even the best California varieties must be thoroughly tested for Florida condi- tions. Taft also has fruited once or twice in Florida, ripening from Feb- ruary to May, and is considered worthy of further trial. ‘Taylor is the only Guatemalan variety that has originated in Florida, having been grown from seed at the Miami Station. Its season here is January to April, and it has so far been a fairly profitable variety. Murrieta has fruited in Florida but shows the same tendency of lack of vigor noted in California. A very interesting variety introduced from Guatemala, by way of Hono- lulu, is now fruiting at the Miami Station. This has been propagated re- cently under the name of Beardslee but may have the prior name of Mc- Donald. The first fruits ripen in April and in vigor of tree, lateness of season, and quality, this is considered by Mr. Edward Simmonds, in charge of the station, as one of the most promising of the many varieties which he has tested. The Guatemalan varieties, as clearly indicated in the recent Florida freeze, are considerably more frost resistant than the West Indian type- At a temperature of 26° they were for the most part untouched, while West Indian varieties nearby were severely cut back. At 22°, however, four-year-old trees of several Guatemalan varieties were killed to the ground, indicating that the average Guatemalan ranks in hardiness about with the lemon. E-ven a superior hardiness of 2 to 4 degrees would prove of great advantage in extending avocado culture to parts of Florida too cold for the West Indian race. Moreover, there is a much greater vari- ation of frost resistance among Guatemalan than among West Indian vari- eties, and some,—Fuerte and Puebla for example,—promise to be much hardier than the average. No attempts have been made so far to protect Florida avocado groves by firing; doubtless because the frosts in that state, while severe, appear only at long intervals of ten years or more. The factor of late season interests Florida growers fully as much as hardiness. In Florida the Guatemalans mature from one to three months earlier than the same varieties in California. With the Guatemalan sea- son from December to May, and with the West Indian ripening from July to January, Florida growers expect to harvest avocados practically every month in the year. Att the present time Guatemalan varieties may be considered as very promising for Florida although the most conservative growers and nurserymen fully realize that they must be more fully tested before they can be extensively planted. MEXICAN RACE Mexican varieties have never attracted much attention in Florida, the few Mexican trees in that state being seedlings bearing very inferior 26 1917 ANNUAL REPORT fruit. Interest has been created in this race, however, by the marked hardiness shown, during the recent freeze, of several trees which with- stood temperatures of 20° and proved to be as hardy as orange trees. The hardiness, together with the excellent quality of the best Mexican varieties, will doubtless result in a considerable planting, especially for home and local use, in sections of the state too cold for the West Indian and Guate- malan types. Harman is perhaps the most promising of the Mexican varieties which have as yet fruited in Florida. It ripens at Miami in July, and the fruit, while small, is excellent in quality. The tendency of the fruit to crack and decay at the apex at maturity was noted here as in California but to a much smaller degree. Chappelow has fruited for sev- eral years at the home of Professor P. H. Rolfs, near Miami, but is very poor in quality there, in contrast to the high quality reported in California. While most growers consider Mexican varieties too small for commer- cial planting, many feel that it is quite probable that large fruiting vari- eties combining desirable size with hardiness and high quality will even- tually be found. A seedling Mexican tree at the Miami Station now bears fruit of a pound in weight and of fine quality. While this tree is unfortunately a shy bearer, it illustrates the possibilities of the type. Until the Guatemalan varieties are more thoroughly tested, commer- cial plantings in Florida will consist largely of West Indian sorts. Most growers will plant 75 per cent or more of their acreage to Trapp. Many will plant a small part of their groves to the best summer varieties, as these are already in excellent demand and doubtless have a great future as an ideal hot weather food. In most groves a few each of the most promising Guatemalan and new West Indian varieties will be planted for testing. A heavy demand is anticipated in Florida for avocados for home plantings. E:ven the more tender sorts can be grown in sheltered dooryards with some weather protection as far north as their commercial range, while the Mexican varieties can doubtless be grown throughout the orange belt. Prospective Florida growers fully realize the importance of testing most carefully the many varieties now on trial and selecting from each the most desirable strains as well as eliminating all inferior types. To this end, several of the leading nurserymen of the state are keeping careful book records of the production and behavior of each individual tree in their groves. Records of this sort will make it possible to determine accurately and fully the comparative value of new varieties as well as strains within these varieties. With their wide range of hardiness, season, quality, and their future possibilities, avocado varieties offer a fascinating field for care- ful horticultural study of this sort. HISTORY OF THE SHARPLESS AND THE MONROE AVOCADOS, AND MY OBSERVATIONS AND EXPERIENCES IN PROPAGATING THE SAME By B. H. SHARPLEssS, Santa Ana, California According to the best information we can gather on the subject, the avocado tree, cataloged as the Sharpless avocado, is a seedling, set out in the year 1901 by David Gockley. Mr. Gockley having died before the tree came into prominence, we have been unable to learn defin- CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 27 itely where he got the seedling, but the fruit is of the thick, hard-skinned ‘Guatemalan type. The tree was planted under the overhanging branches of an im- mense old blue-gum row, which caused it to grow rather tall and slender, but young trees in my orchard, budded from the Sharpless tree, show sturdy, spreading growth. The Sharpless tree bore its first crop, consisting of 20 fruits, in 1912, being at that time eleven years old. Buds from the Sharpless tree, put into top-worked trees, set fruit at twenty-two months from bud- ding, and buds put into nursery stock are in heavy bloom this spring, three years from budding. In 1913, the Sharpless tree bore 20 fruits; in 1914, 75 fruits; in 1915, 250 fruits; and the crop harvested in the winter and spring of 1916-17 consisted of 700 fruits. Because of the insistent demand and the limited supply, we cut the fruit from the tree only when it showed by a slight change of color, that it was beginning to ripen. We adhered strictly to this plan and made weekly shipments from the first of October to the middle of February. Later in the season we found by experimenting that the fruit would stay on the tree in perfect condition several weeks after it had colored all over. From these facts I am convinced that the entire crop might have been harvested a month later. We propose to establish this fact this coming season by beginning shipments in November. The Sharpless avocado shows remarkable tenacity in holding onto the tree. One fruit on exhibit today was cut from the tree this morning (May 18th), being two years from blossom. Although several fruits hung on the tree during March, according to analysis made by Professor Jaffa of the University of California, the fruit reached its highest state of perfection in January. The analysis made in January showed 20.54 per cent fat content, while previous analyses made in August and September showed 15 and 16 per cent fat. One dozen of the Sharpless fruits on exhibit today were cut from the tree February 24, having been in cold storage nearly three months, which fact speaks for itself in regard to the keeping quality of this fruit. The Sharpless avocado is a pyriform fruit, weighing from | to Il pounds, the average being about 20 ounces. ‘The skin is thick and hard, and is maroon in color when fully ripe. The flesh is cream color, with a rich, nutty flavor, and practically free from fiber. ‘The seed is very small in comparison with the edible portion and is tight in the cavity. The Monroe avocado is just coming into prominence as one of the very desirable, early spring fruits, ripening in April, May and June. ‘The tree came into bearing at ten years of age, producing 5 fruits at that time. Its second crop was 60 fruits, and the crop for 1917 is etsimated at 150 © fruits with a heavy blossom at present for the coming season. It is easy to bud, a vigorous, erect grower, and young trees, budded in the nursery on Lemon Heights near Tustin, have come into bearing at two years of age. The fruit is of the thick-skinned, Guatemalan type, and is dark green in color, which turns a lighter shade, showing a creamy tinge when ripe. It weighs | to | 1-4 pounds. ‘The flesh is smooth and creamy, free from fiber and of delicious flavor. The seed is of medium size, 28 1917 ANNUAL REPORT completely filling the cavity. Fruits have been submitted for analysis, but reports have not been received in time for this paper. Having had considerable experience in budding citrus nursery stock, I anticipated no difficulty when I decided to propagate from the Sharpless tree. My first experience in avocado nursery work in 1915 was very much like that of the average novice in avocado budding, and I will not bore you with a record of its failures and disappointments, except to say that only about 5 per cent of the buds took. I found a great difference of opinion among those whose advice I sought as to what kind of bud to use, some advising me to use buds that were only a tiny, undeveloped knot above the leaf stem, and from that on up to buds in full growth, an inch or more long. By experimenting with all kinds, we were able, by the process of elimination, to learn what type of bud would give the best results. This may not apply to other varieties of the avocado, but in budding from the Sharpless and the Monroe trees, I get good results by cutting buds from the young, vigorous growth, using plump, full buds that seem almost, but not quite, ready to burst into growth. Last year( 1916), I put 1800 buds into vigorous field-grown stock of different ages, and when winter came, I estimated that I had a set of 95 per cent. Of this 1800 seedlings, 400 were from seed from Florida fruit, which in my inexperience I had bought and planted, thinking such large seed would make fine, thrifty plants. I was not mistaken in this, as they grew rank and fast, and set the buds well, but during the cold spell in December they froze to the ground, being a total loss. My nursery was located in the lower corner of my orchard on the north side of a big blue-gum row, which served, I think, to back the frost up and hold it in the nursery. ‘The seedlings from the local, hardy stock were damaged to the extent that the top foliage was more or less browned, but when the spring growth started, I found that a good percentage of the dormant Sharpless buds in the hardy stock had weathered the winter frost and other misfortunes, and with the first warm weather they pushed out into fine, vigorous growth. © Young two and three-year-old Sharpless trees, 100 yards from the nursery, were untouched by the frost. THE WAGNER, LAMBERT AND SURPRISE AVOCADOS By Cuas. F. WAGNER, Hollywood, Calif. The Wagner avocado is a seedling from the Walker Royal, the seed of which I planted sometime in 1908. In 1913 the tree had 3 avocados, and about three dozen in 1914; 440 in 1915, and 190 in 1916. The last two years the fruit was mostly picked in April and May. I think they will be four to six weeks later this year. The aver- age weight is about 10 to 12 ounces, but a good many weigh 14 to 15 ounces. The seed is rather large; the fruit round and of good quality. I kept some of the fruit on the tree until December last year. I think there are about 400 to 500 on the tree now. The Lambert is a seedling from a Mexican fruit, planted in 1909. It bore 3 fruits in 1915, and 4 in 1916. This year (1917) it had 10 dozen. ‘The fruit is green and round, and weighs about | pound; flesh, CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 29 rich in fat and very smooth. Picked most of fruit in March. There are still a few large fruits on the tree. Seed is of medium size. The tree is a vigorous grower and is in full bloom now (April). About 10 per cent of the fruit cracked at the blossom end, causing some of them to have a dry rot almost to the seed about the size of a fifty-cent piece, but it didn’t seem to affect the balance of the fruit. The Surprise is also a tree from a Mexican fruit which I planted in 1909. It bore | fruit in 1915; in 1916 it had 81 fruits; and this year we will get about 250 to 300 fruits. Average weight of fruit is 20 ounces; oval shape and green; flesh, very smooth grain, but not so rich as the Wagner and the Lambert. Last year I picked the fruit in February and March, but I think they will impro. very much by letting them hang several months longer. The biggest part of this year’s crop will still be on the tree in May. The tree is making new fruit buds now (April). The tree has a fine shape and is also a vigorous grower. The cold weather didn’t seem to affect any of my trees here in Hollywood. The seed of the fruit weighs 3 ounces. MY EXPERIENCE IN GROWING THE AVOCADO By MartTIN FESLER, Covina, California I have been requested to read a paper on my experience as an avo- cado grower. I do not know whether I have a message worth while on the subject or not, but if my experience is of any value to the industry I am only too glad to give it. The avocado industry, like the orange business at its beginning, is groping in the dark with a lot of unprofitable varieties, and a great deal of money and time is being spent trying out the various trees and finding out what is worth planting. I planted my first trees in 1912, and as they were potted, they were all badly root-bound. The freeze came on and settled them, and I dug most of them up and learned what my troubles were. One seedling came through without much damage, and as it had refused to support the high- priced buds that I had repeatedly stuck into it, I decided to allow it to remain a seedling. [he second year it matured 4 fruits; the next year it had 36, and last year it had about 350. My enthusiastic avocado friends advised me to place a 32-foot fence around it with a lock on the gate and a burglar alarm appliance to prevent people stealing the buds and begin selling them at two bits per. As it had no especial merit over many others that I knew of, I decided not to afflict the dear, suffering public with any more varieties but allowed all that wanted them, to have buds free. Very few availed themselves of the opportunity, though the fruit was better than some of those behind the fence. I bought Blakes that turned out to be Harmans and Murrietas that were lafts. A Mexican No. 6 must have been 4-11-44 or some other number. At any rate it was not a winner. Like some others, I thought there was some easy money in the nursery business raising the trees, and I broke into the game with about 2000 seeds. I planted these in a hot-bed very close together, and when they sprouted and got a top on them about 2 inches high, I transplanted 80 1917 ANNUAL REPORT them to the nursery row. Just why one should go to the expense of start- ing them in a pot is something I could not quite understand. Some trees have a tight bark that will scarcely ever take a bud, and I got hold of a bunch of local seeds of this character and fattened the bud seller for quite a while before I got next to it. We will learn that it is not all in the bud, but there is a lot of our troubles in the character of the tree, and this will help us a lot in selecting our seeds. I saw a bunch of big, fat, Tahiti seeds and bought some of them. It seemed to me that they froze before the thermometer got to 32. Att any rate, if all are like the ones I got they will not do for this country. I helped to replenish the gold reserve of the bud seller with my nursery for three years and then gave the proposition away to a fellow for nothing. Up to date he has not brought an action against me for damages but | feel rather guilty every time I meet him. I have observed many failures among the growers, and most of them are due to a lack of care. If one plans to raise avocado trees among orange trees and depends on their growing by watering them with the regu- lar run, he will find that they will not do well. Avocados should be watered at least every two weeks, and with small trees, oftener is better. Much depends on the character of the soil. They will stand a mighty lot of hardship and still hang on, but they will do no good. The trunk of the tree should always be protected from the hot sun until it grows its own shade. I had very poor success heading out trees too high. Ass they grow, I have found that one can prune off the lower limbs, but the avo- cado is a tree that winds and twists more or less, and it is hard to train certain varieties and get them to make a good looking tree. I bought trees that had been budded on two and possibly three- year-old rootstocks. This had been accomplished by sawing off the trunk at the ground and allowing a sprout to grow up, placing the bud in that. When balled, this stump is hid, and you think you are getting a fine tree, only to learn later that it does not grow. You can figure on the loss of about a half year’s growth or more on trees of this character, no matter how much care you give them. The second year, they will take hold and grow, but I find it does not pay to plant that sort of a tree. There is much to learn about what buds will grow on a bud-stick. Many of you learned this in the good old days when you bought high- priced ones, and the seller counted in the weak buds. ‘The bud seller in many instances did not know this and of course did not mean to sell worthless buds. There are certain kinks in every variety, and the only way you can learn this is by actual experience. I have found that the early spring budding is the best. Others claim different times, but at the best I have met with numerous failures in certain kinds, and I find I am not alone in this. Some buds will take hold and give great hopes, only to disappoint one later. I nursed.a Murrieta for two years, and at the end of that time it was not over 2 inches larger than it was when I planted it. I have some Royals that grew fine last year and this spring they look like a picked chicken. Where budded trees are to be rebudded, in many cases | think it will be advisable to get back to the seedling stock, in preference to budding on the budded tree. This can be accomplished by stubbing back the tree CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 81 at the ground and allowing a shoot to come up from below the old bud, then working from that. As some trees grow so much more thriftily than others, it is not advisable to mix them up too much. This is not practical with trees of any considerable size. I have a Challenge bud, growing in a Harman trunk, and a similar one in a seedling stock about 25 feet away, and there is no comparison between the two. ‘The one on the Harman is a year older than the seed- ling, and it is not as large. I know of instances where growers have been advised to plant Harmans to be top-worked later, when we know more definitely what we want to grow. My experience has taught me that we are going against trouble when we pursue this course. I have sometimes thought that our nurserymen were over-persuaded that this was true be- cause they were long on Harmans. Quite a few people in my neighborhood thought well of the avocado outlook and planted quite liberally, only to learn that the variety they have is not worth while. One man dug up about 2 acres because he was unable to determine what variety was best to grow. So much has been said about the different trees, and some are condemning them while others will pro- nounce them all right, that the uninitiated are unable to determine who is right, and so they let it alone. I am very optimistic about the future of the avocado, despite the fact that I have bought about all the trees that did not pan out. A man in Florida had a secret process for grafting avocados that he assured us was a winner. He asked $500 for it, but I could not think he had very much over us here in California, and later he sent it to me for the same price I got for my nursery. It would not work for me. I had 14 trees that fruited last year, ranging from a half dozen fruits to 350. On account of the high cost of potatoes, we only sold a few. The price we received was very satisfactory. When I learned that some of them were bought by Mexican laborers, I thought they sold too high. The thin-skins showed a tendency to drop just before they ripened. I was unable to determine why this was so. Possibly it was from a lack of water, as I withhold irrigation in the fall to prepare the trees for winter. I could not grow the Trapp variety. It froze badly each winter, and I dug all the trees out. With foot-rot and gum disease in our orange orchards, and black scale that is immune to cyanide, the avocado looks mighty good to me. Those of you that have tried replacing an orange tree in an old grove know what you are up against. I can get more results with an avocado tree in three years than with an orange tree in seven. Next year will see every unprofitable orange tree in my grove removed, and there are a mighty lot of them in most groves I know anything about. The avocado is going to be a great boon to orange growers who have a lot of trees that should be dug out. NOTES ON AVOCADO VARIETIES FOR COMMERCIAL ORCHARDS By Cuas. D. Apams, Upland, Cal. To the increasing number who want to make a start toward plant- ing commercial orchards of avocados there is no more important and 82 1917 ANNUAL REPORT puzzling question of which to find an answer than what to plant to produce an orchard that will prove permanently profitable. One may frequentiy hear the current opinion expressed that we must wait ten years longer before we shall know what are to be our standard varieties. Possibly we may have to wait that long to get that knowledge, but we do not intend to wait that long to do our planting and from what we already know about it and what we already have in trees and fruit we can be reasonably sure we can produce orchards that will be permanently profitable even though no trees in them should ever find a place in the final standard class. The discovery during the past season of the late ripening period of two imported budded varieties and one of California origin has given us three first-class winter maturing kinds, so that we now have avocados of superior merit to market during every month in the year and that without needing to use very many varieties, so few that even three or four can be made to cover the whole season. Since we can now cover the whole year with varieties that are as good as any that we have, there is no need to be unreasonably timid about planting an orchard if we use few enough kinds, selected with sufficient study and good judgment. The main puzzle that remains to solve pertaining to the effect of future planting on what we may plant now, is whether the superiority which we may find in the best new kinds from Guatemala will prove very marked as compared with our present best kinds. Among the hundreds of thousands of trees amid which the United States government expert is now seeking the best, and among the selected imported Guatemalan buds soon to fruit here, there are almost certain to be some for which we shall want to reserve a space in our orchards. Not too many kinds, is a well proven element of success in orchard planting. Buyers are most interested and pay best prices where they can find large and continuous supplies of a definite article and growers find such marketing simplest and most economical. ‘The California orange has been brought down to one standard variety for one half the year and one for the other half. The greater variation in taste, shape, size, color and period of maturity m the avocado compared with all other fruits will not permit of quite so few, but the nearer we can approximate to it with the very best for each period the better. We are not here considering a few trees each of many kinds for our own testing or pleasure. That is quite a different matter. Probably the main ripening season for the greatest number of our thick-skin varieties is the summer, some of them beginning earlier and some continuing later. [Then we have those maturing most of their crop in the spring, some of which would begin in the winter, and finally we have those maturing most of their crop in the winter, some of which would come ear- lier and some later. We find a general agreement to eliminate from consideration those sorts, however good otherwise, that have been found weak and sickly in their growth, such as the Colorado, Dickey, Royal, Murrieta and Presi- dente. For the spring including some years the latter part of the winter CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 33 and earlier part of the summer, we have most prominent the Challenge, Blakeman and Dickey A, also Lyon and Spinks. We must bear in mind that all varieties are later this year than usual, many growers state 30 to 60 days later. The objections brought against the Challenge are its large seed, very low oil content, and only fair flavor with some stringiness, but its beauty places it in the highest grade as to external appearance and the attention it will attract in any market. It averages a full pound or more in weight, it is round in shape, at maturity turns to an attractive deep maroon color, and it comes from a hardy, vigorous, immense in size and enormously pro- ducing tree. Budded trees of the variety come into bearing early and pro- duce heavy crops. The Dickey A needs an introduction to a great many of us, not being as well known as the others, perhaps for want of a better name. Neither the original tree nor any of the buds have displayed the weak symptoms of the original Dickey. The quality of the Dickey A is very superior, the seed one of the smallest in proportion to flesh of any variety we have, the shape pyriform, and the color red as it matures and then maroon. In the past the fruit on the parent tree has averaged a pound or more, but this year, owing perhaps to the very large crop it has carried, it does not average over three-quarters of a pound. It and the Challenge are the varieties that have been most promi- nently and continuously on sale during April and May in Los Angeles grocery stores. The original Dickey being discarded, it would be a gracious act on our part toward Mr. Dickey, who is one of the members of our Association and who would naturally rather have a good thing associated with his name than a tree failure, if we would agree to drop out the original Dickey variety entirely and transfer the name Dickey to the Dickey A. The Blakeman is showing itself to be an exceptionally hardy, vig- orous, and precocious tree. Ihe growth is spreading. To obtain the best form, the young growth in its early state should be pinched back or headed in to promote compactness. A grower who has many varieties, writes about it as follows: “As to frost the Blakeman made a particularly good showing this winter; a little tree in my orchard, 4 or 5 feet high, went through without turning a leaf, Taft and Dickinson in the same neighborhood being badly hit.”’ Snow fell in an orchard in another locality, melting nearly as fast as it fell, though remaining as much as two inches thick on the ground and trees for a time. It caused the leaves of the citrus trees to curl up and look for days as they would after a decided freeze, and it browned the leaf edges of some other avocados, but not the Blakeman leaves, which came through bright and shining, showing no sign of anything wrong. This is one of the fruits of high quality, of a green color turning to a yellow shade of green as it matures, form broadly oblique and average weight previous seasons | to 1! pounds, but this year only a scant | pound, owing perhaps to the heavy crop. Budded trees two years from the nlrsery indicate a good setting of fruit and the five years’ bearing 84 1917 ANNUAL REPORT record of the parent tree indicates a continuous bearer without off-years. The record is, first year a few, then 25, 50, 250, 500. In the Lyon we have a fine fruit and the tree, the most precocious known, blossoming and setting fruit so abundantly from the first year that it tends to dwarf and enfeeble the tree unless it be carefully and rigidly thinned. The Spinks tree is remarkably hardy and vigorous. It does not sunburn as do many varieties. Observation of many kinds show it and the Fuerte to be among the most rapid growers of any of the thick-skin type. The year’s growth of some Spinks buds placed in old stock sur- passes anything of the kind known. ‘The fruit has been too large but has redeemed itself this year by coming down to an average of a pound or over. ‘Lhe color when mature a purplish black, and the form obovate to pyriform. ‘The fruit is handsome and has a long period of maturity. The Taft and Dickinson are two main season fruits that are less hardy than some others, yet do well in many groves and with a little protection the first year or two, should do well wherever lemons will. Their fruit is so superior as to make them worthy of this care. The Taft is longer in beginning to bear than most varieties. The Dickinson is re- ceiving more attention this year than ever before, displaying many good qualities. A fruit we all admire for its size, color, high quality, beauty, and very small seed, is the Sharpless, and more than ever now since it has been found to have been picked and marketed too early in the main season and has been found to be really a fall and winter fruit. Its crop this year was /0Q; its shipping to market began in October and continued until March 15th, some fruit staying on the tree to the end of April, and one remained to be picked to exhibit at this meeting. “The heaviest shipments were in October, November and December, after that the ripening was slower. Mr. Sharpless states that half the fruit would have been better had it been left on the tree one or two months longer and that there is no question about its being a winter-ripening fruit. Other years the fruit was simply picked immature. The analysis shows this. The chemist stated that the specimens sent in August and September were not ripe, while a fruit sent January 15th analyzed 20.54 per cent oil and specimens an- alyzed on April 4th showed 24.23 per cent of oil. ‘This is a real brittle- skin or hard-shell frit, the skin making an excellent protection in shipping and an ideal cup from which to eat it with a spoon. ‘The fruit weighs from a pound to a pound and a half, averaging 20 ounces. The budded trees on Mr. Sharpless’ place are strong growing and he states have never had a trace of die-back or sickly appearance. The blossoming time is April and May and the fruit begins to mature in October of the following year, similar to the Valencia orange, making the fruits from sixteen to twenty-two months at picking. The other two winter bearing kinds are the Puebla and Fuerte. They are both hardy and satisfactory as trees in every way. A Puebla tree, which was under my observation, at two years from the nursery set 15 fruits, which were of a very handsome appearance at maturity by reason of their smooth, glossy skin of a purple color. The first one was picked December 17th, and the last January 28th and could only have been held a day or two longer. The analysis shows 25 to 26 CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 85 per cent fat. There is some fibre but not enough to be objectionable. The size was a disappointment. Last year’s report of an average weight of three-quarters of a pound was not confirmed. One or two out of the fifteen reached three-quartrs, but others only 6 ounces and the average did not exceed 8 to 10 ounces. ‘The tree is very hardy, very precocious, and very prolific. The same is irue of the Fuerte tree and the Fuerte fruit reaches a more satisfactory size, averaging, as stated, from 10!'% to 121% ounces. It ranged in a five dozen shipment from an 83% ounce average, to an 18 ounce fruit, the largest of the season. A specimen under my observation, picked February 9, weighed 17 ounces and its seed 2!/7 ounces. Ship- ments of the Fuerte were made regularly from January Ist to March 15th and a few until Apvil 1 7th. A striking variation in shape and size of fruit on the same tree has been found in this variety, even round fruit together with the usual obovate form, but it is desired to have it clearly understood that no such finding of round fruit is general, it having occurred only on three trees. The fruit is green in color, with a very high oil content, one analysis shows 25.32 per cent of oil and another is still higher. A wide range of planting distances has been proposed, at which to start an avocado orchard, ranging from 16!% to 60 feet, together with various plans for interplanting and subsequent removal of interset trees. Let me call your attention to a simple method, which is not an untried theory—but which I have already put into practice in an olive grove and found satisfactory. It saves any need of interplanting and thereby mixing in the same row trees that may gain by being treated differently. Start the orchard by planting the trees 20 feet square, having at least two rows of the same kind so as never to lose the variety when thinning out trees to wider distances. When they crowd at 20 feet, take out every alternate diagonal row, which will leave the trees in squares, forty feet apart, with one in the center of each square, which equals as many trees to the acre as if they were planted 28 feet square. Whenever they crowd again, if they do, take the center tree out of each square, the remaining trees will then stand 40 feet apart each way, which ought to be ample if we aim to keep our trees under control. If one wishes the final distance apart of the trees in a grove to be greater, simply increase the starting distance of the planting in proportion and have the final distances whatever may be desired. THE AVOCADO IN CENTRAL AND NORTHERN CALIFORNIA By Pror. I. J. ConpIT, COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE, BERKELEY Avocado culture in central and northern California and in the coast valleys is still more or less in the experimental stage, although the success of small plantings in many sections is encouraging and conducive to further and more extensive trials. Some of the experiences of growers in a few widely separated districts may be of interest. The presence of large seedling trees of the Mexican type, ten years old or more, at Visalia, Los Gatos, Berkeley, Napa Soda Springs, and Youngville, and two of the Guatemalan type at San Luis Obispo, was 36 1917 ANNUAL REPORT noted in the 1915 report of this Association. The trees at Los Gatos, Visalia and Napa have borne fruit for several seasons. Budded trees of the Pomona, Fowler, Blake, Harman, and Wagner, produced fruit in 1916 in the interior valleys, and scores of trees are blooming heavily this season. At Oroville a large tree of the Mexican type grown from a seedling started in 1905, bore | fruit at nine years, 2 at ten, and 5 at eleven years of age. The tree is now 25 feet high and has proven per- fectly hardy. At Sunnyslope in Butte County such varieties as the Harman and Northrop have been grown and propagated for several years. The success of the avocado in the middle of the Sacramento Valley away from the foothills is questionable. In the spring of 1914 Mr. Skinner, a member of this Association, planted 140 high-land Mexican seedlings in orchard form among standard prune trees at Yuba City. The following winter about one-half were frosted on account of their tender growth due to late irrigation. Budded trees of the following varieties were also set out early in 1914: Chappelow, Sinaloa, Walker, Meserve, Dickinson, Taft, Queretaro, Harman, Atlixco, Dickey, and Ganter. These came through the winter without serious injury although they were not covered or protected. During the winter of 1915-16 the minimum temperature was 22°, but the cold was not prolonged. The Taft, Dickinson and Dickey frosted most, while the Walker and Ganter had only the tender branches injured. Four inches of snow fell after the heaviest freeze; this settled on the branches of one tree near the house and broke 4 feet out of the top, leaving 5 feet of trunk and branches. The Sinaloa trees showed no signs of frost injury. During 1916 a number of other trees representing twenty-two varie- ties, were set out, while neighbors in town planted nine more; there were altogether forty different varieties in the vicinity for testing. [he winter of 1916-17 was unusually severe as shown by the following report by Mr. Skinner on January 1, 1917: “It has been freezing steadily for the past six weeks and I could not tell just what would become of my avocado trees. I have five large seedlings, 8 to 10 feet high, that will come through in good shape; all the rest are frozen to the ground, or at least down to the protectors around the trunks. One Sebastian and one Knowles which were in a more protected place look better. The ther- momenter ranged from 21° to 26°, and for a long time every morning the ground would be frozen until noon, and a cold north wind often blew for days. ‘The trees will likely start up strong from the roots and make new tops.”’ A later report states that: ‘““The avocado trees stood more freezing than any of the citrus trees of the same age. ‘The latter were all killed and are not starting from the roots; the avocado trees are sprouting out, some at 3 to 6 feet high, others near the ground.” The trees in town came through in much better shape. One grower wrote that the Chappelow, Northrop, Harman, and a couple of seedling trees were blooming heavily the first of May. He believes that some of the hardy varieties can be grown in that section, although they should not be tried as a commercial proposition. His place is undoubtedly much warmer than it would be a mile or more away from the river and away from buildings which serve as a protection. On the Requa Ranch at Orland 60 Northrop trees planted in 1916 were uninjured by the-cold of the following winter. All with one excep- CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 37 tion, were protected by burlap shelters, and it came through in about as good condition as those which were protected. [he wind in fall and winter seems to be the limiting factor for avocado trees at Orland and the advisability of planting Guatemalan types, the fruit of which hangs on the tree over winter, is doubtful. Planting near buildings, windbreaks, or among other evergreen trees may obviate this difficulty to some extent. Near Dunnigan, Yolo County, trees of several varieties were planted in March 1916, but all were burned by the sun because of disregard of the instructions to protect them with sacking. [Three Harman trees seemed to show most vitality from the start and survived the winter in good shape. Reports from Sacramento County are so far not very encouraging. Northrop, Taft and Ganter trees in the Carmichael Colony were all badly injured with the exception of one Northrop tree from which the burlap covering was blown by the wind. This tree, though unprotected, proved the hardiest of all aid stood the frost better than the rest. At Folsom one Taft and one Ganter tree, planted in the spring of 1913, were about 5 feet high and well branched by 1916, but the past winter both were frozen back some, the Ganter more than the Taft, which was protected by other trees and vines. [Three more J aft trees and one Ganter planted a couple of years later froze to the ground during the winter of 1916-17. One grower at Fairoaks is of the opinion that the avocado tree will not do well in that section, as it does not seem to endure the frosts or the heat. Several years ago he planted 100 Mexican seedlings which lived through the winter with protection but died the following summer even though pains were taken to shade them. [wo years ago 100 more plants were raised from seed, but they were all killed during the winter of 1916-17 with the exception of three plants, one Hlarman, one Chappelow and one seedling, which stood near a building and came through unprotected. The seedling is very hardy and was uninjured by the severest frosts, but it is very slow growing. It is now three years old and full of bleom. ‘The Harman is two years old and is also in bloom. At Lincoln in Placer County there is a Harman tree now three years old, which is reported to have escaped all frost injury although some of the surrounding orange trees of the same age were killed by the frosts of last winter. At Newcastle in the same county, however, budded trees of several varieties both Mexican and Guatemalan, were killed during the past winter. Several Mexican seedlings, however, escaped and were blos- soming heavily in April. These trees were in a fairly low, unprotected locality and the test is probably not a fair indication of the possibilities of the region for avocado trees. In many of the protected valleys and hillsides of the San Francisco Bay region, orange and lemon trees laden with fruit are a common sight and thriving lemon orchards are by no means uncommon. In some of these places the possibilities of avocado culture have already been recognized and many thriving trees are to be found. One of the most extensive and promising plantings is on the Ostrand place, two miles east of Walnut Creek. During the past winter a self-registering thermometer showed a minimum temperature of 30° F. at the house near which most of the trees are planted. Some of the trees are now one year old from planting, while others were set this spring. They include such varieties as Fuerte, Lyon, Blakeman, Taft, Murrieta, Spinks, Linda, Rey, and Queen. A Harman 88 1917 ANNUAL REPORT tree two years from planting was in full bloom the first of May. Ata near-by place on the floor of the Ignacio Valley, a Northrop tree passed through the winter uninjured by a minimum temperature of 220° and was full of bloom May 2nd. A Taft tree near-by was frozen back to the ground, while one Fuerte and one Sebastian were seriously injured but were sprouting from the trunks and main branches. In the Santa Clara Valley proper, attempts to grow the avocado tree have been on the whole discouraging. One fairly old seedling on Judge Leib’s place near San Jose, has managed to survive but has been frozen nearly every winter and the injury during the past winter was especially severe. Along the western foothills, however, greater success has been at- tained as the bearing tree of the Mexican seedling at Los Gatos shows. Most of the budded trees planted have been of the Harman, which at Saratoga was only slightly injured at 26°. A number of varieties in- cluding the Taft are growing successfully at Los Altos. Small plantings of the avocado are found in the San Joaquin valley, not only in nearly every citrus section, but also on the floor of the valley. Along the foothills in protected situations, thriving trees already show much promise of future commercial success, but in the center of the valley only a few of the most hardy trees may be expected to succeed. One at- tempt to grow a Northrop tree at Oakley was unsuccessful but at Elk Grove where the winters are not so severe, the results were much more encouraging. Mrs. Gage of Elk Grove has 11 trees growing out of 15 originally planted. ‘The trees lost were of the Taft variety; there is one Chappelow, while the rest are Harman. She reports that she firmly be- lieves the avocado can be grown successfully in the valley by giving some protection during the first winter or two. ‘Three of the trees are three years old, about 14 feet high and well branched. They stood the cold much better than the Villa Franca and Lisbon lemon trees, as the branches of the avocado trees had to be cut back 2 to 4 inches, and the lemon trees 2 to 4 feet. It may surprise some to know that there is now a railroad station in California bearing the name Avocado. ‘This is in the foothills of Fresno County, on a branch line of the Santa Fe running northeast from Reedley, where the Kirkman Nursery has an experimnetal planting of avocado trees. About two dozen varieties were planted during the month of May 1913, in sandy nursery soil, citrus stock being grown on the land at the same time. In 1916 the Fowler, Harman, Northrop and Blake matured fruit, the Fowler being exceptionally fruitful. The writer visited this planting on April 4th, 1917, and made the following notes as to the condition of trees observed: HARMAN: Some trees in full bloom, others in bud, showing prac- tically no frost damage. NorTHROP: ‘Trees mostly in bud, showing practically no injury. MEsERVE: Badly injured, branches up to | inch in diameter being killed. WAGNER: Injured; branches up to one-half inch in diameter killed. CHAMPION: Small tree, practically killed; surrounded by orange and lemon nursery trees uninjured. CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 39 BLAKE: In full bloom; very little injury. FOWLER: Some trees in full bloom, some in bud, uninjured. Another valuable variety test is that being made at Navelencia, Fresno County, by Mr. R. P. Mathews, who planted trees on five acres of dry bog soil n 1915. The list of varieties includes: Wagner, Taft, Sharpless, Canyada, Fuerte, Queretaro, Sinaloa, Puebla, Northrop, and Harman. He has found the Taft and Sharpless the least hardy in the district. The most satisfactory growers are the Queretaro, Canyada, Fuerte, and especially Sebastian, which is wonderfully vigorous. ‘The trees are on an especially warm slope where drainage is good. Mr. Mathews thinks it useless to attempt to raise the Guatemalan types on the flats of the San Joaquin Valley. The Sebastian, Harman, and Northrop, however, should thrive wherever the orange tree thrives. During the winter of 1916-17 the Puebla, Fuerte, and Sebastian proved most hardy and the Taft most tender. Ten miles east of Porterville in the south Tule River foothills, Mr. Frank Frost has some seedling Mexican trees which are doing well. One tree, which bore fruit in 1916, has been named the Alpine, as the drooping branches turn up at the tips, giving it somewhat the appearance of a pine tree. The fruit is reported as 3 to 4 inches in length and 2 to 3 inches in diameter; seed, exceptionally small; season, October to Decem- ber. Tree about 15 feet high; planted in 1912. These reports from various sections indicate that many varieties of avocados can undoubtedly be grown in the more protected places of the interior, especially along the foothills. In conclusion I wish to repeat the statement made in California Station Bulletin 254, published just two years ago: ‘“Ihose who contemplate avocado planting in untried localities should proceed cautiously and not plant any variety extensively unless they are willing to assume the risks of the pioneer.” ADDITIONS TO THE CHECK LIST OF VARIETIES By Pror. I. J. ConpiT, COLLEGE oF AGRICULTURE, BERKELEY The following variety names have been noted since the publication of the Check List in these Proceedings for 1916: BEARDSLEE (Guat.) This variety is undoubtedly identical with Macdonald which name has the priority. The seed was introduced into Hawaii by Admiral Beardslee from Guatemala, and planted on the Macdonald place, Honolulu. Budwood recently introduced into Florida by the United States Department of Agriculture, where it has proven unusually promising at Miami, being uninjured by a temperature of 26° F. Described as follows in a letter from Mr. Lloyd Tenny of Miami, April 27, 1917: “Fruit round, mahogany colored, very beautiful and attractive; weight 12 ounces; flesh creamy yellow, shading to deep green near the skin; fiber none; seed comparatively large but tight in the cavity. Season early spring when there are no other varieties at present to com- pete. Two-year-old buds bearing at Miami.” CUMMINS Reported by P. J. Wester in these proceedings for 1916, p. 180, to 40 1917 ANNUAL REPORT have been sent as budwood in 1912 from Altadena, California, and suc- cessfully propagated at Lamao, Philippine Islands. STEPHENS (VW. I.) S. P. I. No. 26691. Budwood obtained from Judge White's place, Buena Vista, Florida, by Mrs. P. H. Rolfs, May 4, 1905. Illustrated and described in the Florida Grower, February 17, 1917, p. 11, by P. H. Rolfs. Season December and January. More glossy and more unifermly green in color than the Trapp. WALDIN (W. I.) A Florida seedling originating on the home place of B. A. Waldin, Homestead, Florida. Seed planted in 1909; first fruit produced in 1912-13. Described as follows in a letter from Mr. Lloyd S. Tenny of Miami, February 19, 1917: “Skin green, smooth and tough, not bruised by rubbing as is the Trapp during heavy wind storms; fruit of unusually fine quality with a very tight seed and firm flesh; weight 18 to 20 ounces. Season December 15 to January 10.” CARIBOU (Guat.) A variety originating on the place of W. A. Spinks, Duarte, 1916-1 7. Fruit almost spherical, somewhat oblique, 334 inches long by 33% inches diameter; weight about 34 pound; color deep green; surface slightly roughened by the large, numerous, raised dots, glossy; apex broad, some- what flattened, center a point; base oblique, rounded; cavity none; stem medium, 0.4 inch diameter; skin granular, 1/16 inch thick, separating readily from the flesh; seed spherical, oblique, 2 by 2 inches, smooth, 21.8 per cent. of the weight of the entire fruit, tight in the medium-sized cavity; seed-coats adhering. Flesh deep creamy-yellow, '% inch thick, firm, buttery, fairly rich and nutty in flavor, of good quality, with very little fiber. Season, May. ‘Tree dormant in winter and exceptionally hardy, with bright green foliage. exe (Giat) A variety originating on the place of W. A. Spinks, Duarte, Calli- fornia, 1916-17. Fruit very large, 5.8 inches long by 4.2 inches diam- eter; weight 11/4 pounds or more; shape pyriform; color deep green; surface roughened by protruding dots which are large and light green; apex slightly flattened with the center very slightly depressed; basal half tapering; stem stout in a slight cavity. Skin granular, 1/10 inch thick, peeling readily. Seed large in a large cavity, oblique-spherical, with adhering seed coats and smooth surface, tight in the cavity, comprising 19 per cent of the weight of the fruit. Flesh yellow, shading to greenish near the skin, 0.4 to 0.8 inch thick, soft, melting, slightly watery, fairly rich but hardly nutty, of good quality, with a slight amount of fiber most noticeable near base of seed. Season, May. KEY Larco (Guat.) A true Guatemalan hard-shell originating on the place of W. A. Spinks, Duarte, 1916-17. Fruit almost spherical, of medium size, 3% inches long by 31% inches diameter; weight over 74 pound; color very dark green; surface warty especially the basal half, with a few, small, light green or russet dots; apex flattened, center slightly depressed; base oblique; cavity none; stem very stout, wrinkled, 0.6 inch diameter. Skin CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 41 very granular, brittle, unusually thick, separating readily from flesh. Seed oblate-spherical, 1.9 inches long by 2.1 inches diameter, smooth, 24.8 per cent of weight of entire fruit, somewhat loose in the rather large cavity; seed coats adhering. Flesh deep golden-yellow, greenish near skin, 7% to 14% inch thick, decidedly buttery and oily, very rich in flavor and of excellent quality; fiber noticeable, somewhat stringy at base of seed. Season, May. ‘Tree prolific, often bearing 2 to 4 fruits on one stalk. HOW SHALL WE ELIMINATE THE MISNOMER, “ALLIGATOR PEAR’? By TuHos. H. SHEDDEN, Monrovia, CAL. Mr. President and The Lady and Gentlemen Friends of The Avocado: The good Dr. Webber has again prescribed me to be administered to the infant avocado. I hope its growth may not be retarded thereby. The interrogatory character of my topic indicates that the alligators are still crawling around among the avocados, although they do not seem to be so numerous, or conspicuous. The formative period of anything is the proper time to prepare it for its ultimate purpose. Fundamental, afterthought alterations are al- Ways expensive and difficult—oftimes impossible. Right now is the best time to stamp indelibly upon this splendid food, which we are preparing for our fellow creatures, that newly coined name, clean and fresh from Uncle Sam’s agricultural mint in Washington, ““4VOCADO,”’’ obliterat- ing thereby that animal-vegetable conglomeration, “‘alligator pears,’’ so that in the next edition of Webster’s, alligator pear will be followed by that quiescent word, “‘obsolete.”’ Some have feared that it may be too late in life to change the name of this fruit. Not so. It wasn’t born alligator. It wasn’t discovered alligator. Long ere the old half of the world knew that the other half existed, it lived, and bore the beautiful Aztec name, ahuacate, which, alas, as a title, has seemed to be too mellifluously lingering and dulcet for our practical American tongue to maintain—a fact proven in our very midst—witness the blue pencil drawn through the original name of our association, [The California Ahuacate Association, a combination of sweet sounds, for the retention of which, Mr. Hart ably contended, as long as harmony would permit. The many modern cognomens (plural) of the fruit have been shifty enough not to have the fruit’s feelings hurt, or flavor injured, by one more change, to mark, as it were, its new life in the warm bosom of Mother Earth in Florida and California. Regarding the origin of the name alligator pear, which is merely one of forty-three aliases under which this fruit has played hide and seek for four centuries, I once read, that some cold climate sailors, while sauntering around in a tropical port, obtained a lot of the fruits from the natives. [he Indian name, Ahuacate, is as often spelled with the ‘‘gua,”’ and the northern tongue is prone to pronounce the ‘‘g” hard. The word looked and sounded to the sailors like alligator, (try it yourself), and as the skin of the particular variety they had was thick and wartlike, it 42 1917 ANNUAL REPORT suggested an animal familiar to these sea-farers, the alligator. As the fruit was shaped like a pear, they called it alligator pear. The particular variety they got is said to have been a thick, rough, verrucose-coated, pear-shaped fruit,—I’ve heard Mr. Popenoe describe it. I think, from the description, they must have gotten his fruit from the Dickinson tree, just opposite the entrance to the Universiy of Southern California, when Balboa one dry season discovered the headwaters of the Los Angeles River. The name alligator pear is illogical, because many hundreds of varieties have neither pear shape, nor alligator skin. If the name alligator pear must be used, let’s put it over onto—the Hubbard squash. The superb fruit gets in wrong with many who would otherwise be its friend, when, instead of its name suggesting its coming down from a celestial direction, from one of the truly great trees of the earth, as does the benign avocado, the other, hyphenated name, is suggestive of the crawling and sprawling on the ground, of one of the three ugliest, biggest mouthed animals of creation, the hippopotamus, rhinoceros and crocodile. Take this from one who ever carries the beloved avocado in his heart, (and elsewhere whenever he can get it) and has had training in first aid to those who have been in any way affected by the avocado, that he has found many hotel guests, men and women seemingly healthy, who were prejudiced against this superlatively fine food, simply because of the name, and the unpleasant thoughts it starts. Their expressions were varied and numerous; lack of space crowds them out of this edition. Hyphenated names are not popular nowadays. ‘The one in question is awkward, and in these days of short-cuts and saving lost motion, is unnecessarily long. In writing, it requires just double the space occupied by avocado. ‘Those who are constantly handling the fruit use the nick- name, “ ‘gators.’ This makes it misleading. One day a raw recruit down in the storeroom of the hotel, in the absence of the storekeeper, received a box marked as containing ‘gators. [he deliveryman had, also, told him they were ’gators. [he employee was one of those “‘meant- wells’’ of the Happy Hooligan order, and he hurried upstairs, what he supposed was a box of shoes, to the room of a well-known San Francisco wholesale shoe dealer. Sometimes the entire word alligator is used, which is fully as mis- feading. Witness a result: A recently come over Irishman, attendant in the kitchen, who was as fresh and green as the grass in his native land, in helping unload a great turtle and some giant San Francisco crabs, ex- pressed amazement that such things should be eaten by human beings, but when the deliveryman handed out a box which he said was full of alligators, the astonished son of Erin almost dropped it in exclaiming: ‘Alligators! Will fer hivin’s sake, what nixt’ll they be ate’n in this hotil!”’ It is not too late in the young American life of the fruit to change its haphazard name to something better. Mistakes in names are often corrected by the courts, and no dishonor attaches thereto. And surely, there is no more honorable or commendable act in the life of a good woman, no matter how late in years, when, in the happy presence of God, good angels and witnesses assembled, she stands up and joyfully changes her name. rc In an unguarded moment, down at the meeting in San Diego, I got CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 43 myself a job of hard work by making a move to attempt the extermination of the ugly alligator from our beautiful avocado world. Until the receipt, a couple of months ago, of the Association’s year-book, I really didn’t know that I was the lone committeeman to start the war, especially among the hotels, cafes, etc., and was awaiting the appearance of some companions in arms, for I’m not an old campaigner in this war. Until recently, the only destructive weapon I ever raised against the alligator pear was a spoon. While waiting to hear of the appointment of some valiant alligator hunters, I have, upon numerous occasions, twisted the tail of the alligator, and with every twist have realized how big the tail is, and the wish has gone forth that some St. Patrick, or Siegfried might arise and rid the avocado world of the alligator. It will be hard, but not impossible work. It is simply one feature of the great problem of educating the public up to the eating point, which now confronts the expanding production of the avocado orchards. The expenses of this general campaign of publicity will have to be borne by all those who are in any way interested in the production of the avocado. Few others will help, for the general public has an idea that the avocado grower will be able and ready, willing and waiting, to pay off Uncle Sam’s war debt, as soon as the trouble is over. The Association has no war chest, and so, the lone committeeman, not having been provided with any of the “‘sinews of war,” has been able to carry on only a sort of guerrilla warfare, for the love of the sport. Hence this partial report of incomplete work. While most of the hotel and cafe men still use the name alligator pear, so far I have found but one who positively refused to favor any move to change. He said he had always used alligator pear, considered it right, and would always call it that, regardless of what others did. I will not name him, but he it was, of whom Martin F. Tupper, the pro- verbial philosopher, wrote: *““Habit, with him, was all the test of truth; It must be right, I’ve done it from my youth.” In general hotel men seem to be not unfavorably disposed to the movement, provided the public is satisfied. This reason, alone, explains their chariness about changing. ‘The true caterer aims always to give the public that which is pleasing thereto,— in other words, give what is wanted. For example, some years ago, a notorious bad man of the West went into Sam Dutton’s hotel cafe in Denver. He was full of bad whiskey and some appetite, and ordered the waiter to bring him some rattlesnakes, fried, well done, with plenty of Tobasco, punctuating his order with profanity and an exhibition of his gun. When the quick-witted chef got the order he happily thought of some eels which he had in the ice-box, and which he promptly prepared and served, coiled up like a rattler pointing its head at the would-be diner. At the St. Francis Hotel, in San Francisco, guests can order nice fresh whale steaks, chops and cutlets for breakfast. If hearers doubt this statement, I refer you to Victor Hirtzler himself who is responsible there- for, and whom I am much pleased to see on the program today. In Mr. Hirtzler’s presence and participation in this convention of avocranks, I see one of the best signs of the times in the avocado world, 4 1917 ANNUAL REPORT for he has as much practical and paid-for knowledge of the quality and consumption of the avocado as anyone in the United States. I have quoted him once before as to his expressed love for the California avocado and approval of its name, and will say of his discernment regarding the name, that when a diner at the St. Francis orders an alligator pear, he is served a pear-shaped fruit. If the order calls for an avocado, he gets a round one. : The alligator line of defense does seem to be wavering. I have had inquiries from different parts of the country as to the comparison of the two names, their relative value, the proper pronunciation of avocado, etc. 1| Was surprised at getting two of the latter queries from Florida. One earn- est inquirer from that state submitted three different pronunciations, asking me to check the one which was correct. None of them were right. Sev- eral have asked: ‘Should the word a-v-o-c-a-d-o be pronounced ‘avo-car- do’>’’ I have heard it distorted that way. One inquired: “Is the new name of the alligator pear pronounced, ‘alavacardo’ >” No, dear seekers after the truth, the pronunciation is simplicity itself: a(ah)vo-ca(cah)do. It is a beautiful word,—not a whit more logical as a name than alligator, but far more pleasing, and sponsored by authorities vastly greater than those aforementioned jolly sailors on shore leave. Just here, as I was about to begin on a peroration, an avocado man came, like one of Job’s comforters, to tell me that he thought the alligator pears were entrenched and couldn’t be dislodged. I admitted the truth of the first part of his statement, and congratulated him upon the up-to-date and warlike idea of the trenches, but expressed unbelief in the latter half of what he said. The producer of a new, exclusive, or uncommon article surely, in reason, has a right to say what his product shall be called. “The avocado growers of Florida and California are in accord upon the new name. It would seem an easy matter to have these earnest men and women of both states combine in an effort to familiarize the public with that gentle and euphonious word, avocado. A suggestion of this nature has the approval of President Webber, and a move in that direction will probably be made. Printers’ ink and personal attack will disentrench the alligators. “They have been entrenched in the public mind, in dictionaries, encyclopedias and other forms of cold type, but with a fairly well financed campaign, in the words of Henry Ford, ‘““We’ll have the boys out of the trenches by Christ- 99 mas." May be. INTERPLANTING AND CHANGING VARIETIES By Wo. A. SpPINKs, DUARTE, CAL. I am offering for your consideration a plan for the planting and inter- planting of orchards, which so far as I know, is new and which seems espe- cially suited to the needs of the avocado grower at this time. Its adoption would solve to a very considerable extent the vexed question of varieties, while at the same time offering the grower better prospects for early profit. Those who have planted orchards so far have been compelled to make de- cisions as to varieties, and while they have proceeded to plant rather than remain inactive, no one has felt quite certain that he was not making a mis- take. “Those who have planted strong trees have made no mistake, but on CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 45 the contrary have gained time, as I shall have occasion to explain later on when speaking of top-working. The weak and sickly varieties, of which there are many, will net the planter disappointment and loss. The question of varieties is clearing to some extent and we now begin to feel that a selection may be made offering reasonable assurance of per- manent value. Surely among four of the best known commercial varieties at present available, one will be found having permanent value. My plan contemplates the planting of either two or four varieties in the same orchard, and in such way that all but one may be removed at any time, leaving the remaining one in perfect orchard form. The grower would have four times the use of his land for the next twelve to fifteen years, the period dur- ing which prices will probably be highest, also the period when he would most desire to have returns from his land, that is to say, while he is alive; and at the end of that time he will have the great advantage of being able to select any one of four varieties for his permanent orchard. It has already been pointed out by Mr. Knight and others that the very close planting of avocado trees, with a view to taking some of them out in years to come, offers greater and quicker proft than the generally practiced method of planting 30, 40 or 50 feet apart and waiting the necessary years for the trees to grow together. I suggest that a foundation planting be made, say 40, 50 or even 60 feet apart, of whatever variety the grower may consider most likely to remain the permanent one. Let him then make a second choice, planting in the squares formed by the first plant- ing. This would leave the two varieties some 28 feet apart, if the first were planted 40 feet apart. A third variety might then be planted between the rows of variety “A,” and a fourth between the rows of variety “B,”’ leaving no trees closer than 20 feet and the trees of each individual variety 40 feet apart and each forming a perfect orchard by itself. As the average of the more acceptable varieties bear considerable fruit at five years of age, it appears that the grower would have a revenue from all of the trees for a number of years before he would have to con- sider the question of taking any of them out. I have it on excellent au- thority, though I do not know this to be a fact by my own experience, that in certain lines of orchard work it has been found profitable to plant the trees as close together as 10 feet, taking out the entire orchard and replant- ing every ten or twelve years. It would seem that such a plan would be as feasible in avocado growing as in any other line of orchard work. ‘The avocado, however, being very long lived, there would be no object in re- moving all of the trees. The objection to the plan would be that it involves four times the initial cost for trees. [he answer is that the grower already has a certain investment in his land out of which by this plan, he would get four times the use for a number of years with the option of any one of four varieties for his permanent orchard. Should none of the four prove to be the one he wants, he still may resort to top working with the loss of only two years. And now let us consider this very important subject of top-working. An avocado tree may be easily changed to any desired variety by being cut back in the early spring and properly budded or grafted. Grafting gives somewhat quicker results, but calls for a much greater expenditure of labor and many times the quantity of scions. With the present high 46 1917 ANNUAL REPORT prices demanded for budwood and scions of the best varieties, grafting 1s practically out of the question to all but those who themselves possess the wood. For those who possess or are able to get budwood, the best plan I know is to graft in February. ‘This necessitates cutting the tree back, and if for any reason the grafts fail to live, budding may be resorted to later in the spring when the tree has made new shoots of sufficient size. Last year we worked over an orchard of some two hundred trees by following this plan. All of the trees were grafted in February and we seemed in a fair way to succeed by this method, but unfortunately were caught by a protracted spell of unseasonable hot weather which destroyed nearly all of the grafts. This left the trees cut back and ready to make new sprouts for budding, which they did by June and into which we proceeded to in- sert buds. This work was followed up through the summer, new buds be- ing placed where the first had failed, either in the same shoots or others. Also each bud was carefully watched and when it seemed to be living, the shoot or young limb into which it had been placed was gradually cut back so as to throw the energy into the bud instead of the limb. ‘Three or four cuts were made in each case before the shoot was finally removed down to the bud. The stub of the limb was then painted over with grafting wax and the bud, by this time perhaps 6 or 8 inches long, with its dozen or more companions, allowed a free hand to go on and make a new top for the tree. At this time, about eleven months from budding, all of my trees have beautiful new tops, some of which are already blooming. When two years have elapsed, the time usually allotted for making a new top on a tree, these trees will doubtless be quite as large as they were before being cut back and will be bearing some fruit. Had the grafts not met with disaster, they would have been much further along. You are all invited to visit this orchard and receive such practical instruction in the art of top-working as we are able to give. It is not my purpose in this paper to deal technically with the science of budding and grafting, for it is a science as old as time and there are many experts far more competent to instruct than myself. Methods of avocado budding and grafting do not differ essentially from those em- ployed with other plants. You will find many men of experience to exe- cute your work once you have decided on the variety you want and ar- range for the budwood. Just a word, however, on the all-important point of following up the work after the bud is known to have “‘taken.”’ If the young limb or shoot in which the bud is growing is not cut back from time to time as the bud comes out, it will, in most cases, gradually overcome the bud and kill it. A bud once started must be kept growing and not allowed to suffer a check by reason of suckers or the limb in which it is placed be- ing neglected. I believe more buds are lost from this cause than from all others combined. A well known expert has likened the bud to a rolling log: “‘Keep the log in motion and your task is easy, but once stopped it is hard to start again.” Another plan for top-working practiced with great success by a well known Pasadena expert, is to bud direct into the old wood after first scrap- ing the bark to make it thin and pliable, the mechanical difficulty of plac- ing the tender bud under the old bark being thus overcome. ‘Ihe expert re- CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION AT ferred to is so very clever in executing his delicate work that he succeeded, with one assistant, in rebudding 60 large trees in a single day. Several buds were placed in a ring around the trunk of each tree 4 or 5 feet above the ground and all wrapped at the same time with a single piece of tape. “There,” said he, “in 28 days take off the tape and one week later if the buds are alive, just saw the tree square off right above them. They will come out in a hurry and make fine new tops for your trees.’ ‘That seems like rather drastic treatment,’ I said. “Is there not danger of killing the trees>”” ‘‘Not at all, just do as I say and you will find that everything will come out all right. Goodbye.”’ In 28 days we removed the tape and found the buds in fine healthy condition. One week later, the date set for the wholesale decapitation, we had, despite our own misgivings and some advice by other experts, mus- tered enough courage to cut off just one tree. This now has the most beautiful top of any in my orchard. ‘The buds in the other 59 eventually died because of our nerve having failed us and the tops of the trees not be- ing cut off as ordered. They were later cut back and top-worked by the method first herein described and are now making fine new tops, though of course some months behind the one tree before mentioned. Probably the most valid objection, if there be a valid one, to the Pasadena method of top-working, is that it brings the limbs all out in one place on the tree, op- ponents of the plan holding this to be a weakness in the method. It is argued that a better formed and stronger tree could be made by growing a single bud in each of several limbs. This objection may be well founded, though it would hardly seem so from the present appearance of my one tree. In favor of the method may be urged speed, simplicity and cheapness. Un- less the objection to the limbs all coming out in one place is a valid and vital one, it seems to me that the Pasadena method of top-working is the best. In our own experiments we have used in a small way still another method which seems to give excellent results, namely, cutting the tree back first and budding into the old wood just as the new shoots start. The tree at that time being eager to grow and recover its lost top, seems to carry the bud rapidly along with the other new growth. Also I believe that the best time to move a tree “open root’”’ is, not immediately after it has been cut back, but just when the new shoots have started. Top-working by any of several methods is a very practical thing, al- ways providing there is a strong foundation tree to work on, though it must be said that some varieties are very much easier to make grow than others. As a rule the ones easiest to bud have the greatest vitality and make the most satisfactory trees, so the grower for more reasons than one should look long and well before deciding. Don’t be in a hurry; we shall all know more about varieties in two or three or four years than we do now. I think the greatest obstacle to success and satisfaction in top-working will be found in the growers own impatience. I believe no tree should be top-worked before it is four or five years old. It should be allowed first to make a strong, straight trunk, say 6 or 8 inches in diameter. It is then able to sus- tain a top and keep it off the ground, should the buds prove to be of limber or droopy growth. Don’t forget that your tree is growing all the time and that you are really not losing much, if any, time by patiently waiting to be 48 1917 ANNUAL REPORT sure about the variety you want. Those who have strong growing trees need have no misgivings as to the future. Only two years will be lost in making them over to any desired variety. [hose who contemplate plant- ing should have always in mind one idea. Be sure your trees are of the sturdy kind. Don’t plant weak, tender varieties under any circumstances, no matter what kind of fruit they may promise to bear. Consider the tree first and the fruit next. If you can find a sturdy tree and fine fruit com- bined in one variety, so much the better, but be sure you get the sturdy tree. ‘This has been my hobby for some time and is still the best advice I can give you. Returning to the subject of interplanting, there are some who say it is good for the nurseryman. I believe it is. I most earnestly hope so, for whatever is good for the nurseryman is good for the business as a whole, and if there is anyone on earth who needs and deserves to have something happen that is good for him, it is the avocado nurseryman. He has been on the job all the time that this industry has been developing from a mole- cule to a good healthy infant, and his lot has not always been a happy one. Ignorance of varieties and correct methods of propagation have fallen Heavily on the nurseryman. ‘Time and again he has seen his labor of months come to naught, because of one misfortune or another,—frost, wrong methods of propagation, or over-confidence in the value of certain varieties. Some have weathered the storm and are still ready to serve you; others have dropped out of the race and gone to work. This industry has needed the nurseryman; it has been exceedingly fortunate in having its cause espoused, and its trials in a measure shared, by such men as our distinguished President, Dr. Webber, Mr. Sallmon, Mr. Adams, Judge Silent and others. These men exercise a restraining influence. They make for moderation, conservatism, sanity, dignity and poise. Their services have been indispensable in placing this Association on the firm foundation where it stands today. They are the safety valve which keeps us from getting up too much steam. The nurseryman is the one who keeps throwing coal under the boiler. When the seed, which is destined to become a great tree, lying in Mother Earth, feels the impulse to grow and begins its long hard fight for life, it needs something more than conservatism and sanity and dignity and poise; it needs fire and enthusiasm and optimism and courage and aggressiveness, and the help of God to carry it through. ‘The nurseryman supplies the ‘‘pep’’ which this business must have to be a success, and surely he is performing a genuine service to you, to California and to posterity. He has scraped the earth with a fine-tooth comb for varieties, and brought them to your door. He has hustled, investigated, dreamed, schemed and labored, all to the end that you might have the best. ““He who has planted a good tree has not lived in vain.” Likewise he who has introduced and propagated a good tree has not lived in vain, especially if he is able to sell the tree at a good price, and it is well for you and for the good of this industry that he sees or thinks he sees a little profit in it for himself, how- ever much he may be disillusioned later. Headway in human affairs is not made without incentive. It is your business man in this and every line, in this and every age, who is the constructive genius, who forever builds and never tears down, who pushes aside obstacles, fights his way to the front and blazes the way for others. CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 49 COLD RESISTANCE OF THE AVOCADO By H. J. Wepser, DirREcTor, CITRUS EXPERIMENT STATION, RIv- ERSIDE, CALIFORNIA Several rather cold periods of weather having occurred during the winter of 1916-17, it was thought desirable to collect information regard- ing the effect of the cold on the different varieties of avocados. It is highly important in this early stage of the industry to have as reliable information on this matter as it is possible to obtain. Early in the winter, the writer sent a letter to each member of the Avocado Association, requesting him to make observations as to comparative injury on his different trees and report these observations. Carefully prepared statements were received from some fifty different members, and the writer desires to extend his thanks to these members for their kind co-operation. The conditions were so variable in different places, and the tempera- ture records reported so unreliable in many instances, that it has not ap- peared to the writer to be profitable to report the different observations in detail. Certain points were reported, however, in sufficient harmony to indicate their reliability, and these observations may thus be taken as fairly conclusive evidence. A summary of the conclusions from a study of the various reports follows: Factors INFLUENCING INJURY AGE OF TREE.—Of the same variety, young trees are much more easily injured than old trees. In several instances nursery trees of a variety were killed to the ground, while five to eight-year-old budded trees sustained no appreciable injury, only the young, growing tips being injured. In analyz- ing the reasons for this result, it must be remembered that the cold is usually most severe near the surface of the ground. The tender shoots and branches on an old tree are much further from the ground than on the young tree, and in a warmer zone. Wood of the same age on an old tree may be just as tender as that on a young tree. CONDITION OF GROWTH.— lhe observation was very generally made that trees in a condition of rapid growth were much more injured than similar trees of the same variety that had completed their growth and were more or less dormant. In the same orchard, trees side by side frequently showed marked differences. One tree, in rapid growth, exhibited injured young leaves all over its surface, while a tree of the same variety, next to it, having no young growth, showed no indication of injury. ‘This is apparently not merely a difference of age of wood or branch injured, as the older leaves on a rapidly growing tree showed more injury than similar leaves on the dormant tree. CONSTITUTIONAL CONDITION.—Vigorous, healthy trees showed much less injury than trees weakened by disease, transplanting, or other causes. Trees, newly planted, that had not fully recovered from the shock, were severely injured. Weak, sickly looking trees, which occur to some extent in almost every planting, suffered much more than good, vigorous trees of the same variety and age. ‘Trees with weak tops from poor bud unions showed severe injury. Apparently any condition that results in weakening the trees,—such as, poor cultivation, poor irrigation, disease, or mechanical injury,—renders the tree more susceptible to cold injury. 50 1917 ANNUAL REPORT TIME WHEN IRRIGATED.— lhe evidence on the effect of irrigation is very meager, but there are some observations to indicate that trees that were suffering for water and needed irrigation when the freeze came, suf- fered rather severely, as did also trees that had been irrigated three to five days before the freeze and were thus gorged with water. The least injury seemed to be on trees that had been thoroughly irrigated two or three weeks before the freeze, and had water supposedly in what might be termed optimum amount. ‘This degree of injury, with reference to water condi- tion in the soil following irrigation, was very clearly brought out with citrus trees in the great freeze of 1913 and evidently applies also with the avocado. COMPARATIVE HARDINESS OF VARIETIES The data regarding the comparative hardiness of the different varie- ties is so conflicting that only a few statements can be safely made. All observers agree in placing the Mexican varieties as the most hardy, with the Guatemalan varieties coming second and the West Indian and Hawaiian sorts, third. Several cases were reported where a tree of a Mexican variety was more injured than similar-aged trees of Guatemalan varieties nearby, but in all such cases the greater injury of the Mexican tree was apparently due to the sappy, growing condition in which the tree was caught. Of the Mexican varieties, the Knowles and San Sebastian appear to be slightly the most hardy, but the degree of difference between the true Mexican sorts is very slight. Queretaro, which may be a hybrid and not a true Mexican type, proved rather tender. Puebla, which is thought to be a Mexican-Guatemalan hybrid, in general proved to be about as hardy as the true Mexican. Observations on the various Guatemalan varieties were very conflict- ing, and no very positive statements can be made. Apparently, the fol- lowing classification of the degree of hardiness of a few varieties is about correct: . Most hardy—Fuerte and Lyon; Medium hardy—Taft, Spinks, Sharpless, Dickinson, and Challenge; Most tender—Meserve and Miller. The following statements of temperature endurance is based on a very large number of observations made in different places and is as nearly correct as can be determined from the data collected: 30° F.—Nothing injured so far as could be observed. 29° F.—No injury of account; only traces on most tender growth of West Indian and Guatemalan varieties. 28° F.—New foliage scorched on Guatemelan types; West Indian varieties showing considerable foliage damage. 27° F.—Mexican varieties, with new tips slightly scorched; Guate- malan, with almost all new foliage injured; West Indian- badly damaged. 25° to 26° F.—Mexican varieties, with new foliage injured but some dormant trees uninjured; all Guatemalan sorts, with new foliage badly injured and some old foliage scorched. 24° F.—Some dormant Mexicans uninjured; Guatemalan varieties badly injured, small limbs frozen back. CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 51 21:° F.—AIl Guatemalan types killed to bud; a few of hardiest Mexicans, such as Knowles and San Sebastian, with young leaves only, injured. It must be remembered that the above statements at best can only be approximately correct; and much variation will always be found, due to tree condition and environment. THE AVOCADO FOR THE TABLE By Victor HirRTZLER, MAITRE DE CUISINE, HoTEL ST. FRANCIS, SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA Brillat-Savarin once said that the man who invents a new dish is of more use to humankind than he who discovers a new star in the heavens. Ass wide as is the range of dishes which appear on our bills of fare; yet they are derived from a comparatively limited amount of foodstuffs. Chefs and Epicureans have for years tried to devise new dishes to tickle the palate of those blessed with earthly goods; yet these new dishes resolve themselves into new combinations and mixtures of known foodstuffs and become popular only through new flavors, or savory combinations, or gain an ephemeral success and vogue through the fad of the hour or through the predilection of a celebrity of the stage. But given a new food product, either of the gardens, fields, or woods, or the streams or oceans, a new material is given the expert cook to test his ingenuity in bringing out the characteristic individuality in its most original form. ‘The remotest places in the Temperate Zone have been ransacked to produce something which may become of use as human food, and the supply is so varied as to present a large assortment wherefrom to pick according to season. Preservation has further extended the amount to choose from during the whole year, and the development of transporta- tion gives today to the average man a variety on his bill of fare which a hundred years ago not even princes could afford. Today it is the explorer in far-off countries who meets with new dishes, and having acquired a liking, introduces them at home. The world traveler in his peregrinations meets with new creations of the chef’s art, and wishes to find them on his home table. Governments in their search for new foods for their increasing populations send out scientists in quest of material likely to prove of value as promising foodstuff. It is such new products in the hand of an expert chef that enables him to produce those new dishes which make him famous and incidentally bring a welcome addition to the table. Among these new introductions which have been found of value and for which a ready market is found, is the avocado, erroneously named alligator pear, of tropical origin. This fruit has been introduced on the table of the Temperate Zone and has immediately found a welcome acceptance. The demand being stronger than the supply, cultivation of the trees has been started in regions con- genial to the best growth of the plant. Today we find extensive planta- tions of avocados both in Florida and in Southern California, which will come into bearing in years to come, and the fruit of which will become available to the same extent as that of another tropical fruit, the banana. If in former years, haphazard experiments have sometimes led to the discovery of lucky combinations or preparations of a new food product, 52 1917 ANNUAL REPORT today the up-to-date chef turns to the physiologist and nutrition expert to receive exact and reliable information on the composition of said food- stuff, which will give indications of which way the new material will prove the most popular as a new dish. The avocado in the country of its origin, where it goes by the more euphonious name of ahuacate, is eaten in its raw state, and cannot be very much improved by culinary preparation, except as pleasing variety from the too monotonous serving as a salad. The composition of the avocado reveals a large amount of fats, readily digested by the average stomach. Besides the big amount of water, it also contains some protein and minerals to a larger extent than the average fruit. [he absence of carbohydrates makes it a valuable food for persons afflicted with diabetes. As stated before, the avocado is largely served in its raw state, and the fruit is indeed adapted to a variety of preparations to which most fruits do not so readily lend themselves. The characteristics of a good avocado are: thin skin, small stone or pit, flesh of the consistency of butter, smooth and free from fiber. Maturity of the avocado can be determined by pressing with the finger on the skin, when the flesh should give way; also when halved, the outer skin or covering of the stone should adhere to the stone when removing same. Shape has nothing to do with flavor or qual- ity, but it is claimed that small, thin-fleshed varieties of Guatemalan avo- cados have a finer, more delicate nutty flavor than the large, thick-fleshed varieties. There is not a course with which the avocado cannot be served, either in the raw or the cooked state, from cocktail to ice-cream. If we consider the raw state first, we can serve this fruit chilled on ice, halved, and served with a French dressing. The most primitive way of serving it, is to halve it lengthwise and remove the stone, making incisions in the flesh pretty near to the skin. Sprinkle salt and lemon or lime juice over it and chill it on ice. Again, the flesh can be scooped out, lightly mixed with mayon- naise, and refilled in the shells. It also blends well with other salad ingre- dients, such as celery, apples, tomatoes, walnuts, pineapple, grapefruits, red pepper, etc. ‘The dressings may vary from plain salt and lemon juice to French dressing, mayonnaise, and thousand island dressing; also it is sometimes served with sugar and cream. As A COCKTAIL, the flesh is cut in cubes, mixed with cocktail sauce, and green peppers, chilled, and served in glasses. As A SANDWICH, the flesh is rubbed through a sieve, seasoned, mixed with mayonnaise, spread on lettuce leaves, and pressed between two slices of bread. For more elaborate affairs, procure some small boats made from puff paste. Press the flesh of an avocado through a sieve, together with the yolk of a hard-boiled egg; season with salt, pepper, a little lemon or lime juice; fill the boats with this mixture in dome shape; sprinkle the top with the white of the hard-boiled egg chopped up; and add a dusting of paprika, or put a strip of red sweet pepper on top. AVOCADO EN SURPRISE.—Cut an avocado in two, scoop the flesh out, press it through a sieve, season, add a little mayonnaise te bind the whole to a smooth consistency, and refill the shells, leaving the hollow space in center where stone was. Rub part of the flesh with the yolk of a CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 538 hard-boiled egg through a sieve, season, and color with a few drops of Soya sauce. Shape this mixture into the form of the kernel and replace in the center to imitate stone. Serve on a bed of lettuce leaves. To SERVE AS A SPECIAL COURSE or salad for cold meats, line a mold with a good Madeira wine jelly, when same has set on the ice; put in a layer of avocado cut in cubes; fill up with jelly; let set again ;add a layer of the meat of tomatoes cut in cubes and previously drained; add another layer of jelly till the mold is full. Place on ice until firm; serve with mayonnaise in a sauce boat. As A DESSERT, the avocado can be served scooped out and dished up in a glass dish, and served with a sauce ““Dame Blanche,’’ which con- sists of whipped cream, sweetened with vanilla sugar and flavored with cherry brandy (kirschwasser). The prevalence of serving the avocado as a salad fruit has led many people to believe that it cannot be accommodated any other way than the ones previously mentioned; but the composition of this valuable addition to our line of foodstuffs indicates that it can be cooked and accommodated In a variety of ways. AVocADOos IN Soup.—In Mexico, the avocado is used as an ingre- dient of soups, to which it is added cut up in small pieces. In gumbo or mulligatawny, the addition of avocado cut in small cubes is a welcome novelty; or shaped into small balls with a small potato scoop it can serve as a gamish to any clear soup. [hey may also be cooked in chicken broth, rubbed through a sieve with the liquor in which they have been cooked, put back in a pot, brought to a boil, and a little arrowroot added which has been previously mixed with cold water. To this add a little sweet cream before serving. As a cream soup, the nutty flavor of the avocado comes to its best advantage. [he absence of starch in the fruit, where the amount present is insignificant, requires that a binder be used. This may be a base of rice cooked in some rich stock and then rubbed through a sieve. To this the meat of the avocado is added and cooked soft; then strained again to procure a smooth cohesion of both, and served with cream slightly flavored with a little grated nutmeg. Another method is to cut some celery in small pieces, smother these in butter, add some flour to form a paste, fill up with veal or chicken stock, add the avocado cut in pieces, and let slowly cook for an hour. Rub through a sieve and bind with a yolk of egg beaten in some sweet cream. FISH BAKED WITH AVOCADO is a novelty worth trying. Most fishes when baked in a dry state, without the addition of a generous amount of fat, be it either butter or oil, dry out quickly, being in general deficient in fat. The addition of avocado, rubbed to a paste with either butter or olive oil and seasoned with paprika and salt, then spread on the fish and baked in the oven, is a decided novelty. As a garnish with a planked fish, the combination is also pleasing. AVOCADO WITH MEAT OR FOWLS.— lhe high price at the present time prevents the more general use of this fruit with meats or fowls; yet sliced and fried in butter, it can be served with broiled meats or chickens. | As A VEGETABLE, the avocado can be cooked either smothered in butter or boiled in a little chicken stock and served with Poulette sauce 54 1917 ANNUAL REPORT or a cream sauce. When yet a little firm the avocado can be cut in slices, macerated with salt, pepper, and a little lemon juice, dipped in batter, and fried in deep grease. STUFFED AVOCADO can also be served as a separate course. Re- move the flesh of the avocado, cut in small cubes, and fry in butter with a few fresh mushrooms cut fine and cooked lean ham. Add a spoonful of cream sauce, some white bread crumbs, chopped parsley, salt, pepper, grated nutmeg, and bind with yolk of a raw egg. Refill in the shells, sprinkle liberally with grated Parmesan cheese, and bake slowly in the oven. AS A DESSERT, the avocado can be prepared in a variety of ways. Raw, it can be served sliced, macerated with brandy, white wine, and sugar. Cooked, the avocado, cut in quarters, is served after having slowly cooked in syrup to which a few pieces of ginger have been added. AS AN ICE-CREAM, a cooked custard is prepared the same as for Philadelphia ice-cream, the mashed avocado added, flavored with a little almond extract, frozen, and served with Japanese rice cakes. AS A PUDDING, the avocado allows of several preparations where the ingenuity of the cook is given ample leeway. AvocabDo PRINCE Cupip.—Blanche some rice in water, strain the | water off, fill up with white wine, add some pineapple cut in small pieces and a stick of vanilla. Cook to consistency and cool off. Dish the rice on a platter or silver dish as a socle. Dispose the avocado, cut in halves, on this rice. Fill the cavity with guava jelly, flavored with maraschino. Add a small piece of angelica to the small end of the avocado to imitate the stem. Sprinkle a few chopped macaroons over the whole and serve with guava syrup. AVOCADO EN SURPRISE.—Cook some rice in milk, sweetened with sugar and flavored with vanilla. When cooked, incorporate a little butter and cool off. Cut avocados in halves, macerate in vanilla syrup and cog- nac. When needed, dish up rice on silver platter, making a depression in the center, in which the avocados will be disposed in a ring. Cover the outer part of the border of rice with meringue (white of eggs beaten to a stiff froth and sweetened), powder with sugar, and bake in hot oven. Glace the avocados with orange jelly before serving. AVOCADO QUEEN LILIUOKALANI.—Peel small avocados, figuring on one to a person. Cut off the tip at the larger end to remove the stone carefully without breaking the pear. Sprinkle a teaspoonful of Creme d’Anisette in the cavity and fill with pralice ice. Place the tip over the ice, wrap in wax paper and put back in conservator. Cut a ring for each pear out of sponge biscuit or Genoise, dip in Anisette syrup, and dispose on glass shells. Set the iced avocado on top of the ring, add a piece of angelica to simulate the stem. Decorate the lower part of the pear and the ring with sweetened whipped cream, sprinkle some crushed nougat on it, and serve with a fresh strawberry sauce. CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION Or Or THE FAFYT AVOCADO AND ITS HISTORY By C2 PRP. -TArr ORANGE, CAL: I have been requested to prepare a paper on the Taft avocado, its origin and prospects, this variety being one of the oldest and most widely planted of any of the thick-skin varieties of California origin and one which has probably a permanent place in commercial horticulture. In the spring of 1899 I bought from Ludwig & Matthews Mott Market, Los Angeles, then one of the largest fruit firms in that city, a very much decayed specimen of the avocado. I think I paid 35 cents. It was not large and would weigh about three-quarters of a pound, and it was so far gone that it was impossible to judge of its quality. I remember that there was a spot or two inside which was not quick black and was of not unpleasing taste, which gave me a bare suggestion of what an avocado might be, but I had to depend very largely upon imagination and deter- mination to be pleased if such a thing was possible. The skin was very hard and thick, and unquestionably it was by no means as good a fruit as afterward developed from its seed. Ludwig & Matthews were at that time importing avocados in a small way from Mexico, but handled also a few from Mrs. Buddington’s tree on Alpine street, Los Angeles. If my fruit had been one of this latter kind, it would assuredly not have been decayed, so I have always assumed that it was one of the Mexican im- portations that I secured. Even if it were not, the trees on Mrs. Budding- ton’s place came from Mexican seed, so I am quite certain that the fruit was of Mexican origin. In the spring of 1900, I planted the small tree, thus obtained. It grew rapidly, and today, just about eighteen years from seed, it has a spread of 25 feet and is equally high. The first fruits, six in number, came in 1909. ‘The next season there was none, but every year since that the tree has borne good crops, culminating in 1916 when it set about 700 fruits. This year there is a falling off; while the upper branches are fuller than at any previous time, the lower ones, comprising two-thirds of the tree, are practically bare. I estimate this year’s crop at from 300 to 400. Every large limb, except one, has taken its turn in bearing, most of them every year. he excep- tion is a large limb on the west side which has never even bloomed to any great extent until this spring. It is at present very full, and, I hope, mak- ing an effort to atone for lost time. ‘The tree as a whole appears to be striving to net a record crop for 1918. An instructive feature, and one more or less characteristic of all trees that I have fruited, is that at first the fruits come singly, one here and there scattered over the tree. In 1914 there was one cluster of 5; in 1915, two clusters, one of 5 and one of 7. In 1916, there were several clus- ters, and this season there are at least ten clusters with from 5 to 7 fruits, and one which I have in the exhibit has 16. This tendency to grow in masses increases with age, and will be found true of most varieties. It is similar to, but not exactly the same as, that found in apples and grape- fruit. By this, I mean that owing to the long stems, the bunches will be loose, not tightly compacted, giving each fruit a better chance for devel- opment. There is about all growth, a certain vitality which inheres to a greater 56 1917 ANNUAL REPORT or less extent. The Taft shows a great amount of this, which is mani- fested by the vigor of growth, the size and quality of the fruits, and its readiness to respond when budded. When buds are properly selected, they rarely fail to grow, and it may be put down as a universal rule that the greater the inherent vitality of the tree, the easier it is to bud from. This does not necessarily mean that such a tree is an early fruiter. The [aft is not. It seems to require at least three years’ growth before making any attempt to bear, and in cases of exceptionally vigorous trees, may go more than four years without fruits. My oldest budded tree of the Taft variety bore about 50 fruits in the fourth year. This year it has perhaps twice that number, and is exceedingly full of bloom. Other Taft trees of nearly the same age have already borne sparingly, and at the present time are blooming heavily. The time of ripening for the Taft is from May to October. When in best condition to pick, the fruit assumes a somewhat lighter color and acquires a bloom. It is not absolutely necessary to wait for this change in appearance to take place, however. Any of the large fruits may be picked and will ripen up quite satisfactorily off the tree. [hey may be preferred by some as of milder flavor. In addition to the Taft, I have other seedlings of some value and have given them names, to wit: Ultimate, Champion, Brodia, Purple Pro- lific, Beauty, and Rhoad. All of these I have discarded as inferior. In particular, they all have one bad feature which should always be absent in a good fruit. The flesh will not retain its natural color long after being exposed to the air. If served at once, that is, of course, no objection, but it is often desirable to keep the salad or whatever dish it may be for a few hours, and to have it turn dark detracts materially from the appearance, though it may taste the same. The Taft never behaves this way, and twenty-four hours after it is cut, while the flesh may be a little dry, the color is unchanged. Another thing I like about the Taft is its shape. Considerable has been said about the round fruit being easiest to pack, and this may be true, but a pear-shaped one is not much more difficult, and it has the great advantage of containing more flesh. The neck is all extra. Of two fruits of equal weight from the same tree, I would always choose the longer one as being likely to have both more flesh and a smaller seed. I say right here to those who have planted this variety several years ago and are disappointed because of lack of fruit, that they have the con- solation of knowing that they planted a good kind, the best available at this time and one which will certainly bear sooner than any they could plant this year, no matter what variety. I do not claim the Taft is the best avocado we shall ever have, but I do think it will always be a good commercial variety. Indeed I am quite sure that better varieties may be and probably already have been found. Myr. Knight has gone about it in the best possible way by selecting budwood from the best of the thou- sand varieties in Guatemala, a work which the Department of Agriculture is continuing. Among the many choice seedlings Mr. Spink’s is fruiting, there are doubtless superior kinds. I have a few of my own which seem promising; but looking to the not so very distant future, I fancy that the best varieties of all will be from seedlings of those very kinds which are CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 5T now being introduced, originating in every sense of the word right here in California. The avocado is a most fascinating fruit; I doubt if there is any, more so. It is the most likely of any fruit to be taken up as the study and plaything of the horticulturally inclined men, who have both money and brains and who are able to devote both to the originating of new kinds. I think I foresee even an intense rivalry among them to see who can pro- duce the best. The meetings of this Association or some similar associa- tion will, not many years hence, be second to none in general interest, and we shall have avocado days as we now have days devoted to the orange and raisin, and an annual avocado fair far exceeding in interest the present annual Orange Show held at San Bernardino, as the avocado surpasses the orange in intrinsic merit, and it is difficult to improve on the oranges we now have, but the avocado seems to be capable of indefinite develop- ment. COMPARATIVE MERITS OF THE CALIFORNIA AVO- CADO VARIETIES By L. B. Scott, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, WASHING- TON, D.C. Mr. Chairman, Members of the California Avocado Association, Ladies and Gentlemen: I had the pleasure of meeting with you at San Diego, and certainly appreciate the privilege of being here today. Ass one part of the sub- tropical fruit project of the Office of Horticultural and Pomological In- vestigations of the United States Department of Agriculture, which project I have the honor of leading, we began a year and a half ago a study of the comparative merits of the different Florida avocado varieties, and the variations within these varieties. It seemed worth while that our Florida work should be duplicated in California, and I have, during the last six months, devoted considerable time to a study of the California varieties. A report on our Florida investigations was given at the San Diego meeting, and | have been asked by your President, as well as a number of the members of this Association, to present a report on our California work at this time. It must be clearly understood that the observations which we have been making the last year are simply preliminary and that these investigations will of necessity have to be continued for a number of years before conclusive results can be published. However, as the most important problem which confronts the California avocado grower is the proper selection of varieties, with the understanding of the audience that any remarks which I make today that now seem conclusive may be subject, to revision even within a year’s time, I am very glad to give a preliminary report of our California investigations. __ In my observations I have tried to assume the role of a grower and not that of a nurseryman. ‘The success of the California avocado industry will be determined entirely by the ability of the pioneer growers to agree on a few standard varieties which can be developed as typical California products. Just as soon as the growers,—the members of this Association, —can decide on a short list of five or six varieties which will assure a 58 1917 ANNUAL REPORT supply of good commercial fruit throughout the year, the biggest problem confronting the industry today will have been solved. The California avocado nurserymen have been severely criticized for carrying so many varieties. I think this criticism is unjust. I have talked with every important nurseryman in the state, and they have all said that just as soon as this Association takes definite action on the matter of varie- ties, they will fall in line and carry only the five or six which the Associa- tion will recommend. So the solution of the problem rests with you. Un- til the nurserymen can be given definite assurance that certain avocados will be developed as standard products, they will continue to list forty or fifty varieties. When I returned to California last fall I had had some experience with avocados in Florida as well as in the Eastern markets, and my ob- servations there had led me to believe that the ideal fruit for commercial purposes was one weighing a pound or a pound and a half, preferably pear-shaped, with a small seed, free from fiber, and last and probably most important of all, a fruit that would be served in the half shell. At the San Diego meeting I heard some discussion of the small Mex- ican thin-skinned varieties and the place they would fill as commercial fruits. I wondered whether I was mistaken and whether the fruit men in the large Eastern markets and the hotel men in the East did not know the kind of fruit their trade wanted. I therefore was very glad to hear the excellent paper presented by Mr. Thos. H. Shedden of Monrovia, entitled *“The Hotel and the Avocado,’ and to find my views confirmed by a practical hotel man. Further investigations in this state have convinced me that the ideal avocado for California and the Western markets will be the same as that demanded in the East. ‘The tree should be hardy, a vigorous grower, and relatively immune to fungus and insect troubles; the fruit should weigh a pound, a pound and a half or possibly larger, have a small seed, be free from fiber, rich in oil, and one which ean be served in the half shell. (See frontispiece. ) I wish at this time to express my appreciation to Dr. Webber and the members of this Association who have co-operated with us in our avo- cado studies. I have visited all the original trees of the important com- mercial varieties and whenever the grower was willing that we should, we have secured performance records of the amount of fruit produced by the original tree and budded trees of the different varieties. [he record of the original tree is important, but of far greater importance is a knowledge of what the budded trees are doing. I also wish to express my hearty appreciation to the growers and nurserymen who have co-operated in this work, especially Mr. Nusbickel, Mr. Whedon, Mr. Beck, Mr. Spinks, Mr. Taft, Mr. Sharpless, Mr. Wagner, Mr. Popenoe, and many others. I have tried to visit all the trees under observation a number of times, and through our co-operators have kept track and am keeping track of the amount of fruit produced by each tree. In many cases we have not only a record of the total crop produced by each tree, but also the fruit secured from each pick from the tree. In addition to our field of work we have co-operated with Mr. E. M. Chace, of the Bureau of Chemistry, United States Department of Agri- CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 59 culture, whose laboratory is here in Los Angeles. He has made and will make further analyses of the varieties which we have considered merited further study. These analyses have not been made from a single fruit. At least three fruits from a single tree have been used for a sample, and in many cases samples have been secured at different times from the same tree. We hope by these and future analyses, that Mr. Chace will work out a picking maturity standard for the different California varieties, as he has so successfully done for oranges. Analyses have been made of the _ standard and Redondo strains of the Fuerte, the Sharpless, Monroe, Lyon, Surprise, and Lambert, and analyses are now being made or will be made ~ of the Blakeman, Spinks, Dickinson, Taft, and Caribou. Of the great number of avocados now growing in California, not a single one can be found which possesses all the desirable characteristics of the ideal variety. The following short list based on the past and pres- ent performance are those which seem to approach the requirements of an ideal avocado. ‘This list which would insure in a single planting com- mercial fruit throughout the whole year, is: Sharpless, Fuerte, Surprise, Spinks, and Taft. A possible substitution might be the Monroe, or Lyon for the Surprise, and the Blakeman or Dickinson for the Taft. However, if all are included, we would only have a list of nine, which certainly is much better than 130. Further study probably would reduce the number to five or six. The Sharpless is, in many respects, the most remarkable avocado in California today. The original tree is owned by B. H. Sharpless, Santa Ana, R. F. D. No. 1, and first bore in 1912, bearing 2 fruits that year, 20 in 1913, 75 in 1914, 250 in 1915, and over 600 in 1916-1917. Its season is from October to March, and 9 avocados in perfect condition were remaining on the tree as late as April | this year. The fruits aver- age 20 to 22 ounces in weight, are pear-shaped, and when mature show a beautiful bronze color. The seed is small and the flesh free from fiber. The only objection that can be raised to the Sharpless is that the young trees are rather tender. However, these trees undoubtdly will acquire hardy characteristics as they grow older, as the original Sharpless tree passed through this last winter without any frost injury. Next in the list is the Fuerte. Of the desirable kinds, this is the hardiest one of which I have any record. In Mr. Phales’ planting near Placentia and in the Hardin and Keller grove at Yorba Linda, young trees of the Fuerte showed practically no frost injury the past winter, when even the Knight varieties in the same plantings were damaged. Accord- ing to Mr. Chace’s analyses, the Fuerte shows 25 and 26 per cent fat. The only other thick-skinned fruit which runs this high is the Miller, which has been reported as containing 26 per cent. At Yorba Linda, Fuertes were picked this last season from December 28 to April 15; at Altadena this variety was a month to six weeks later in maturing. A per- formance record of all the three-year-old budded Fuerte trees in the J. T. Whedon planting showed a range in production from | to 85 fruits. The only objection to the Fuerte is that the fruits are slightly undersized, only averaging 12 to 14 ounces. However, because the Fuerte can withstand more cold than any other desirable variety, it can be used in home plant- ings instead of the Mexican thin-skins, and as its season is slightly later 60 1917 ANNUAL REPORT than the Sharpless, it matures at a time when there are no other desirable fruits in the market. As the last of the Fuertes are being harvested, the first Surprise fruits begin to ripen. But for one characteristic, this variety would be pronounced ideal. The Surprise has been reported as only averaging 10 per cent fat. In former years this variety has been picked too soon, and as the analyses were undoubtedly made when the fruits were imma- ture, this probably accounts for the low oil content. I tasted a Surprise fruit in February and another in March. Both of them had the typical sweet, watery, almost sickening flavor of an unripe avocado. Another fruit harvested in April had a fairly rich taste, and I believe the analyses which are now being made will show the Surprise ranking well in its oil content. The original tree is owned by Mr. C. F. Wagner, Fountain and Fairfax streets, Hollywood, and bore | fruit in 1915. The tree was seven years old at that time. It had 81 fruits in 1916 and has 300 or more this year. [hey average 20 ounces in weight, are pear-shaped, have a small seed, and are free from fiber. Even though the Surprise does not develop a high oil content, if allowed to remain on the tree as late as June, because of its beautiful exterior appearance and size, it will have to be ranked as a standard avocado for many years to come. Some people no doubt would advocate the substituting of the Lyon for the Surprise. The Lyon is the most precocious avocado we have in California, and in many cases the trees literally bear themselves to death. ‘This condition can be remedied by thinning the fruit the first two years, the best demonstration of this being in the Joseph Sexton plant- ing at Goleta. The fruits average over a pound in weight, have a fairly rich oil content, a medium size seed, and show a slight trace of fiber. The tree has the habit of growing like a telegraph pole with no branching. This makes it unsuitable for a standard orchard planting. However, it has a distinct place, I believe, as a filler. If standard varieties, such as the Sharpless, Surprise, and Spinks, are planted in rows 24 feet apart and at intervals of 30 feet in the row, the Lyon trees could be planted as fillers so that they would be 15 feet from the standard trees. Because of their habit of growth, they could be left in the orchard for six, seven or possibly ten years, without materially interfering with the development of the other trees. One three-year-old Lyon tree in Mr. T. N. Beck’s orchard, La Habra, had over 60 fruits this year. If this tree should annually average this production for the next three years, it would be a very profitable filler in any avocado orchard. Another spring fruit that merits further study is the Monroe. The fruits are smaller than the Surprise, have a larger seed, and show more fiber in the flesh than the latter, but have a higher oil content. Next in the order of maturing is the Spinks, the original trees of which are owned by Mr. W. A. Spinks of Duarte. Although these trees have been severely cut for budwood, they are bearing heavy crops this year. ‘The season of this variety now appears to be from May to August, and a two-year-old topworked tree in the Spinks planting this year gives every indication of holding its fruits even later than this. The fruits weigh considerably over a pound, are oval to slightly pyriform in shape, and turn purple when mature. Of the desirable varieties, young trees of the Spinks CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 61 rank second to the Fuerte in hardiness and are much hardier than the Sharpless. They seem in this respect to be on a par with the Knight importations. The Taft has long been looked upon as the standard summer Cali- fornia avocado. ‘The fruit has a rich flavor, analyzing 18 per cent oil, and when the trees come into bearing they are productive. The Taft sea- son is June to September. ‘There are several serious objections that can be raised to the Taft,—the trees are very slow growers, the budded trees as a rule do not come into bearing early, and they are very susceptible to frost injury. For this reason it may be supplanted by the Blakeman as a summer fruiter or it may be found that the Spinks will completely fil the gap between the Surprise and the first of the Sharpless season. An objection to the Blakeman is that it belongs to the Murrieta strain of trees, and budded trees of all the other varieties introduced by Mr. Murrieta appear to be very weak growers. “The Blakeman shows this same characteristic at Mr. Spinks’ place, and the trees which he has are making a very feeble growth; on the other hand, in Mr. Adams’ planting near Upland, the Blakemans make a wonderful showing. Probably the best comparison of the Blakeman and Taft will be found in Mr. Adams’ planting, where these varieties are planted alternately in a long row. Another summer fruit that deserves further study is the Dickinson. Judge Silent of Glendora has the largest planting of this variety. In spite of the exceptional care which he gives his trees, a few of them are making a sickly growth similar to the Dickey or Royal. Another avocado now fruiting in California that is worthy of ob- servation is the Caribou. ‘This is a variety that is fruiting for the first time at Mr. Spinks’ place. ‘There are six trees of the Caribou, five of which are bearing fruit this year. ‘The tree is as beautiful an avocado tree as I have ever seen, both as regards the quality and quantity of foliage and the symmetry of growth of the tree. As an ornamental it would be a decided acquisition. ‘The fruit is a hard-shell and will probably average a pound in weight. No idea can be formed now as to its probable fib season or quality, but it looks very promising. I have paid very little attention to the thin-skinned varieties, for, while they might prove interesting in home plantings or in varietal collec- tions, the fruits are too small to meet the market demands, and therefore cannot be given serious consideration as commercial possibilities. Of the other thick-skins, budded trees of Colorado, Dickey, Presidente, Murrieta Green, and Royal make a very sickly growth, or if they do live to produce one or two crops, they die. The Solano has a very low oil content and the trees are quite tender. “The Challenge has a large seed, a low oil con- tent, and a large amount of fiber. The Grande fruits in Mr. Whedon’s planting developed a black decay at the blossom end, and also showed a large amount of fiber. This variety has been reported by George B. Cellon in Florida as not showing any fiber (I have not seen the variety in Florida, and therefore cannot give any first hand information concerning its be- havior in that state.) At the West India Gardens, the Grandes have not shown the black decay noticeable in the Whedon orchard, but some of them cracked at the blossom end. ‘The single Perfecto fruit that was saved out of three that matured at the West India Gardens (the other 62 1917 ANNUAL REPORT two were stolen) weighed | pound. ‘The seed weighed 4 ounces and the flesh showed a trace of fiber. It did not taste as rich as the Fuerte. Pu- ebla, Wagner, and Walker are too small to be considered as standard avocados. ‘They also mature fruit when they are in competition with larger, and better varieties; the Puebla comes in the earlier part of the Sharpless season and the Wagner and Walker mature at the same time as the Surprise and Spinks. The Lambert is a shy bearer and the fruits have a tendency to crack; the Bartley shows this same tendency. The IXL has too much fiber and the trees are not as vigorous as the Spinks. Miller, Meserve and Ferry are shy bearers. Most of the budded trees of the Sinaloa have a. bushlike habit of growth and do not appear very vigorous. Beauty, Cham- pion, Rhoad, and Senor have been discarded by Mr. Taft as not worthy of extensive propagation. The Knight introductions are making a good growth. It is to be hoped they will mature fruit this coming year. Mr. Knight deserves a great deal of credit. He went to Guatemala, searched for the best varie- ties he could find in that country, and introduced budwood from these superior trees. The Queen is blooming heavily and gives every indication of setting a crop. Linda and Rey are showing some blooms. All of Mr. Knight's introductions deserve close study this coming year. Even though this Association should, in view of the present informa- tion and knowledge, recommend that the Sharpless, Fuerte, Surprise, Spinks, and the Taft or Blakeman be developed as standard varieties, with the Monroe, Lyon, and possibly the Dickinson carried as supplementary ones, the problem then is only partially solved. The accompanying chart (Table 1) shows the wide range of variation in a three-year-old planting of budded Fuertes in Mr. Whedon’s grove, Yorba Linda. ‘The lowest producing tree bore | fruit, the highest 85. ‘Three distinct strains were found which were characterized by the shape of the fruit, round, oval, and pyriform. The round strain has been propagated as a distinct variety under the name of Redondo. Out of the whole planting not more than ten trees were found, possibly less, which should be used as sources of budwood. A similar variation is seen in the G. W. Beck, Lyon planting at La Habra. The plantings are of different varieties, propagated by different nurserymen, but both show the great variation that will be found in all your avocado orchards unless the nurserymen are compelled to cut bud- wood from fruiting trees with a known record. And so, even should you feel your Association cannot take any def- nite action on the matter of varieties, you can at least urge the nurserymen to cut budwood only from fruiting trees. ‘There are or will be, next year, a sufficient number of fruiting trees of the desirable varieties to furnish a large amount of record budwood. At the San Diego meeting I urged your Association to take definite action on the elimination of varieties. I wish to go even further this time. Your Association is bound to be a great factor in the development of the avocado industry of the country; your reports are the recognized authority on all subjects pertaining to the avocado; you as members and directors of this Association owe it to the industry to publish as soon as possible, a CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 63 short list of varieties which can be developed as California products. The only way you can be in a position to do this is by securing a record of the amount and quality of fruit produced by every desirable avocado tree in California. AVOCADO VARIATIONS GROVE OF J. T. WHEDON, YORBA LINDA, CAL., 1917 Fuerte Variety, Number Fruits Per Tree Tree No. Row Numbers 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 | ses 26 ma 7 o 2 12 14 19 3 73 ae Wk 11 He 4 7 I 11 59 a 5 20 56 2 32 a 6 ae 23 17 7 ae 7 a 16 7 4 sy 8 hee 2 13 o a 9 4 oH: hee 42 Le 10 24 8 11 10 1] 10 26 se 12 20 4 13 10 28 oe ie ae 58 al 14 11 17 fi an: ee 3 5 15 2 aR a ae oe hie 5 16 3 ae sp Ae ne is 45 I hope I will be able to return to California next year and continue our investigations. I feel sure that the growers who have co-operated with us this year will continue their records another year. Although the state and federal officials may devote considerable time to a study of avocado varieties, the real solution of the question will rest with this Association. Urge every member to keep records of the output of his individual trees, appoint some official who can handle this work for the Association, and do not delay in taking some definite action on the elimination of many of your worthless varieties. MY EXPERIENCE IN GROWING AVOCADOS By Mrs. MARGARET STEWART, Los ANGELES, CALIFORNIA Whether we make the growing of avocados a science or a hobby, depends upon our natural inclinations, but I assume that every one here hopes to become at some time a commercial grower. To such as do, the experience of one who has in some measure been a pioneer in the industry may prove helpful. In the summer of 1912 I became obsessed with the idea of planting an orchard of avocados, and as soon as possible in the spring of 1913, I planted five acres of budded trees, adjoining a lemon grove which we owned at San Fernando. So interested was I in the small trees that I 64 1917 ANNUAL REPORT refused a trip to Europe, preferring to encourage in various ways the growth of my orchard. One of these ways consisted in bribing my chauf- feur to shade the trees from the sun by placing a half shingle behind them. (They were about twelve inches high.) Then I, being a person of high enthusiasm and not timid, resolved to increase my acreage. With this in view, and with my husband safely in Europe, I bought the adjoiing ten acres and made haste to plant more avocados. Being compelled to wait until a hay crop, then on the land, was harvested, the planting was made about the last of July. The trees had been grown, for the most part, in pots in a lath-house, and being set out during a week of great heat, many died, and [| lost considerably over a thousand dollars. ‘This, together with the high-priced land, the cost of installing water pipes, the paying of from $5 to $15 a tree, and the ex- penses incidental to planting and caring for the orchard, was making my venture a decidedly costly one. Thinking it the better way, I told my husband immediately on his return how I had employed my time, and incidentally his money. I may add that while he had no faith in the avocados, he rather liked me, and my orchard stands as a monument of that very fortunate condition. Thus encouraged, I finished the planting of the orchard as soon as trees could be gotten, and early in the spring of 1914 the planting was finished. I had planted trees of the Taft, Meserve, Dickinson, Ganter, Dickey, Challenge, Royal, Fuerte, Puebla, Knight, and Linda varieties. Later, | planted one or two of the following varieties: Trapp, Walker's Prolific, Fowler, Carton, and, unfortunately, a few Harmans. Having finished the planting, I began to look forward impatiently to the not-far-distant day, I hoped, when the trees would be loaded with fruit, and I could haughtily consider to whom among the clamoring and tearfully beseeching fruiterers I should consign my fruit. Need I say that no such conditions have obtained. My orchard planted in 1913 consists of Tafts, Meserves, and Dick- insons. The Tafts are beautiful trees of splendid shape and foliage, many of them over twenty feet high and correspondingly wide. Not one has bloomed as yet, and unless one expects to live to be a very old person, it seems a mistake to plant the Taft. The fact of its being a summer fruit is against it, and I am seriously considering rebudding my trees to either the Fuerte or the Puebla, or to the Knight trees. If I were planting today, in the light of my small experience, these are the only varieties I should plant, making an exception possibly in favor of the Challenge. My Challenge trees bore very well last year for trees planted in 1914, producing beautiful, large fruit, whose oil content seemed unusually high, owing possibly to the hot growing season, which seems to develop very richly flavored fruit. The Dickinson and Meserve trees are, this year for the first time, setting rather heavy crops of fruit. These trees are as large as the. laft trees, and the orchard is indeed a beautiful one with the vigorous new growth. Perhaps I am too impatient for the trees to bear. The trees planted in the spring of 1914 have kept my faith alive. Every one who goes CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 65 about the planting of an avocado orchard will lose that first great enthusi- asm and come to the more sober realization that bringing a grove into bearing is a slow and most expensive undertaking. We are all beginners, trying to establish a paying industry, uncertain as to the kind of trees to plant, their care, etc. I think we are too prone to give a roseate view to others about to engage in the same undertaking. I do not believe that the avocados we are planting today will stand a great deal of frost, and I think many will plant in localities unsuited to the trees. My place is especially frost free, being a warm, southern slope along the foothills. During the cold spells of last winter and this spring, my trees were untouched, while three miles south where my foreman has a few trees of the same varieties, the frost injured them badly. I understand that most of the orchards being planted for sale in acre lots are being planted to the Harman variety, which probably will stand a great deal of frost. If it does, that is its only virtue. I consider it abso- lutely worthless, and am rebudding the few trees I have. I know that bitter disappointment will attend the purchase of one acre of avocados, with the hope that a self-sustaining orchard will result in three years’ time. Not only will disappointment come to those who can ill afford mistakes, but it will hurt the industry immeasurably. My Pueblas planted in 1914 bore an average of 15 to 20 fruits per tree, and this year have set thousands. [he Fuertes were smaller and did not bear so heavily, but are setting now a number of fruits. The Chal- lenge and the Royal both bore some fruit, and the Ganters bore several hundred, many of the trees bearing over 100 fruits. With all the faults of the Ganter before me, I have hesitated about rebudding the trees at this time. I personally prefer the flavor of the Gan- ter to that of any fruit grown here. By peeling the fruit with a sharp knife and serving it diced or in halves, as we often serve it, it is easy to manage with a fork and most palatable. The trees set such enormous quantities of fruit that we could well afford to give a daily demonstration in some prominent shop, where the thousands of people who have never tasted an avocado might be led to realize what a very welcome addition the avocado is to one’s diet. However, the fruit people dislike to handle this variety, and offer very little for it. I find the main trouble with the fruit is that it is allowed to hang on the trees too long. If picked at the proper time, it keeps splendidly. The most famous tree in my orchard is a small Dickey, not over 3 feet high, that last year matured 42 fruits which sold for $32. My ex- perience with the Dickey trees may prove interesting. I originally had 50 trees of this variety. After a time they began to turn yellow and die, not- withstanding all our efforts to save them. In watching the trees closely, it occurred to me that possibly a certain constriction at the union of the bud and stock was responsible for the trouble, causing a damming back of the nutrient fluid. I, therefore, made three longitudinal cuts with a sharp knife through the bark at each bud union. Much to my surprise and delight, the trees responded beautifully, throwing out a vigorous new growth and losing entirely the yellow tinge. The 16 trees that are left from the 50 planted are all growing splendidly. 66 1917 ANNUAL REPORT I have since used the same method with two or three Royal buds, with the same result. My trees have been very free from disease and are this year making a magnificent growth, owing to the great quantity of water we are giving them. We have used practically no fertilizer, except a small amount of nitrate of soda around the little Dickey which bore the surprising quantity of fruit. This last winter we planted alfalfa throughout the entire orchard of lemons and avocados and are using the heavy growth as a mulch about the trees. ‘The soil is being kept in excellent condition. We have a long, hot summer in San Fernando, during which the ground becomes very hot, and this condition we can overcome by the use of the mulch. | I think, however, that the warmth has much to do with the early ma- turity of the fruit. My Pueblas were all ripe the first ten days of Decem- ber, and the Challenge and the Fuerte fruits were picked dead ripe by the 20th of January. The Dickey and the Royal ripened early in February. I think most pears are picked too green, and much of the fine flavor is lost thereby. I have done practically no pruning, preferring to let the trees branch close to the ground, providing shade for the roots and a better surface to withstand the winds. I have planted a windbreak of Monterey cypress, although I have never had a fruit blown off. The cultivation and irrigation of the trees is continued all through the fall, as we have no fear of the frost and do not harden up the new growth early. I have found that after the first year, when a tree is in good condi- tion, any limb may be removed without danger of die-back. I have been interested in doing a bit of end-branch pruning and find that many more fruits remain on a branch as a result. Where a tree is growing very vig- orously, the tendency is to drop the fruit, especially if the trees do not get almost continuous irrigation. Fifth Semi-Annual Meeting of the California Avocado Association, Held in the Glenwood Mission Inn, Riverside, California, October 26 and 27, 1917 THos. H. SHEDDEN, PRESIDENT Wwe. H. SALLMoNn, VICE-PRESIDENT H. J. WEBBER, SECRETARY AND TREASURER MINUTES OF THE FIFTH SEMI-ANNUAL MEETING EXHIBIT OF FRUITS The fruit exhibit under the charge of a special committee consisting of Mr. Burdette K. Marvin, Chairman, Messrs. T. U. Barber, J. . Whedon, G. W. Beck, and Mrs. J. T. Stewart, was held in the west din- ing room of the Mission Inn. In view of the scarcity of fruit caused by the severe hot weather of last summer, the exhibit was considered to be an exceptionally interesting one. The following is a list of the exhibitors: Pree omit... ..... Monrovia B. H. Sharpless. ...Santa Ana PemOster . os. ss Monrovia PX CNA ass Whittier j= thompson ..... . Monrovia GPa ale yet Orange J. A. Crandell...... Monrovia James Mather ...... Pasadena Manuel Garcia ....... Duarte Chas. F. Wagner. . . Hollywood Cee Routh... 6... Orange Wm. A. Spinks....... Duarte AG Pickerme:. 2. . Fullerton W. P. Sherlock. .... Pasadena Hugo Wetzel ....... Anaheim Thos. H. Shedden. . . Monrovia J. T. Whedon... Yorba Linda WM: Boyes... ...- Lomita F. O. Popenoe ..... Altadena W. H. Holloway. Yorba Linda GoWe Becks... i... La Habra A. R. Rideout....... Whittier During the second day of the exhibit, Mrs. G. W. Beck served to the members and friends of the Association, a tea made from avocado leaves, which created considerable interest. “The formula for making this tea will be published in the report of the Association. EXCURSION The excursion in the afternoon of October 26 was attended by about 60 persons in 18 automobiles. This included stops at the Citrus Experi- ment Station to inspect the new buildings recently completed and at the avocado groves of the Arlington Heights Fruit Company, and of Mr. B. K. Marvin. GET ToGETHER DINNER The ‘‘Get together Dinner,’’ held on the evening of October 26 in the main dining room of the Mission Inn, was a great success, 104 mem- 68 1917 ANNUAL REPORT bers and friends of the Association participating. President Shedden served as toastmaster and general inspiration dynamo. ‘The Association was fortunate in having as its distinguished guest, Judge Dole, Ex-Presi- dent of the Hawaiian Islands, who gave an interesting reminiscent talk on tropical horticulture. Short addresses were also given by Professor M. E. Jaffa, and Professor I. J. Condit of the University of California; Mr. A. D. Shamel of the United States Department of Agriculture; Dr. Willitt L. Hardin of Los Angeles; and Mrs. B. H. Sharpless of Santa Ana. On the completion of the dinner program the Association adjourned to examine the fruit exhibit. FORENOON SESSION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27 The first regular session of the Fifth Semi-Annual Meeting was called to order at 10:00 A. M. in the Music Room of the Mission Inn by the retiring president, Dr. H. J. Webber, who introduced the new president, Mr. Thomas H. Shedden of Monrovia, California, who then gave the an- nual presidential address. Following the presidential address the regular program of the day. was taken up, as follows: “Symposium on Irrigation’’—discussion led by Dr. Lester Keller, Yorba Linda; special speakers, W. A. Spinks, Duarte; G. W. Beck, La Habra; C. A. Wilkinson, Harper. *““A Few Avocado Remarks’”—J. M. Elliott, Los Angeles. “Studies on the Chemistry of the Avocado’’—Professor M. E. Jaffa, College of Agriculture. Adjourned for dinner. AFTERNOON SESSION Meeting called to order at 2:00 P. M. by President Shedden. The following program was given: “Joseph Sexton’’—an appreciation, prepared by Mr. C. W. Beers of Santa Barbara, Cal., at the request of the Board of Directors; read by Mr. C. D. Adams of Upland. ‘A New Sugar in the Avocado, Discovered by Dr. F. B. La Forge” —a review by Dr. W. P. Kelley, Citrus Experiment Station, Riverside. “Symposium on Heat Injury’’—discussion led by F. O. Popenoe, West India Gardens, Altadena; special speakers, DeWitt H. Gray, Fresno; Mrs. J. T. Stewart, San Fernando; G. W. Beck, La Habra: Thos. H. Shedden, Monrovia; Mrs. B. H. Sharpless, Santa Ana; F. A. Dixon, Fresno; O. A. Mann, Yorba Linda; Wm. H. Sallmon, San Diego; J. T. Whedon, Yorba Linda; Dr. Will R. Manning, Fillmore; C. E. Needham, Glendora. Mr. Popenoe being ill, his discussion was presented by Dr. C. L. Bennett. ‘Special Report of Directors on Avocado Varieties’ —presented by T. U. Barber, Puente. At the close of the meeting the following resolutions were presented and adopted by the Association. CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 69 RESOLUTIONS OF [THANKS Resolved that the California Avocado Association in clos- ing its Fifth Semi-Annual meeting, extend its special thanks to the following persons who have largely contributed to the suc- cess of the meeting: To the Glenwood Mission Inn and its managers, Mr. Frank Miller and Mrs. Alice Richardson, for their kind and courteous entertainment and helpfulness throughout the meeting. The environment of the Association’s meetings in this beautiful Inn has added much to the enjoyment of our members. To the citizens of Riverside and the Riverside Chamber of Commerce who furnished automobiles for our excursion. To our Committee on Exhibits, Mr. B. K. Marvin and his co-workers, for their energy and faithfulness in securing and in- stalling such a successful exhibit. To our members who showed their interest in the Associa- tion by making exhibits of their fruit. To Mr. T. U. Barber and Mr. James Mather for furnish- ing the fruits for the avocado salad served at our Association dinner. To Mrs. G. W. Beck for serving avocado tea to members of the Association, thus demonstrating this additional use of the avocado. To all of those who have contributed to the program and to the success of the meeting, we extend our sincere thanks. ‘There being no further business, the Association adjourned. H. J. WEBBER, SECRETARY. PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS By THomas H. SHEDDEN, MoNRovIA Ladies and Gentlemen of the California Avocado Association, and the Friends who honor us with their presence at our fifth semi-annual meeting: Fraternal and sympathetic greetings to all who come from the sun- kissed (>) avocado orchards of—June, 14-18. The convening of the Association in the unique and exquisitely beau- tiful Mission Inn, famous the world over for its comfortable quaintness, is an event out of the ordinary, so far, in our Association life. When I contemplate the quietude of Mr. Miller's peaceful sanctuary, there will creep in a reminiscent thought of the varieties of discordant sounds which have usually attended our assemblies, culminating, at the last one, in the thrilling trill of the steam riveter serenade, just outside the win- dows. ‘Thanks to Dr. Webber for leading us into this restful seclusion, 70 1917 ANNUAL REPORT where we shall be able to think and hear, and not have to wait until the proceedings are published in order to know what was said. Since our annual meeting in May, at the election of officers, Dr. Webber who has so ably, satisfactorily and comfortably filled every nook and corner of the presidency, and whose enthusiasm for the avocado has endeared him to all, shook his head, and turned a thumb down when the subject of re-election was broached. He gave reasons therefor, in conse- quence of which the present incumbent was elected to succeed the scholarly Dr. Webber, ‘““Whose shoe latchet I am not worthy to unloose.”’ The selection of such a raw recruit was a surprise to me, and the elec- tion was contrary to my protest. J] am deeply appreciative of the confi- dence shown and the honor bestowed by the act, and by personal expres- sions. I thank you with all my heart while pledging my best efforts. *““Guaranteed to work in single, or double harness,”’ in forwarding the in- terests of our beloved avocado. I am a beginner in this unfolding life of the avocado in a strange land, but one who has at heart a hope to labor and live long enough to see this superb fruit become the attainable and ac- ceptable food of rich and poor alike. I am under instructions to deliver a presidential address, ““Io include some suggestions of policies to be pursued,’ was the wording, “in develop- ing this fascinating industry.” The avocado is an interest worthy of our best thought and action. Its high characteristics call ladies and gentlemen to its culture. It has a charm for youth, and yet there is a seriousness about it which attracts mature men and women of all walks in life. ‘There seems to be more old, than young, enthusiasts engaged in training the infant avocado for a useful future in California. This though recurs to me whenever I have looked over an avocado assemblage, and noted, in its makeup, the preponderance of white heads and bald heads. What is the secret of its attraction for the senior class in life? Its delight and richness as a food cannot fully explain it, for conservative age does not seek new and strange foods to feed its declining capacity. I sub- mit these two believable reasons: First: The avocado holds out to all its devotees, the pleasing hope of attaining that which is prized by all humanity, a green old age. Proofs of this are plentiful in countries of its habitat, where nonagenarians and centenarians, and over, abound without causing comment. Some years ago, a gentleman who had lived long in lands where this fruit for unnumbered centuries had been the daily food of all classes, said to me, “In looking at natives who are healthy, hearty and active after one hundred or more years of ahuacate eating, I have sometimes thought of the Scriptural de- scription of Moses, when he died at the age of one hundred and twenty, ‘His eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated’.”’ The second reason is, that the avocado, as a food, fosters optimism and happy life among those who are really fond of it. I affirm this as the result of many years of observation among avocado eaters, in both hotels and homes. The pleasure in eating the fruit, and the effect of the food upon the system seem to create a cheerful state of mind. I have rare- ly ever met pessimistic persons who were fond of avocados. Have you? CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 71 I ask you to study this phase of the fruit, and tell it to others. It will be good missionary work. Avocadoans appear to be happily and agreeably disposed. As con- tributing evidence, I might cite that we have never had any fights, or squabbles in our Association meetings, or board sessions—so far. The avocado man stands unique in this world of rising prices. With a slim crop of one of the richest foods known, he has made no change. Some uncharitably disposed persons say he never makes change; always keeps the change, when a purchaser tenders him a dollar. Doubtless the thought uppermost in the minds of members today, 1s solicitude for the avocado, which, in this present year has been, to a certain extent, menaced by excessive frost in Florida and heat in California. But happily these menaces have passed and gone; let us hope for a long time. It did keep us on the anxious seat, though, in passing, in memory of which in this presence of friendly feeling I make this individual confession: Hav- ing prepared and planted Florimel Orchard, cared for each of the trees, watched their growth, returned their welcome smile each morning, praised them for the way they came through the winters, with flying colors, and having partaken of the fine product of their young lives, I became fond of them, and when I realized the torture which they had endured last June, I was full of compassion for them,—for those that had succumbed and those that survived and stood up smiling cheerfully, but pathetically, at me. Anxious thought went to all the avocado centers, and soon we found that it was the weaklings that were stricken. Many of my trees were not right, eugenically, or euthenically, when I got them in an avocado orphan asylum in 1914. Months of recovery and reconstruction have passed, and now, as an individual member, and as the mouthpiece of the Association and its wise directors, I can encour- ° agingly say to you, that there is nothing in the avocado situation now, that need cause a whimper over the results of that conflagration in the avocado orchards. Sometimes fires have been “‘blessings in disguise.’” Every great city of the civilized world, from Rome to San Francisco, has been built upon the embers of its. formative period. This was one such. It has taught us the absolute necessity of planting, not only strong varieties but healthy trees. In passing through different orchards, “‘after the fire,’ I stopped, looked, listened, and everywhere, through the burned branches and rattling leaves, came the warning voice of nature—mingled with that of Mr. Spinks and Mr. Scott: “Plant strong trees.” ‘Plant healthy trees.”’ “*Plant pedigreed trees.” Nature has been helping in the process of elimination, and the “‘sur- vival of the fittest,’ by thus destroying the weak ones in their youth. The unbiased Committee on Varieties, and the Board of Directors, all men big enough to forget personal interests, deliberated long, and then heroically took up an axe that was as free from guile as was George Washington’s hatchet, and chopped down a whole forest of avocado trees that have been confusing and impeding the progress of the industry. They 12 1917 ANNUAL REPORT left only eight trees, including two or three fillers, but they are all standing in regular orchard form. From these few trees even though no finer varieties should ever be de- veloped, will come fruit every day in the year, for all parts of this coun- try and Canada. Perhaps even our Florida friends will want some of our fruit, as they have already been calling loudly for California trees and seeds. The sound of this chopping down of trees has been heard as far away as Washington, from whence has come an approving cheer. In California it has been commended. ‘This action of the committee and di- rectors is not a dogmatic dictum to the chosen eight, “Thus far shalt thou come, and no farther.’’ They simply got us out of the woods and gave us a starting place, and when a materially better variety comes forward and proves itself in California, nothing will be able to keep it out of its proper high place in the Association’s favor. The nurseryman and the would-be planter have been, for several years, almost lost in the maze of growing number of varieties, but now the way has been made easy to plant an approved orchard. ‘There are now, more than ever, intelligent reasons for planting avocados. As a true lover of the noble fruit, and one who is simply an orchard- ist, I elevate my voice in saying to any one whom it may concern, “Buy the best.’ The future of the avocado demands that we plant trees that are right eugenically and euthenically. “The avocado comes to us with clean life and habits. Keep it so. Treat it right and I believe that after the next “‘June drop”’ the tale told will not be so tragic. These meetings of the Association and attendance of members are al- together important. We are pioneers blazing the way through the un- mapped region of Avocado-land. Having neither sign-boards nor guide- books, we are compelled to rely upon each other for exchange of ideas, ex- perience and knowledge gained. ‘This spirit of mutuality seems to have taken possession of the pioneers. We are scattered over long distances; all are busy. It would be difficult for a single one of the two hundred or more units of the Association to go and exchange notes with each of the others; so we reverse this order of procedure, by bringing them all together, for a semi-annual “‘talk-fest.” The wise man of old said: “Iron sharpeneth iron, so a man sharp- eneth the countenance of his friend.’’ So friends, when these kindred spirits meet and rub ideas together, the sparks of wisdom fly, and throw light upon our uncharted way. Many members have wished aloud that we might have more time at our conventions for this very purpose of getting acquainted. They have asked, also, that opportunities be given for mak- ing inquiries at the meetings upon matters pertaining to orchard work. These suggestions are of practical value, and upon the present occasion we have given our affairs a turn somewhat in that direction. Closely allied to this mutual benefit in our meetings is that of creat- ing and extending in this collective way, an enjoyable and eating acquaint- ance between the public and the avocado. Because of the scarcity of fruit I have hesitated to speak upon this practical phase of our duty, for most of us this year have been much like ““Old Mother Hubbard, who went to the cupboard’’—and found it bare, just when we were dutifully trying to CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 13 follow the admonition of Dr. Hardin’s little green stickers: “EAT AVO- CADOS!”’ But we will not always be bare of that which we are supposed to produce and we should aim to have at all our assemblages abundance of fruit for complimentary and educational use among visitors who desire to taste and learn to like. ‘This might be done in one or more, or all of the following ways: First: Fruit might be sold at a low or nominal price. Second: Present a fruit to any visitor who shows appreciation. Third: Give a part of a fruit to anyone desiring to taste. Fourth: Have stacks of small avocado sandwiches for all who care to partake. ‘This being such a good and unsuspected way to advertise, the Association might well afford to buy fruit at a nominal price to be so used. I am an old believer in the life-giving and far-reaching influences of the dinner table in connection with associational and periodical meetings. The necessity of eating is, “One touch of nature that makes the whole world kin,”’ and dining together brings the kinship still closer; fellowship, fraternity and equality play hide and seek among the plates and glasses; distances and differences are obliterated; misunderstandings and misappre- hensions melt; widely separated ideas are fused and bring forth wisdom. Knowledge follows eating—proven by the case of Adam and Eve. We are to try one of these table sessions of the Association, and | truly hope it will be pleasing to all, and receive a hearty encore. We had no thought of indulging in a _ banquet,—in fact advise against it in these times,—but as we all have to eat a dinner, we thought well to have a “Together Dinner’ at a modest price, which modesty should prevail with us at least until, to the avocadoan, “the flowing tide comes in.’ ‘The dinner is merely a pleasing accompaniment to an enjoy- able meeting of avocado cranks, and the only item on the table which might suggest immodesty will be avocados, on which we should go the limit—from our own trees. I urge the business wisdom of devoting more time and even money, to our exhibit. At least half our time should be given to the show, which in time should be competive as well as educational, which latter it em- phatically is. There is a demand for it. In fact the crowd is always loth to leave the fruit stands when the president starts to round ’em up to hear the platform eloquence of the thirty per cent oil avocado orators. If further proof is needed, I might mention, that upon the two occasions when the exhibit was in the assembly room or near it, the noise of those who lingered around the fruit stands was disturbing and continued, notwithstanding the protests from the chair and the audience in general. Next in line with the collective idea of learning, I present a sugges- tion from the avocado’s good friend, L. B. Scott, that we might have an occasional field day for the Association, or as many members as might care to attend and respond, so that suitable arrangements could be made for entertainment or for conveyance if necessary, beyond a certain point. ‘The purpose would be to visit trees, orchards, and other avocado plantings in a certain locality, also to visit the members in that neighborhood. These ex- cursions could be made at convenient times, and to different places, and 74 1917 ANNUAL REPORT would be a pleasant way for the members to extend their knowledge of avocadodom, and I believe that the ones called upon would be pleased enough to hand out an avocado sandwich and a glass of cold water at lunch time. It has been shown that there are many persons growing avocados who are not members of the Association. We need their help by membership, but how are we to get them? Who is to go after them? The Board of Directors, recognizing the importance of increasing the membership, has evolved a plan. In order to popularize it, it has been thought wise to bring it before the members assembled. Here it is: Inaugurate a contest for getting new members. Every live human being enjoys friendly rivalry, when there is a goal in sight. Offer three prizes for the three highest numbers of new members secured before the next annual meeting. It is always better to give more than one prize, for consolation’s kindly sake. Prizes to be offered by the directors without expense to the Associa- tion, in this way, namely: Let the Executive Committee interview members who are original owners of certain proven, or promising avocado varieties that are now generally considered desirable and that are known to be candi- dates for popularity and standardization, and ask them each to donate one or more young, budded trees,—the trees so donated to be the prizes. [he committee to be satisfied as to the physical condition of the trees. The names of the trees and their donors to be mailed to each member when announcement of campaign is first made, with request that the list be published in the local papers of their district. Invite all members to enter the contest. Name a date for entries to close, and then mail names of the contestants to the members. Members of the committee not to enter the contest, nor divulge any knowledge they have of the contest. The total number of trees donated to be apportioned as prizes in the ratio of 6, 3 and 1, for the first, second and third winners, respectively. The trees all to be numbered, and a list of same kept by the com- mittee; duplicates of the numbers to be placed in a box for use at close of contest. The conclusion of the contest and distribution of prizes to be a feature of next annual meeting. After the finals of contest are announced, some lady in the audience will be asked to come forward and favor the occasion by drawing the numbers from the box—with averted eyes, of course. I omitted saying in proper place, that any member may secure new members, and turn the names over to any contestant he favors. The membership fee has been waived, so that new members will pay only the annual dues, $5.00. Here now, is a splendid opportunity to do a good turn all ‘round. I’d rather have the first prize, here specified, than the conventional gold watch which is usually the prize offered in contests. No canvass has been yet made for trees, but I’ll give you this tip, in a stage whisper: some have already volunteered offers, and one man promptly said he would give ten trees, mentioning a variety that has be- come very popular. It can be seen that the winner of the first prize might CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 75 receive enough prize trees to plant what would probably be the most blue blooded orchard in California. Ah, my friends, that’s the kind of orchard that can be planted now. That’s the kind of orchard to plant henceforth in California. Plant and produce the best. Make a name and fame for the California avocado, and see that it goes, unsullied, into all the marts where California's won- der products are welcome. Hail avocado! When through all the states of our dear native land, This fruit, with our orange, shall go hand in hand, May lips that with pleasure its praises proclaim, Be graced by the use of its soft sounding name. Avocado’s the name, Avocado’s the name, Avocado, Avocado, Avocado’s its name. THos. H. SHEDDEN. (NOTE: the above verse and chorus can be sung to the tune of the well known children’s New Year song: ““Happy New Year to All.’’) JOSEPH SEXTON—AN APPRECIATION (Prepared by special request of Board of Directors by Mr. C. W. Beers, Horticultural Commissioner, Santa Barbara County) It is a rare privilege to know a-large-hearted, generous-souled man who is possessed of a dream reaching out to embrace all the individuals of a vast state. To know such a man during the closing years of a long practical, eventful life, and to feel the breadth of his sympathies and his appreciation, at the time when his faculties were ripe and strong and virile was the privi- lege of many who knew Joseph Sexton of,—I was about to say Goleta, but it would be nearer the truth to say, of California. Joseph Sexton was born in the state of Ohio, not far from Cincinnati, in the year 1842. He came to California when only ten years of age. In his youth he was in love with plants, and flowers, and fruits and this pas- sion grew upon him and matured with him. His early surroundings forbade him the privilege of scholastic asso- ciations; however, the world has numerous examples of men who succeeded without the university experience that is so necessary that most of us may become even passably useful. It was this spirit of success that developed in the man through his love for the things that grow and spread beauty and usefulness to his fellowmen, —a spirit that makes man generous, broadly sympathetic, helpful, and heartily co-operative, with all that makes for excellence throughout the whole range of his acquaintance. It was to his untiring care and sensitive appreciation that he owed the skill to detect excellencies as they appeared in the midst of the common- place. And this it was which made it possible for Mr. Sexton to bring to such high perfection the Santa Barbara soft-shelled walnut. He had visions that could not be confined within his own local field of action and 76 1917 ANNUAL REPORT one of them has broadened until it has encompassed the whole length and breadth of the country to which he was so loyal, the walnut which he propagated being found in every state in the union where such trees grow and prosper. Our friend being of a congenial nature naturally sought out the asso- ciation of kindred spirits and he had the friendship of all of the earlier horticultural dreamers who had imaged California as the home of every plant, shrub, and tree either of usefulness or of beauty. Coming to Santa Barbara in 1867 he made the acquaintance and found fellowship with other plant lovers and no doubt he looked with deep interest on the two little avocados which Dr. Kellog of San Francisco sent to his old friends Mr. Silas Bond and Judge Ord,—the two trees that became the parents of hundreds of avocados now growing throughout the city. A long-time friend, Mr. Taft of Orange, had become enthusiastic over the avocado in- dustry and through him Mr. Sexton obtained in 1911, a number of seed- lings which he planted at his home place in Goleta and which have de- veloped into splendid specimens which have borne abundantly. Without question the thrift of these trees and the heavy bearing nature which they manifested stimulated anew the visions in the fertile mind and heart of our friend. He conceived and elaborated a plan whereby the avocado industry of the whole world might be benefited through the intro- duction of new varieties carrying all of the excellencies and few of the un- desirable qualities of those then known. He became satisfied that in the Hawaiian Islands were hardy varieties that could be grown in California. And in the fall of 1911 he visited Honolulu for the express purpose of gathering the avocado from the trees, testing out the most desirable varieties, and saving the seeds from those choice fruits with the hope that by planting them in California the much desired improved fruits might be developed. From the seeds brought home at that time a large number of thrifty seedlings were grown and potted and were distributed throughout the state. This custom Mr. Sexton followed at periods of two years, and today it is conservative to say that there are a thousand of these trees growing in dif- ferent sections, from which not only can be determined the best varieties, but that equally important fact the sections in which the avocado will find itself at home. The beautiful part of this work was the generous attitude toward the avocado industry, absolutely free from any spirit of com- mercialism. True to his natural instinct Mr. Sexton began experimenting with local varieties, hoping thus to improve those that had already made them- selves a place. Into one of his seedlings he introduced a bud from the Dr. White avocado and in twenty-two months from the time of budding he had 60 mature fruits and had removed as many more that had definitely set. This tree has averaged two crops a year up to the present time and Mr. Sex- ton often remarked that it seemed likely a tree will be developed which will have mature fruits every month in the year. On his return from Hawaii in 1913, Mr. Sexton brought home bud- wood from two choice trees growing in the island, the Nutmeg and the Inezholt. These buds have developed into magnificent trees but what the Plate II. Figure 3 Joseph Sexton of Santa Barbara Pioneer Avocado Grower CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 17 fruits will be in California remains to be seen. In 1914 he secured budded trees of the Inezholt and found it as hardy as the Lyon. In the experimental ground of Mr. Sexton’s home are seventy-eight varieties including the best known fruits of California. Here the frost sweeps from the foothills at times and this has enabled him to test out the different varieties side by side as to hardiness. In these grounds he has found the Blake endures frosty weather like a young oak; the Lyon makes as large a fruit as the Taft; and he has also confirmed the fact that the Lyon seeds come true to type which makes it a very desirable variety. In 1916 Mr. Sexton made his last trip to Honolulu, at which time he selected budwood from four trees bearing excellent fruits of large size. The budwood arrived after his death and today there are from seven to ten trees of each variety growing in the experimental grounds at his former home. In August 1917 this friend of Nature and lover of the beautiful and excellent in plant life laid aside his activities, being called to his rest in the ripe maturity of a happy, helpful life. The fullness of his work will be realized only by those who follow after, and the avocado industry will ever have an occasion to be appreciative of the man whose vision led him into ceaseless activity without thought of commercializing the results of his earn- est effort and whose broad sympathies made him happy in serving his fellow man. In the passing of Mr. Sexton the California Avocado Association has lost an appreciative member, one whose presence was an inspiration and whose words always breathed a hopeful expectancy that stimulated the activities of all those associated in these early days of the avocado industry in the State of California. BeESsOLUTIONS ON THE DEATH OF JOSEPH SEXTON ADOPTED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE CALIFORNIA AVO- CADO ASSOCIATION It is with feelings of sadness and bereavement that the California Avocado Association has learned of the passing away of the well loved Joseph Sexton, an honored member of the Association, and one of the re- vered fathers in California horticulture, who cherished the soil as a treasure house of comforts, delight, and happiness for humanity. His peaceful passing from earthly life may be pictured and likened to a choicely ripened and mellow fruit falling to the ground in his well nur- tured orchards and gardens. __ A faithful friend of the avocado, he traveled far to find the best, and bring it to his own land, and among the last acts of his kindly life was to have painted, fac-similes of all the better known varieties of the noble fruit, for the purpose of presenting to the Association. __ This testimony expresses our pleasure in his life, and our sorrow in his leaving it. To his family we give our sympathy in their great loss. 78 1917 ANNUAL REPORT SYMPOSIUM ON IRRIGATION Discussion LED By Dr. LESTER KELLER, YORBA LINDA Dr. Lester Keller: I have 9 acres in avocados, 300 feet wide by 1400 to 1500 feet long, being planted in six rows. The source of water is approximately in the center of this tract, at the highest point. Irrigation pipes consist of a 2-inch main reduced to 11% inch which runs through the center of the tract, the long way. Coming off at right angles to this main, every 25 feet, are 34-inch pipes, this 34-inch pipe supplying the first two rows of trees. This is then reduced to !/7-inch pipe supplying the second row, and to 3%-inch pipe supplying the third row. Uprights extend above ground 2!/, feet from the tree. ‘This distance should be corrected as it is sometimes too close. On top of this pipe I have placed a gas-cock instead of a faucet as it is more convenient. Pressure at the lowest point is about 40 pounds, and at the highest point is probably one-half of this amount. I always have plenty of pressure. The first year I basined the trees and turned on the faucet with a slow stream, every ten days. ‘The second year the basins were leveled, and. the drip system started, watering the trees every two weeks. The drip runs for 48 hours, amounting to about two to three barrels of water per tree. The water goes on so slowly that it does not run off. A 14-inch pipe ex- tends down from the faucet to one side or the other of the tree for distribut- ing the water as it is required. About 36 hours after the water is turned off, the soil is cultivated lightly with a hoe rake to about 114% inches, mak- ing a dust mulch. With this treatment, the soil kept quite moist all summer. Some of my land is too steep to plow. I simply dug holes for the trees, and have had the water running on this from the 15th of June al- most continually. I have thus far discovered no sign of root rot or gum disease. “These trees have made more growth than any others I have, and since these hillside trees are doing so well, I turned on the water on all the other trees for a run of about two weeks. The “‘norther’’ pushed over some of these latter trees which did not have stakes to protect them. This was on account of the soft ground. I believe that the avocado needs water often, and lots of it. On a different type of soil, this amount of irrigation might give a water-soaked soil, but not in my case. I have had the water standing on my soil but have not been able to discover any disease or injury of any kind. G. W. Beck: I have 10 acres in lemons interplanted with avocados, every fourth tree being an avocado. The oldest trees I have are five years old. I have always irrigated in furrows and find that they have taken the same amount of water as lemon trees. Occasionally the smaller trees get water once in two weeks and they have done pretty well under this treat- ment. Nursery stock, during the hot weather, received water once a month. I have a heavy clay soil, and by watering the trees once a month and with proper cultivation, they are doing well. I am afraid Mr. Keller is laying the foundation for trouble in the future by the use of too much water. Mr. Keller has a more porous soil but even that can have too much water. I think Mr. Keller will have trouble later on. I have seen trees planted in similar soil on hillsides which were drowned out by winter rains. With a light top, and clay subsoil, the CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 79 water would come down the hillside and settle in the soil where the avo- cados were grown. ‘The roots were all rotted out when removed. A customer of mine, who bought a few trees complained that they were not doing well. On looking them up I found he had not been giving them enough water, and had just sprinkled them every day. The ground was very hard. One should use judgment in the application of water. W. A. Spinks: Like Mr. Beck, I must differ with Dr. Keller as to the amount of water required. Several years ago I visited Honolulu and spent some weeks in investigating the avocado. I was much in the com- pany of Mr. Higgins, who for fourteen years had been in charge of the department in the Experiment Station which had to do with the culture of avocados. He told me that his experiences led him to believe that the avo- cado required much less water than citrus trees. My own experience since that time has tended to confirm this belief. ‘This year I had one row of eight-year-old trees which has received water but once, and they seem not much different from the others which have received water several times. They show a little less growth perhaps, and it must be remembered also that my soil is heavy, retaining the moisture a long time. I do not recom- mend so little water as only once during the summer, but cite this instance to show that the avocado in certain soils can live and apparently not suffer with very little water. I believe I have seen more definite damage done to avocado trees from over-watering than from under-watering. The drip system of irrigation is my own invention and I believe is valuable for certain kinds of work. It is especially important to save water and where the planting is on a hillside or any place that it is difficult to comply with ordinary methods. At the present time, the high price of pipe makes it rather impracticable. J. T. Whedon: If I were planting a new grove, I would plant 30 feet apart, and 15 feet apart in the rows. The rows would run north and south, because in Yorba Linda, the “‘northers’’. blow from the east. This method of planting would give a windbreak in a few years every 30 feet. I would then run a line of pipe in the center of the rows with a stand 6 feet high in each square, and water by spray where the pressure is sufficient; otherwise I would run a furrow to each tree and use the basin system for both water- ing and fertilizing. As a protection against sunburn, I use the Wickson formula for white- wash, 30 pounds unslaked lime, 5 pounds salt, 4 pounds tallow. Com- mencing with the third year, if the trees are not headed out too high, they will protect themselves against sunburn and aid very greatly against wind- storm. T. U. Barber: The constant drip irrigation which Dr. Keller is prac- ticing will develop what are often termed water shoots, a soft fast growth which is very much more subject to damage by both frost and wind than the slower natural growth producing a hard and resistant wood suitable for the best tree development. I am sure we all hope the winter will be mild so that Dr. Keller will not have to grow new trees. Most of the irrigation systems in California are worked on a monthly distribution basis; therefore the orchards in which it would be possible to irrigate by the drip system are very limited. The constant drip irrigation under discussion will show very poor re- 80 1917 ANNUAL REPORT sults on any soil with a tight compact subsoil or in adobe land. ‘The only place it is possible is on well drained sandy soil or side hills of light soil. The avocado will not thrive in soggy land even if this condition lasts only a few months. J. T. Whedon: The subsoil is very important. The subsoil in my grove in Yorba Linda is heavy clay, the first foot being a sandy loam with the next five feet a heavy clay loam with more or less sand. Last Janu- ary, a year ago, there were almost continuous rains. I lost nine large Har- mans on account of poor drainage. [he avocado will not stand poor drain- age, but with good drainage it is a difficult matter to give them too much water. Dr. Keller: Part of my soil is sandy silt to about 8 feet. The hill- side is black loam with disintegrated granite and clay subsoil. The subsoil does not take water very well, although the surface takes it readily. E. E. Knight: For the first two years there is no doubt but that the drip system is the best, as the water is needed close to the tree, also less water is used than under any other mode of irrigation. But as the roots extend farther, it is more difficult to distribute the water properly. Also in . most drip systems the stand is placed too close to the trunk of the tree. It is soon covered by the branches and difficult to get at. If an orchard is to be piped along each row, the stand should be placed in the center be- tween each four trees; from there the water should be conveyed with either a short piece of pipe or by some other means to the trees while they are still small. The stand is in this case, always easily reached, and should an overhead system be installed later, the stands will be in their proper place. By placing a bean straw mulch under the trees, not only can much water be saved but at the same time the soil can be enriched. The only sure way to know when to apply water to the trees, is to test the soil for humidity; but this is quite a task, so I lift up the mulch and if the fish worms are working I know the soil is still in good condition. As soon as the worms seem to be laying off, I fill the basin once; never soak the soil. I irrigate every week or ten days during the warm weather but use less water per month than is used on citrus. [he amount of water used and frequency of irrigations depends on the class of soil. Most any system will keep an avocado tree alive and growing, but what we all wish to know is which system gives the best results. C. F. Booth: Before giving my experience in irrigation I will say that my soil is different from most others in which avocado trees are grown. It is a sandy loam on top but becomes a sandy clay loam below. The soil is not deep being only 3 to 6 feet to bed rock. Last year I irrigated about every thirty days, using the basin system around the trees, with no ill effects. This year having a much hotter summer, | irrigated every two weeks. The trees got along nicely until about September |, when a large number of them—40 or 50 perhaps—developed what I have reason to believe is called black spot. Last year some children left a water hydrant running and flooded the basin around a young Lyon tree. The water must have been running three or four days before I discovered it. Some ten days or two weeks after that, a prominent Eastern nurseryman of wide experience, while looking over my place, noticed the Lyon tree and drew my attention to the leaves. They were spotted in the body of the leaf with purplish CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 81 brown spots from the size of a pinhead to that of a dime. “That tree has black spot,’’ said he. I told him of the basin being flooded for several days and he expressed the opinion that the disease was caused by too much | water. So when my trees about September | of this year began showing those same purplish brown spots, I came to the conclusion that my soil is too tight to irrigate every two weeks. The Lyon tree I have spoken of dropped all its leaves after they had turned brown and withered, and new weak looking leaf buds started to break; but after lingering until this spring it died. ‘The leaves of the trees affected this year, have also dropped off, in some instances leaving the trees entirely bare. Some of the trees have already withered and died, while others have developed new young leaves. On some of the trees these new leaves are fresh and healthy looking, while on others the young leaves, sometimes before they are an inch long, begin to show the black spot around the edges and the leaves curl and wither and in a short time drop off. In extreme cases the tips of the limbs also wither and die. I have not found the disease restricted to any particular variety of tree. It has appeared on some of each of the following: Northrop, Val de Flor, Harman, Queretaro, San Sebastian, Taft, Fuerte, Grande, Solano, Dickinson, Merito, Ameca, Sharpless, Lyon, Walker, and Meserve. None of the Puebla trees were affected, nor the Spinks, Perfecto, nor Monte- zuma. So I suppose those trees can stand more water than the others as they were all treated exactly alike. ‘The trees introduced by Mr. Knight were generally immune, only two or three out of over fifty being slightly affected. As an instance showing how little water an avocado tree can receive and yet live, I will say that last year while planting some trees, the bud was broken off one tree. ‘The ball was thrown aside and lay on top of the ground exposed to the sun for six or seven weeks until it was as hard and dry as a bone. ‘Through curiosity to see if it would grow, I planted the stump near a house occupied by a Japanese. The waste water from the house flowed by a few feet away. ‘That was all the irrigation it ever got. It has never been cultivated and never fertilized. It is now nearly 10 feet high and looks better than any of the trees upon which I have devoted so much work and care. From my experience I am convinced that the amount of irrigation re- quired depends entirely upon the nature of the soil. Next year I shall irri- gate perhaps as frequently as this year but I shall not use the basin system nor shall I use so much water. E.. E. Knight: Some varieties seem not to be affected with the mottle or brown leaf. Others are hardly ever free from this condition. I se- lected a tree in the center of my orchard and irrigated it from two to three times each week. It developed the brown spots, but in the center of the leaf, none around the edge. As a rule the brown makes its appearance at the end or on the edge of the leaves. I would offer as a suggestion that ne much water affects the center and a lack of water the outside of the eaf. Dr. Keller: I think that the spots on the edge of the leaf are from lack of water. Mrs. J. T. Stewart: I have an avocado orchard of 15 acres which is 82 1917 ANNUAL REPORT not cultivated. For the first three years, this had the regular citrus cultiva- tion. Last winter alfalfa was planted, leaving 3 feet on each side of the tree row. Shallow furrows were put in down the tree rows. The first cut- ting of alfalfa was used as a heavy mulch, with absolutely no cultivation. The water has been turned on often in the grove. The trees made a heavy bloom and growth this year. ‘Those receiving much water set much fruit. I] have not found that one can give avocados too much water. The ground is at all times very wet. [he mulch is not removed and there is no culti- vation. [Trees have made the best growth this year, of any year before. Buds which were put in in June, have made a wonderful growth. The water ran almost continuously on newly budded trees. The soil is a rich loam to approximately 30 feet, at least. The orchard is on a gentle slope. I have never lost trees from too much water. E. E. Knight: Mrs. Stewart could not run water that way if she cultivated the orchard. FE. A. Chase: I have been in the irrigating business twenty-five years. If I could have the money | have paid for water for this purpose, I would be quite rich. Most persons run water according to what they can get. Porous soil does not retain surplus water; hence is not damaged by it. The same amount of water applied to heavier soil might be in excess of what is beneficial. ‘There is nothing about which we have had less actual knowl- edge in growing things out of the ground, than as to the necessary water to give best results. It has been mostly, if not wholly, guess work. In the last year or two there has been considerable work done in the way of test- ing soil moisture and through these methods we may be able to learn some- thing as to the quantity of water required to give best results on different soils. Wm. D. Stephens: I have been experimenting with the culture of the avocado for about six years. On my home place in Montebello, I have a deep rich clay loam soil of unvarying character for at least 6 feet in depth. For the past two years I have not irrigated oftener than once in six weeks and on several occasions have extended the periods to ten weeks. I usually cultivate the ground deeply twice, and in addition keep the ground around the trees stirred deeply with a forked hoe between irriga- tions. ‘The distance across my grove is about 700 feet and I let the water run slowly, requiring about three days for the water to get through the furrows when it is at once shut off. At no time have my trees shown any wilting of the foliage or any visible indications that the trees lacked the proper amount of moisture and | challenge a comparison with any trees of equal age in the State, both as to size and vigor. J. T. Whedon: How does Mr. Stephens account for the growth of the avocado in Mexico and South America without cultivation? Mr. Stephens: Several years residence in the plateaus of southern Mex- ico where the avocado flourishes at its native best, side by side with the orange, lemon and lime, have satisfied me that there is not the slightest ground on which to base a comparison between the absolute lack of care under which all varieties of trees and fruits flourish in the tropics and the care and treatment essential to the best development of the same trees and fruits here in California. I wish to state that in the municipality of Atlixco, State of Puebla, CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 83 Mexico, where the finest native seedling avocados in the world are found, it would be a very difficult task to gather together a finer exhibit of fruits than has been shown at either of our last three conventions. Many of these Atlixco trees are upward of one hundred years old; yet a yield of more than 1000 to 1500 fruits per year from one of these very large and ancient trees is the rare exception. Here we have trees less than twenty years old that far exceed such production and yield a grade of fruit that compares at least favorably with Atlixco’s very finest. There the rainy season lasts in normal years from early in June to the last of October, the total precipitation varying from 60 to 100 inches. The topography consists of rolling and sloping mesas giving always abund- ant and rapid drainage. ‘The natural growth of a multitudinous variety of trees and plants is rapid and rank, and results in a continuous deposi- tion of decaying vegetation which obviously enriches the soil and keeps it so covered that the sun’s rays rarely reach the bare ground. ‘Thus, it will be readily appreciated that under such conditions, the shiftless methods em- ployed in those countries cannot logically be cited as any dependable guide to the treatment we should give the tree here where our conditions of soil and climate are so radically different. It might be well for the gentlemen who advocate irrigation every ten or fifteen days and no cultivation, to review the development of the citrus industry during the past forty years and more. Remember that the orange, lemon, and lime are growing prolifically in the tropics, side by side with the avocado, and thriving and bearing in at least an equal ratio to the avo- cado; yet in production or quality of fruit do not approach our groves here in California. What would have been the results to our great citrus in- dustry in California if the treatment advocated by these gentlemen for the avocado had prevailed? Would you gentlemen recommend that we give our citrus trees this same dose of water every ten days and no cultivation? I submit that it is as logical a suggestion in one case as in the other, and in conclusion I would like to predict that if some of our American energy and intelligent methods of cultivation, pruning, and general care were in- troduced into the avocado groves in their native homes, a vast improvement both in quality and production of fruit would result. In a later discussion, Professor M. E. Jaffa stated that as a com- parison, 25 per cent of oil was obtained from olives not over-irrigated, 18 per cent being obtained from olives which were over-irrigated. This he thought might in some measure apply to avocados. UTILITY AND SENTIMENT APPLIED TO AVOCADO By J. M. Etutiott, Los ANGELEs It would be quite a natural question to ask a man who had been con- fined by business to a desk for more than fifty years, why he had selected the growing of avocado trees as something to occupy his time and mind: Granted that I am asked that question. I say first that it is really a recog- nition on my part of what I owe to this section, for having given me health and an opportunity to work, when I was sadly in need of both. Forty-seven years ago the largest orange orchard in Southern Califor- nia occupied the ground on which the Southern Pacific depot, in Los An- geles, now stands. The question at that time was how to market the prod- 84 1917 ANNUAL REPORT uct of these several hundred trees. “They were seedlings, with long thorns, and the fruit had a rough skin and were full of seeds, but they were sweet as to pulp. We have found out both how and where to market these and now we ship 40,000 carloads of citrus fruit each year. Remembering this remarkable development, it seemed to me that I should join gentlemen like yourselves who have devoted time and care to the development of the avocado, and do my bit toward testing the tree as a business proposition. My experiment is on a hillside, part of which is very steep, and if it proves a success in every way it will demonstrate the in- creased value of a large acreage of somewhat similar ground. If for any reason, it should prove a failure, it would be a warning to some prospec- tive growers to try other means. It has been stated that the banana will produce more food per acre than any other vegetable grown. My opinion is that the avocado, on ac- count of the richness of its pulp, will prove better than the banana in this respect. When, in about four or five years, we have a production sufh- ciently large to need care and attention in marketing, one more man to assist in this might be of value to you. My hopes lie in this direction. So much from a utilitarian standpoint. Now allow me a little in the way of sentiment. [he avocado exceeds in the beauty of its growth almost all trees. “To have your Mexican varieties budded by an expert and to watch the development, and care for the tree during the change that it makes to one of the better varieties, is a joy to any lover of nature. Also, if I may be allowed further, what I may call personal mention, I am under obligation to my nephew, the late Mr. Habersham, of Holly- wood, for introducing me first to this beautiful tree. He planted a number of seeds, given to him by Mr. John Murrieta, and from these seeds he brought almost to maturity a number of trees, two of which have proved famous, but neither of which bears his name. I would be glad if I could do something to repay his memory for the pleasure that I have derived from my acquaintance with the tree. Having worked more than fifty years in the city of * ‘Day by Day,” in the land of “All the Time,’”’ I hope you gentlemen who have waited years and years for the fruition of your hopes in your avocados planted from seed, will not grudge me a trip in my mind to the “City of Some- time,” in the “Land of Yet to Come,” and following Mr. Wright’s alle- gory, let me go there and meet the King of that country, ““Looking Ahead,” and his Queen “‘Anticipation,’’ and seek an introduction to their two most beautiful daughters, ““Fancy’’ and “Imagination,’’ who will take me into the temple, whose dome blazes with a ruby flame and which is sacred to the God “‘It Might Be.’’ ‘I will make an offering on his altar, and he will give me an avocado seed, which I will plant close to its shadow, and I will watch the growth and expansion of its leaves, beautiful lustrous green when grown, but catching the glint of the rosy dome above and coming out of the bud like burnished bronze. I will watch its blossoms burst into stars and the fruit glow as great green globes turning to maroon as they ripen. It should be perfect in its transmission, in its resistance, in its produc- tion, in its flavor. It should be an ideal tree, and I would name it with the name of my nephew, and send it down to posterity as a blessing to the human race. CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 85 STUDIES ON THE COMPOSITION AND NUTRITIVE VALUE OF SOME SUB-TROPICAL FRUITS Pror. M. E. JAFFA AND F. W. ALBRo, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AVOCADO The accompanying tables indicate the chemical and physical analyses of the avocado and other sub-tropical fruits that have been completed at our station laboratory since the last meeting of the Avocado Association: A. Avocado B. Guava C. Sapote D. Feijoa The main part of the report submitted herewith refers to work done on the avocado. The tables are arranged according to varieties rather than chronologically, as the latter seems to be the more logical way of presenting the results of our investigations. J entative conclusions drawn by previous studies would seem to be pertinent at present writing. While it is true that the larger fruit appeals to the public and commands a higher price, it must be remembered that it is not the larger fruit that contains the highest percentage of oil; in fact, the reverse is true as indicated by the following tabular statement: Weight Weight Fruit Seed Seed Oil grams grams PerCent Per Cent Large— 1060 399 38 ope 877 127 14 16.1 800 90 11 135 433 76 10 bi 7 928 93 10 13.4 626 107 17 18.5 669 80 12 16.4 730 181 DLS, 15.9 705 110 16 14.1 560 86 i) 11.81 Weight Weight Fruit Seed Seed Oil grams grams PerCent Per Cent Smal]— 169 11 Zi 22.6 158 43 ZT 26. | 260 37 14 29.1 168 36 Bets 31.6 80 25 30 25.4 148 37 25 27.9 123 29 Vij ZO 150 31 20 25 i8] 22 12 29.1 218 45 20 276 86 1917 ANNUAL REPORT More illustration could be given, but the same general showing would be made. It has been said that in the large fruits the percentage of seed is less than in the small. ‘This statement, however, is not borne out by the above figures. The average percentage of seed in the fruits, whether it refer to the large or small fruits, differs but little. This is an important point when considering the total food value, because it will be noticed by an inspection of the tables of the analyses that the higher the percentage of oil the lower the percentage of water and vice versa. ‘The other ingredi- ents of the fruit do not vary to the same extent. ‘The percentage of oil at present from the standpoint of food conservation is very important. Experiments which have been conducted at the Nutrition Laboratory have shown that the digestibility of the avocado oil is equal to that of other oils. ‘Therefore, this fat or oil can be very advantageously used as a sub- stitute for butter fat. The honor ration which the United States Food Administration has recently offered to the people of the United States with the hope that they will adopt it, includes 7 ounces of butter fat per week, or | ounce per day, per person. For many this would appear to be an insufficient amount. — There are other varieties of fat for the adult which can be utilized if the amount of butter indicated by the ration appears to be too small. The avocado pulp offers itself as an excellent source of fat, and it can be spread upon bread similar to butter. It may be said that it would be an expensive substitute. This is true if purchases are to be made in the open market, but the foregoing suggestions are offered to those who grow the avocado and who consume considerable quantities of this fruit. Such consumption might not be considered as economical, but it certainly would be in the line of conservation. For feeding very young children it would be well to supplement the butter with the avocado, but not to use avocado entirely in the place of butter, owing to the fact that butter fat has proper- ties essential for growth which the avocado may not contain. On the other hand, it must not be forgotten that when butter is consumed, it is only the fat which is really concerned. When the avocado is used we have not only a rich nutritive fat, but we have the mineral matter and organic salts which are so valuable to the human body. Recorded examinations of avocados tend to show that the time of picking is materially concerned with the flavor. The best flavor is not as a rule associated with those fruits which hang for too long a period on the tree. The financial return for the time being from the sale of such fruit may exceed that of earlier fruits, but sooner or later this condition is bound to change in favor of the highest flavored fruit. The advantage of the slight increase in fat which may result from a very late picking is more than offset by the deterioration of the flavor, etc. Quite often the fat does not increase after a certain point, no matter how long the fruit may remain on the tree. It is agreed by all that the larger use of the avocado is desired, and therefore, it must be borne in mind that it is very necessary that the fruit be marketed at its best, and in many instances this is not the case when the fat percentage is at its maximum. Several studies on different varieties during the past season has strongly emphasized this point. An increase of from 26 to 28 per cent in fat con- tent has been accompanied with a much poorer quality of fruit. CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 87 SAPOTE, GUAVA AND FEIJOA The results of the examinations of the guava, sapote and feijoa re- cently made at the Nutrition Laboratory are presented on Page 91. The data is interesting, particularly with reference to the sapotes which contain about 20 per cent of sugar. Cane sugar predominates, in that 12 per cent of the 20 consists of this most desirable form of sugar. Two samples from different localities both show identically the same per- centage of cane sugar, and the figure for invert sugar differs by less than 1 per cent. [wo feijoas contain a much higher percentage of water and less than 5 per cent of total sugar, the remainder of the carbohydrate con- tent being starch, etc. The starch figure for the sapotes, on the other hand, is less than 4 per cent. The nutritive value of the sapotes far exceeds that of the other fruits mentioned in the table, with the exception, of course, of the avocado. This is clearly shown by the following figures representing the caloric value per pound of the edible portion of the fruits in question. Bemon, Guava. 050 0... acs 224 calories per pound Strawberry Guava ......... 287 calories per pound “SASS TIVES ei vot ae ae ea eae 483 calories per pound SLICE ee ape Pe Rag 440 calories per pound SEO TS yet GaN ea 226 calories per pound ep ar es ee 240 calories per pound Bpe@acty as s8). bass eee ws 244 calories per pound PROCARO aici s os yw bia 6 os 984 calories per pound The harvesting and palatability, etc., have to be taken into consid- eration in drawing conclusions regarding the prarkee ales of fruits and other foods. It can be seen readily, however, that if there were at hand a generous supply of sapotes, and this fruit met with public favor that the sugar content would help in the matter of conservation of sugar which is so urgently necessary at the present time. 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Se SNS) ee heneiehenourleteneiiel eivetanslararaite Bsoy BJUBSG Date te FE OREO Cie ON ONO Cet it) 1) eb te Geli h On Cyc Woe, ‘dSx 1°06 G‘ZLI 6'6 0'6l Gee eRe = verelaeiiwiel airs S16] a Shige et nh LORE OS SPOROIO! OLOROIOS MEE! CicmOnce Cir RLLORO'CE CrOmnneh wuopeiy PEA Oar eiieisestetlw ce Relieve tape ce suave; obs) ie hence nate varionw neues tate volia7 Z' +2 0°Z8I g'SI 7 Ee ome eae 9°91Z 6 Fo se She ee SHS usta aren ome eevee stieneiteven eens venucoennite Tire ene Buy}ng ULE TI ORONO OMS OO ls Ue UCM tetas ta nen “7 * wolte4 9°99 GS IZl :) G11 €°S GL GS OFrl Z Ty ae et EURO RON CULTS OeOO OOOLSO FO tahOe Ch OLOAHIEO cOFOMEAT Deere: ity AIIVIUY A AAEM O UO CCO: OHO cS OMIM LUIY OO Oat LEO urs chert coy sojodug 6'rZ 0°86 L€l 0'Si rd 0'SI O'1E1 Z eee ee eee eae eereee see eee eee os U0 OOD sn Buspeily epee OS Fa SOO ie el Oar ad ay MO Eo a Vera ter saj30deg 9°Sg 0°S9 a | 0° | I CUP TE Ce CL oe et 0°94 g Fsee CUR 6 i'l awe waletenen ewe swell ekehaneusaeneneleiedr BIUIOFITe> uiay nog LEO USO OSORIO OO Oto cro Ot! OO Ooo BABNT AllaqMeiyg POG Ce = Oar. aie. one O-ebe hate Nance CMON CA beso Ves « usesile, uisuy noe: Aen cans daa hee ee eee "39 19g suIvIT) "390 194 SUIBIT) am Fe } 12g SUIBIT) SUIBIT) woIH4Og 9141p A urs Spa9g NY SYNIY Jo “ony Aq1e007] way Pury SASATVNV IVOISAHd SLINUA TWOIdOUL-ANS AWOS 4O SASATWNV TWOINAHSD GNV ‘IVOISAHd 92 1917 ANNUAL REPORT A NEW SUGAR IN THE AVOCADO Dr. W. P. KELLEY, Cirrus EXPERIMENT STATION Despite the fact that various analyses have reported small amounts of sugar in the avocado, it has often been claimed that this fruit contains no sugar. Recently, however, some systematic studies have been made on this subject with the result that a new sugar has been discovered in the avocado. This investigation was made by Dr. F. B. La Forge, in the Bureau of Chemistry, at Washington, who has found a new sugar, one hitherto not known to exist in any of the natural fruits. This sugar differs from all previously known natural sugars in that it contains seven carbon atoms, the first sugar of the kind ever found in nature. It is also peculiar in the fact that it is apparently unfermentable, a charac- teristic likewise not common among the natural sugars. The name that Dr. La Forge has assigned this sugar is D-Mannoketoheptose. The investigations thus far have been of a very technical nature and little is known regarding the practical aspects of it. Nothing, for example, has been determined regarding its digestibility, nutritive value, etc., and for the present little can be said regarding the practical importance of this sugar. It is, however, a matter of special scientific interest and further investiga- tions may reveal information of general interest. It is, however, interesting to avocado growers to know that this fruit does contain small amounts of sugar. While this investigation is not very definite, it would seem that the amount of sugar contained in the fruit, varies from .5 to | per cent. CHEMICAL CONSTANTS OF AVOCADO OIL F. W. ALBRo, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA In connection with an experiment to determine the digestibility of the oil of the avocado, carried out by Dr. H. A. Mattill in this laboratory, it was thought to be of interest to determine the chemical constants, and compare it with other common edible oils. A great deal of difficulty was had in extracting the oil from the fresh pulp. Pressing, centrifuging, filtering and extracting with solvents met with but little success. Enough was extracted from the fresh pulp with petrolic ether, however, to compare it with oil from the dried pulp either by pressing or extracting with solvents. [he pulp was dried at 50° Cina steam jacketed vacuum oven for ten hours and extracted with low-boiling gasoline. The dark colored solution was filtered through animal charcoal, which removed the rather unpleasant odor, bitter taste, and resinous mate- rial. The solution was placed on a steam bath and the solvent entirely removed with a stream of CO? bubbled through it. The oil was then cooled to 5° C, and decanted from a white precipitate, which, if not re- moved by cooling, will make the oil cloudy at room temperature. The oil so obtained was of a light golden color, bland and pleasant tasting. The chemical constants found are given in the following table: 93 CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION ‘O O09 xx x) oOVx oo %GE'OE %SL-0'0L % 58°08 % 68-0°78 Pe AO) SRO Vs lie ae ee a ee ae ee VS | cGy | oOh SPW Aney Jo xepuy eatjoesjoyy Ley | ZIEGY | Elly | LV | 6947 | ""(D 09°S1) EO Jo xepuy eanoeijoy Boe 9°96 | 9°01 Coll ee ee ee (ey) anyeA [Awovy Beans ate C°¢-9'| iio cers 0°0 0°0 one, yee S60 c£-0 SC 9°0 Ve VOe Bde oe ee SOE AGES IN eeu 61-0 ¢6l €€C-0 077 961-0 S81 SZ1-O'LZZ1 SZOCT lg Se enje A woresyiuodes LLC-0 697 LOCO SSC 0-087 COB CE ol ae oe as sploy Aney JO IA I “AV OL 20:09 1 ae es. 76-0 68 ESVOOS |G ee ee eee uoloeey einyereduia |, oytoedg 060g. (2: Great O60. le onjeA, suswine yl 00 0'S¢-S7 0 S| 907 CIOs a (PY WO e414) enjeA pry 96°0'S6 8°68°S 98 0'S6 SCO ee "+ (anpeA sJeuyspy) sploy Anef “[osuy 011-0801 8e-0:97C 88-0 62 88°0'S8 OG O08 7S 2s a ee SNE A eUpey LO ye J [lO ding peg ding yse1 sjue}suo-) peesuo}jo-) qayng 2Al1O WoL} [IO wolf [IO jeotwmays> opes0aVy7 Oped0aAV7 SMO YAHLO CNV OGVOOAV AO SLNV.LSNOO TVOINAHO DNIAOHS FEV 94, 1917 ANNUAL REPORT SYMPOSIUM ON HEAT INJURY Discussion led by F. O. Popenoe, of Altadena, and Dr. C. L. Ben- nett, of San Dimas. F. O. PoPENOE: (paper read by Dr. Bennett). It is not surprising that a catastrophe which cost the Southern California ranchers a loss of $25,000,000 should so move us as to make us look it squarely in the face; but lightning never strikes twice in the same place, so probably it is not wise to give great consideration to an exceptional event. Costly though it proved to be, the hot spell of last June was never- theless an unusual occurrence. So in considering it, let us not only get the value out of the experiences connected with the event itself, but in addition so extend the scope of our consideration and inquiry as to cover the subject of heat injury in a broad and comprehensive way. In order that we may thus realize the greatest value from this discussion, I will ask those taking part in it, to view it in this light. The questions before us then, are: Is excessive heat as injurious to the avocado as excessive cold? . What varieties of the avocado best withstood the excessive heat of last June? What is it possible for the orchardist to do to prevent injury by heat? What subsequent treatment for his damaged trees will bring them most promptly into good condition again? What effect does excessive heat have on the fruit crop? The answers in detail will be given by those who take part in the dis- cussion. ae Speaking in general terms, I believe the avocado suffers more from excessive heat than from excessive cold. Fortunately in California we do not often have a season of excessive heat. But there are those times of high summer temperature to be dealt with regularly, which have caused the loss of many a good tree through lack of provision for its safety. I urge our planters to provide the best possible growing conditions for their young trees. Based upon our present knowledge, these conditions seem to be, in addition to those ordinarily required, a suitable shade for the first year, and an ample supply of water for quick application at the beginning of any hot spell. A mulch of straw around the young tree is a great safeguard against reflected heat, which does injury to the bark of the trunk and lower limbs. I believe 75 per cent of heat damage is caused by lack of adequate and prompt irrigation on the approach of hot spells. That young avocado trees require more water than citrus trees is an established fact, and we must provide accordingly. Wise is he who never allows his ground to dry out. Keep your irrigation work well caught up, so that the hot spell will not find your ground dry; because it is probable that before you can suf- ficiently irrigate your orchard the damage will be done and some of your weak trees or less resistant varieties will be burned up. ‘The danger is greatest on our foothill slopes, where the soil is often of a coarse, loose, porous character. Such soil heats quickly unless moist, and root damage will also occur. Of course the strong growing, resistant tree is as desirable for its im- munity from heat damage as it is for its immunity from injury by other CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 95 causes, so that the varieties of this type which we have, and which at the same time bear good fruits and bear them early and prolifically, are truly the ones to select and plant. ‘This goes without saying; yet the oft re- peated truth is the one that impresses us, and we sometimes need to have our attention called to the most patent fact. Therefore, wise man, do this: Plant the strong, good tree; Shield it from the sun during the first summer; Give it a generous mulch of straw; Attend promptly to your irrigation; Be ready with a water supply for immediate application when a hot spell comes. Doing these things, fear not the heat, and look forward in confidence to the season when a plenteous harvest will be yours. G. W. Beck: La Habra does not get as much heat as inland. A few days before the hot spell the trees were whitewashed with whitewash containing linseed oil and salt. The limbs and trunks were whitewashed, and there was very little sunburning; only in cases where the whitewash was not quite to the ground on the trunks was there any sunburning. ‘The leaf injury was very slight, though nearly all the fruit dropped. The variety in the nursery which suffered most was the Taft. ‘This was because, at the time when the heat came, the Taft trees had more new growth than any of the others. Just the leaves were injured; the limbs and trunks were no worse than the others. These trees had not been watered for nearly a month. Other varieties than the Taft are: Sharpless, Lyon and Sinaloa in the nursery; and in the field were the larger trees: Ganter, Taft, Lyon, Chili, San Sebastian, Walker, and Northrop; also about a dozen unnamed varieties from Atlixco, Mexico, of the thick- skinned type. Mrs. B. H. SHARPLEss: We can arrive at a more definite con- clusion in regard to the heat resistant qualities of the avocado by comparing the avocado damage with that of the citrus trees in the same orchard. A short time after the heat wave in June, tons of our mature lemons as well as all the young lemons, were on the ground under the trees, and most of the fruit left on the trees was so badly burned that it was worthless. No mature avocados dropped from our Sharpless trees growing in the same orchard with the lemons. We lost nearly all of our young fruit, hav- ing perhaps enough left for an exhibit next year. The original Sharpless tree showed no damage except the curling of leaves on the tenderest growth. We have Sharpless trees set out in orchard form including one, two and three-year-old trees. [These were apparently untouched by the heat. Two buds set out this spring among the big orange trees were burned because they were dry. In our home nursery, we had Sharpless buds in all stages of growth up to 3 feet in height. We discovered no sunburn among them. We had 25 Sharpless trees balled from our nursery about the time the heat wave reached us. They were placed in the shade of the big tree with no other protection except a canvas stretched on the sunny side. We sprinkled them frequently during the hottest day and lost none of them. Only a few of them dropped their leaves. 96 1917 ANNUAL REPORT Near our La Habra nursery the thermometer registered 112 in the shade. In this nursery we had no budded trees at that time. There were 2000 little seedlings of Mexican stock which had been planted from flats with bare roots a few weeks before the “‘hot spell.’”’ We had about 10 per cent loss among these, and other seedlings which had been out long enough to become established, were injured to some extent. | The damage would probably have been greater had it not been for the fact that the irrigating water was turned into the nursery the hottest day. W.H.SALLMON: While the most of Southern California was blis- tering under temperatures in the nineties and hundreds from June 14 to 17, reaching a maximum of 124 degrees at Mecca in Riverside county, San Diego was favored with the lowest maximum, the Government thermome- ter showing 87 degrees on the 14th, dropping to 77 degrees on the 15th, and running to 82 and 85 degrees on the | 6th and | 7th. This condition explains the comparative immunity of San Diego and vicinity from injury arising from the heat wave. One orchard of 150 trees, consisting chiefly of Challenge, Harman, Walker and Puebla, was not affected in the slightest. This orchard is quite near the ocean on the east side of a ridge which separates it from the Pacific. Another orchard of 250 trees, about 15 miles from the ocean, also escaped except for one tree which stood in the shadow of a tent where it received the heat reflected by the canvas. The leaves on this tree were shriveled and the bark cracked. Another orchard of 280 trees, about 5 miles from the bay, consisting chiefly of Puebla, Northrop, Fuerte, Dickinson, Taft and Perfecto, had the foliage of all varieties severely burned. ‘The tips of all young shoots were burned off and the large leafage curled and blackened. The bark was uninjured and the majority of the trees have recovered, though the growth of the trees was evidently checked. ‘There was no fruit on either of these orchards. It may be that two of these orchards escaped, partly because irrigation had closely preceded’ the heat wave, but it is significant that the trees in the orchard which suffered most were surrounded by burlap while the trees in the other two orchards cited were unprotected. It seems probable that the reflection of the heat from the burlap was the chief cause of damage to the orchard which suffered most. Dr. LESTER KELLER: The heat reached 103 degrees on the first day. So far as damage was concerned, about five Dickinson trees were lost, these being young trees without protection. Of the older trees, those that had the water turned on were not burned. ‘Those without water had the tender growth injured in a few places. ‘The trees least damaged were Fuerte. These also were least injured by frost and “‘northers.”’ If the young trees had been protected there would have been no injury. T. H. SHEDDEN: Those four blistering days in June furnished us much food for thought. Many surprises and contradictions developed. First: In many instances, the so-called hardy varieties of thin- skins that so courageously weathered the winter, shriveled in the astounding heat wave. 3 Second: Many thick-skin and hard-shell varieties, suspected of being CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 97 susceptible to the caresses of Jack Frost, proved to be unaffected by the torrid fervor of Old Sol. Rie Third: In rows of same variety, age, planting and care, here and there trees stood the burning heat remarkably well, while the next several would have to be heavily trimmed, or cut back to stumps,—evidence that some trees had a better start in life than others. Fourth: Certain of the varieties that have been much courted and sought after in the past, but whose seeming fickleness has tried the patience of all the Jobs in avocadodom, until they have become, metaphorically speaking, outcasts of the avocado world, stood the “‘fire test’’—and cold test, too—remarkably well. On the good old fashioned principle of “giving the de’il his due,” I give their names: Murrieta Green, Murrieta Purple, (Colorado), Dickey No. 1, and Meserve. Through all the freezes and fires of this freak year 1917, like veritable ‘‘fools fer luck,’ they stood up cheerily waving their red bandanas (growing leaves) at me, and laughing hilariously, ““Never touched me!”’ Here are some of the comforting conclusions: First: The records show that such heat waves are far between, and in well nurtured orchards the real maximum damage was the loss of crop in a year when Uncle Sam and all the world is crying for every pound of food that can be produced. Second: The extent of the disaster was the result of the sudden change from a long, chilly spring and early summer, to the wholly unex- pected and unprepared for outburst of seemingly long pent up heat. Third: In case of fire, play the hose on it. Trees that were treated in this intelligent way were saved. The heat caught our orchard at the end of an irrigating period, a few days after which we had trouble with the water supply, and which gave us certainly an “unearned increment” of trouble. I mention this fact in proof of the wisdom of treating the avo- cado with hydropathy. Fourth: We have no good reason to be discouraged or deterred from planting avocados. On the contrary, the extremes of heat and cold are showing us what to plant. Buy the best. For a yearling pedigreed tree, guaranteed, no producer is charging too much. Varieties sufficient to assure fruit in every month of the year have proven their worth, some having shown characteristics which might justify their being called “Salamander.” Mrs. J. T. STEWART: The morning of the hottest day, the ther- mometer registered 120 degrees in the shade, the Ojai fires in the foothills contributing some of this heat. ‘The varieties of avocados planted in the orchard are: Fuerte, Taft, Puebla, Challenge, Rey, Knight, Dickey, Ganter, Dickinson. These were heavily watered, and had a mulch over the ground. None were burned, as the alfalfa mulch protected the trees from reflected heat from the ground. None of the varieties were injured. One hundred twenty trees were budded on the 18th of June, during the hottest weather, with a result of 97 per cent successful. It is possible that the trees have become accustomed to the heat during the summers in San Fernando. A. F. MANz: Seedlings which had been watered just before the hot weather were sunburned. Lemon trees were burned also. The heat did 98 1917 ANNUAL REPORT not hurt the fruit that was almost matured, but dropped most all the tender fruit. Some of the matured fruit on the lemon trees was burned also. I think the avocado can stand as much heat as citrus. J. T. WHEDON: I had 91 Harmans that I was top-working over to the Fuerte. They were doing nicely but unfortunately we had made the second cut, taking the whole top of the tree off just two days before the hot wave struck us, causing a loss of 34 per cent of the buds that had taken, and as quite a number of the trees were badly sunburned, about 15 per cent more buds died. Any top-working of trees that I do in the future will be done in the fall, as there are too many chances for loss in the spring work. The Fuerte and Taft trees were branched low, doing away with any protection. [he avocado is more susceptible to sunburn than any other tree, and this low branching protects them. I use the Wickson formula for whitewash as I think it affords best protection. This formula is 30 pounds unslaked lime, 5 pounds salt, 6 pounds tallow. The young trees are protected with whitewash for the first two years, after that time the limbs themselves are ample protection, Regarding a burlap protection, the burlap should be placed at a lit- — tle distance from the tree to allow air passage. If closely wrapped, it is injurious. J. B. McLAuGHLIN: Does not the spraying of the foliage of the trees protect them to some extent in hot weather? [I have 23 varieties of which only 4 were injured. I sprayed the foliage during the hot spell and only the bark on exposed trunks and limbs was injured on a few trees; the rest were not injured. H. WETZEL: The heat can be reduced for a few degrees by evap- oration from overhead spraying, but one would have to have this spraying in operation over the entire orchard and keep it going, to be able to influence the temperature. ‘This difference amounts to about five degrees in temper- ature reduction, and in my opinion such spraying, wherever possible, would furnish the ideal condition of supplying the moisture for avocado plantings. O. A. MANN: My experience in avocado growing is very limited. Last January and February I set out between 500 and 600 trees, and hav- ing put in the drip system of irrigation, I was as well prepared as I could be for the hot wave of June 14-17. I had turned on the water on the 1 3th so the ground was well wet. With this system of irrigation, the water is always available and can be turned on one, or all of the trees, at any time. ‘This is not possible with the other system; therefore we are able to protect our trees when we have excessive heat. I have about half of my trees set out at the present time. Of the 100 Fuerte and 75 Puebla trees, I lost none. I think these trees stood the heat quite as well as any variety I have. Of 160 Taft trees I lost none. ‘These trees were quite large and were cut back a little more severely in the nursery than the others, so the limbs show considerable sunburn; but all are growing nicely. Out of 60 Lyon trees, I lost only 2. During the hot weather the last week in September, quite a number of them lost all of their leaves. I am inclined to think the Lyon tree is one of the varieties that should be shaded the first summer. The Sinaloa suffered the most; out of 20 I lost 3, and cut back several to the bud. Most of CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 99 those remaining are looking sickly. The San Sebastian, Ameca and Per- fecto stood the heat very well. My trees were well started previous to the heat. At that time they stopped growing as far as we could see, and were practically dormant for two months, since which time they have made a wonderful growth. J. T. WHEDON: From my observations the heat wave affected all avocado fruit that had just set, up to the size of a pea. ‘The Fuertes, which had reached the size of a cherry by the middle of June when the hot wave came, held on the trees. In Yorba Linda the Fuerte commences blossoming the early part of December and continues until June, giving at least six months in which the fruit may be picked. ' As to the actual time a fruit will hang on the tree after full maturity, I am not able to say. The warm, dry “‘norther’’ setting in on the 18th of this month, with the continued hot weather ever since, has burned the tips of all new growth as badly as did the June hot wave. The Fuerte will stand more rough usage by being knocked about by the wind than any of my other varieties fruiting to date. SPECIAL REPORT OF DIRECTORS ON AVOCADO VARIETIES By T. U. BARBER, Puente, Calif. One of the greatest benefits derived from an association is its ability to raise the standard of the production it represents and thereby bring greater returns to the producer and furnish higher quality to the consumer. The first Board of Directors of this Association realized that the selection of varieties was the most important problem before them and, after due consideration, Edwin G. Hart, then president, with the approval of the Board, in February, 1916, appointed a special committee on Classi- fication and Registration of Varieties consisting of Dr. H .J. Webber as chairman, Prof. I. J. Condit, C. D. Adams, H. M. Haldeman and Wm. Hertrich. This was an excellent selection of enthusiastic, thoroughly cap- able members of the Association, not one of them having any commercial interest nor a special variety to boost. After their appointment they organ- ized and made a careful study of all varieties exhibited at our semi-annual meetings and also made trips of inspection to all the original trees and most important plantings located in this part of the state, so they might have first hand knowledge of each variety. After nearly a year of considera- tion, the chairman was instructed to place before the Board of Directors the first report. At that time the Board thought it wise to carry on another season's investigation with certain varieties before making public announce- men of the conclusions. ‘Therefore, the Committee went thoroughly over the subject during the spring and early summer of this year and on July 6 prepared a second report for the Directors. This was presented to a full meeting of the Board for consideration on August 16. To this meeting were invited the members of the Classification and Registration Committee and Mr. L. B. Scott, Special Pomological Investigator of the United States Department of Agriculture, who gave us such a comprehensive talk on this very subject at our last meeting. Mr. Scott was elected as an addi- tional member of the committee. There were four of the six members present and they were invited to vote with the same power as the members 100 1917 ANNUAL REPORT of the Board on the question of varieties. Under instruction of President Shedden each variety was taken in turn and each member requested to express his opinion of that variety before the vote was taken. This method took many hours but proved to be an excellent way to bring about the final decisions. It may be of interest to you to know that this report, now known as Circular No. |, was passed unanimously by both the Board of Directors and the members of the Committee present. In making our decision we did not consider so much the market value of our present production, but endeavored to plan for the future when the greater production will be sent to the markets of our country. If we are to establish a famous brand, as the Citrus Exchange has in ““Sunkist,’” it will be necessary to have but few varieties and these of the highest quality. If our varieties increase in number in the future as they have in the past, each being allowed to enter the list unchallenged, we will have great confusion and our fruits will be classed as seedlings, such as the fruit now being shipped to New York and other eastern cities from Cuba and selling in the same markets at a very much lower figure than Trapps from Florida. California is well known for its high standard in fruit pro- duction, and we are sure this Association wishes to do its part in upholding this reputation. By co-operation we can and will furnish a continuous supply of named and branded fruits to all our markets, a product we can guarantee and of which we may be proud. With approximately 180 listed varieties, California has been abso- lutely without a basis from which a prospective planter seeking informa- tion could work. Many people have made a thorough canvas of the grow- ers and nurserymen only to find that opinions were limited to the trees each was interested in propagating or had planted. ‘The result in many cases was confusion and entire lack of confidence in the industry; many prospec- live growers gave up the idea of planting for this reason alone. By the acceptance of this list we have set a mark upon which all future judging will be based. ‘To be recognized, the new fruits, which will come into bearing, will have to show superior qualities to the standards already set; therefore the standing of the Association will not be lowered by the indiscriminate propagation and sale of unknown and unworthy vari- eties. As an Association we are morally responsible to the many new investors joining the industry year by year. By our mere existence we invite them to invest their funds in the production of avocados, and they rightly expect our assistance. It becomes our duty to protect them from irresponsible people selling varieties which are known to be unworthy of commercial planting. The wide distribution of this circular will undoubt- edly greatly reduce such unpopular business methods. The nurserymen have already taken advantage of the decision and will be able to discontinue carrying many varieties for which there has been only an occasional demand. More time and study can be spent in the ~ selection of budwood, pruning, and the development of the trees, resulting in better grade nursery stock for the future orchards. Many people have orchards of Harman, Ganter and other thin- skinned varieties which have proven to be of little commercial value. They have been waiting for some such decided action before top-working. Even CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 101 ‘since the results have been known, several thousand trees have been rebud- ded and many more will be during the next year, as the information spreads to the owners of such unprofitable groves. This circular fills a long felt want, as the Association is constantly called upon for information concerning varieties, and this list furnishes official information in printed form. Many of the nurserymen have had extra copies printed for their own use and the distribution will be far reach- ing. It also eliminates to a great degree minor differences of opinion regard- ing descriptions as to weight, oil content, etc., as this information has been carefully colected from all possible sources and the average in each case printed. There were undoubtedly many of us, with plantings already started, who felt somewhat disappointed because all our selections were not recom- mended, but we are all sure that, after thinking the matter over in a broad- minded way, we are ready to express our sincere thanks to the Committee for the hard task they have so successfully acomplished. The Board of Directors feel they have done a wise thing and we are sure the whole avo- cado industry will be greatly benefited by this action in the years of market- ing that are before us. Circular on Varieties The Circular on Varieties prepared by the Committee on Classifica- tion and Registration of Varieties, and later modified and adopted by the Board of Directors, was published as Circular No. | of the California Avocado Association. For historical preservation and to further add to its usefulness this circular is reprinted here in full: CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION CIRCULAR No. | Issued October 25, 1917. AVOCADO VARIETIES RECOMMENDED FOR PLANTING IN CALIFORNIA (A report of the special committee on Classification and Registration of Varieties, approved by the Board of Di- rectors for publication as a circular.) The large number of avocado varieties that have been introduced, and the general lack of exact knowledge regarding varieties, render it very dificult for the prospective planter to obtain reliable imformation as to what sorts are the best and safest to plant. Recognizing this difficulty, the Directors of the California Avocado Association requested the com- mittee on Classification and Registration of Varieties to prepare and publish a list of approved varieties. Such a list prepared by the committee and approved by the Board of Directors, is published herewith. The list includes only varieties of the so-called thick-skinned or Guate- malan type, which in general it is believed is the best and most reliable type for commercial planting. The committee does not believe that it is possible at the present time with our limited knowledge and experience, to attempt to pass on the relative commercial importance of the different classes of fruits. Only time can determine what the market demands will be. The fact remains, however, that at the present time, a large majority 102 1917 ANNUAL REPORT of the experienced growers in California favor the use of the Guatemalan type. Many varieties that are frequently mentioned in discussions are not included in this list. “The list must be taken merely as the best judgment of the committee, at the present time, of the varieties safest to recommend for planting. Several very promising varieties are not mentioned, as the knowledge of the committee concerning them is insufficient to justify passing judgment on their qualities and comparative value. Again, some of the varieties mentioned in the list will probably be discarded later. This list, the committee expects to be of temporary value only. It should be revised by the Association every year and brought up to date to keep pace with advancing knowledge. A\s soon as justified by experience, varieties of other types should be included. EXPLANATION OF LIST The varieties are listed according to season of maturing and not in the order of their merit. It is well recognized by growers that the season of maturing of a given variety is very variable and may extend more or less throughout the year. The placing of a variety in a definite season. merely indicates its usual season of maturing when it may be expected to be at its best. Varieties may extend from one season into another, and when in the judgment of the committee, a variety may be considered as import- ant in two seasons, it is listed under both. It thus happens that several varieties are listed twice. The percentages of oil or fat given under each variety are taken from analyses made by Professor M. E. Jaffa, of the University of Cali- fornia, except in the case of the Spinks, which is from an analysis made by E. M. Chace of the U. S. Department of Agriculture. ‘These are not averages, but are the highest percentages found in any single analysis of a variety. [he percentage of fat increases as the fruit matures and in view of the few analyses that have been made of any one variety, it is thought to be more instructive at present to give the highest analysis rather than an average. The other descriptive information relative to the varieties listed is self- explanatory, but it must be remembered in using the list, that there are many variations and extremes that cannot be given in a condensed table. Avocado orchards require several years to reach full bearing age and size, and it is a somewhat common practice to plant the orchard more thickly than is ultimately desired, using some regularly devised system pro- viding for the removal of a certain number of the trees. The trees that are intended to be removed are ordinarily spoken of as filler trees. Special attention is directed to the value of the Lyon for use as a “‘filler’’ tree in planting. Its upright habit of growth and early fruiting render it particu- larly valuable for such use. RooTsTOCKS FOR THE AVOCADO So much injury may be done by the use of tender or poor rootstocks in the propagation of the avocado that the committee would strongly recommend that only seedlings of the hardy Mexican avocado be used for budding and grafting stocks. Nurserymen should use this type of root- stock only for trees propagated for sale, and planters should demand that the trees purchased for planting should be on this stock. Seedlings of the. 103 CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION ((940U S,10}IPH ) —'ptnoj sem [Io jo ju90 dod ¢)'TZ YORUM UT SHUIdg Jo SIsA[BUB 9UO poyJIOdeI sey VYVE ‘JOIg Ie[NoILO SITY} JO UOTIVOI[GNd OY} VOUISyx» ‘plaqAy & 9q 0} posoddns sI 4inq ‘odA1 uvleuUrZJeNy B ATIOIIJS JOU SI VIQeNd «x ‘332 PIJIDAUL UB JO JVABYS 9} 91IBVUSISAP O1 PaSN W901 B ‘91B[OAqOx usair) ULIOJIIA ZL ‘OE 7S"| bI-Zl Bn 0) Wel ee 7 even ajdind y1eq 212A0q4Q 99°97 0S‘ 01-8 Pee ede x10 uooleur ajdind yieq WIOFIIA J ET HT 00°¢ 0Z q2.j, Ol AO * ssajdieys SHILAIMVA YALNIA\ uooIeUl 2[dind yieq WIIOFIIA J CTH 00°¢ 0Z 'G2,] Ol 1@ - ssardieys yeTq ysyding a1eA0qO 9€ 02 9€| Z| PO oF ml uosuryr1C] walt) WHOJIUA | 0} ayeA0GG €G'9| ele 9| O01 Ae yey SALLAIMVA, TIV] usaIT) WOFIAY 0} 9}8A0GG €c'9| C1'¢ 9| sho) GH A oe a yeq ysyding a12A0qO 9€ 02 9¢"| ZI PO O sunf + 7° 7°" YOsUIpIIC] udd13 wed WILOJIIA J 1°91 Cl-Z 9| SSO\7 0) ACN) = eee pene uoAT ua—It) WLOJIIA J L7'L\ 0S°Z 9| ‘enyy oO} ‘IdyO * ueweyelq yoeryq ysyding = uojuuAy 0) BFRACGG, = O09 | GCE Oc 91 ‘any op dy ot syurdg SALLAIMVA, YAWWAS uses xed WILOFIIA J 1€'9| CL‘Z 9| “Sn 0} ‘Idv7 Sonos Go ood uosy udeIr) WILOFIIA L7L\ 0S'Z 9| SSN, 0] ACN ey ueuleyel rq ysyding wWofUAY 0} 4278A0GO...9h'9 | GCE 0c-9l BUN) Ol AO ae syutdg waar) UIOFIIA | ZL ‘OE ZS I vI-Zl BU OC) Rl oe SALLAIMVA, DNIYdS s}INIy injeyp/] yng jo adeys Wy 10 [GQ “ZOULps:2G ‘Z— UII (@AIsn[ouT ) jo 1ojO-) jo 952 }U9I19 J JOM ‘PAW Jou AVY sajeq] uoseag SHILATYVA OCVOOAV CHCNAWWNOOs8Y AO LST saljalie A, 104 1917 ANNUAL REPORT ordinary varieties of the Avocado grown in Florida, the West Indies, Hawaii and Tahiti, are usually so tender that they cannot withstand the cold of California winters and are thus unsafe for use as stocks. Seedlings of the Guatemalan type are not such strong growers as the Mexican and are probably not so good to use as stocks, though they have not been thor- oughly tested. COMMITTEE H. J. Webber, Chairman C. D. Adams Wm. Hertrich I. J. Condit L. B. Scott Approved by the Board of Directors August 16, 1917. Thos. H. Shedden, President T. U. Barber Wm. H. Sallmon, V. Pres. Willett L. Hardin H. J. Webber, Secy. & Treas. E. E. Knight Chas. D. Adams F. O. Popenoe B. H. Sharpless AVOCADO TEA RECIPE The members of the Association that had the pleasure of testing the avocado tea served by Mrs. G. W. Beck at the last meeting will be interested in the following letter: La Habra, California, R. R. 1, Box 52 November |, 1917. Dr. H. J. Webber, Citrus Experiment Station, Riverside, California. Dear Sir: The following is the formula as used by us for the making of avo- cado tea: Take the matured leaves of the Northrop avocado tree, wash thor- uoghly, wrap in mosquito netting, and hang in shade to dry. (It takes at least two weeks to dry them.) For the tea take 25 grains of the dry leaves to a quart of water, pour the boiling water on the leaves and let stand five minutes; then it is ready to drink by adding a little sugar. The tea should be a light amber color. Yours respectfully, (Signed) Mrs. G. W. BEck. EXPLORING GUATEMALA FOR DESIRABLE NEW AVOCADOS* By WILSON PoPENOE, Agricultural Explorer, United States Department of Agriculture Ever since G. N. Collins** pointed out the remarkable commercial characteristics of the Guatemalan avocados, North American horticulturists have had their eyes upon Guatemala as one of the most promising sources of new varieties for cultivation in the avocado growing regions of the *This article was not read at any meeting of the Association, but because of its general interest at this time, it is printed in the report in ac- _. cordance with a resolution of the Board of Directors.—Secretary. **In Bulletin No. 77 of the Bureau of Plant Industry, U. S. Dept. of Agricul- ture. Washington, 1905. ‘VUdTTAOXS ST JINAJ 9 Aytyenb up ‘ateaTp~Veurs AToATVeBARdwWODS SI ‘WaAIMOY ‘poses ouUL ‘owes 9} A[[BVOTVOVId Suloq I9deYys puv YOZIS 9} ‘ddeiy oy} Jo Jaedisza}JuNOD VB YsSOW]BV SI AJOTIVA SIU OpBo0ay AOSTYD XL G IVINS “IIL 91P1id soldod} UvoTIOUYy oq} jo sjuvd A940 ysour ul UBY SNOoO.IOUINU 910M 918 SOPBOOAG pPoOoOS od1oOUM ‘eTeUteJeNy, Ul UPAD oAIRI 918 SIU} SB S}InNaAJ YONG “AOAVY YOIl ATOA JO PUB AO[OD ul MO|[OA dosp Sutoq Ysoy 94} ‘AVITVNHD JUosT[[eoxe JO st puev “spunod €§ SYUSIOM JT “BleuUroyBVNY) UL SUOTLRIO[AxXa 94} JO 9saAnod 9} BSulinp punojy JSosaiel 9y} JO 9uO STI ‘UOTTWIN 9UIBU 94} JOpUuUN pooNpor UL ‘AJOLAVA STY SOG SPE JU OpRooAY ULpeUOJENyH Oy eINSIY “IIT 91P1d iL = MAA lz a i Plate IV. Figure 6 Bringing Avocado Budwood Across the Mountains The search for good avocados necessitated many trips on horseback across the mountains of northern and western Guatemala, since many of the best trees are in small Indian villages far removed from the railroad. The shipment of budwood shown in this picture was carried from San Cristobal Verapaz to Guatemala City, a distance of about 125 miles. Plate IV. Figure 7 Eight Thousand Avocados for Seed These fruits were purchased in the markets of Guatemala City at prices varying from 30 to 50 cents a hundred. They are representative of the avocados sold in Guatemala City throughout the year. It will be noted that they are of good size. In quality the majority are only fair, but a few of them are excellent. The seeds from these and many other fruits were forwarded to Washington to grow seedling stocks on which to bud the selected varieties introduced into the United States from Guatemala during the course of our explorations in that country. ‘OSUBUIIBOV SI yvod J9YySIy 941 {188T Sse A[JUIDOI SB DATJOV ‘OS9ONWY VIP UBOTOA IY} SI 9DUBISIP 9} UL YVod AAMOT IOUT YINAJ JUI[[Ioxe Sulonpoid wey} JO VUIOS ‘sopBvoOAB AUBU 91B JID} S991} BPBVYS Vso} SuowWY ‘Suol}eJUB[d 10 SBOUY 292zIJOD OY} UL OpeYsS IOJ powuv[d Sulsq OOH AY[[VA 9} BUIIIAOD UDIS 1B YOIYM So9o1} IY} ‘UOIS91 DVOTJOO 3yVIIs B SI YI OWT} JUOSIId OY} 1V “"eULBUBd 0} OOIX9PT Wout ALOJII10} 94} POUIBAOS OYM ‘SAOTOOIA YStuedg IY} JO 1B9S DYJALLOWAOJ SVM JT “UMOUY SUuOTSsI1 OPpBOOAV 4S91B01S 9} JO 9UO 4Nq ‘plAOA MON OY} UL SJOdS OJI101STY puB oNnbHSainzoId sow 9u1 JO 9vUuUO A[UO JON BRSHUY JO ADT[VA PUL 8 eInSIy “A 21%1d Plate VI. Figure 9 Examining Avocados in the Expedition Headquarters at Purula, Baja Verapaz While canvassing some of the remote Indian villages of northern Guatemala, it was sometimes necesSary to make use of such shelters as this for several days at a time. As the climate is not cold, protection from rain is all that is necessary, and while the roof of this abandoned house does not appear to be absolutely impervious to rain, the floor always remained dry on one side. Plate VI. Figure 10 In the Market at San Cristobal Verapaz Avocados are among the principal foodstuffs sold in the markets of Guatemalan towns. The Indians have learned to look upon the avocado as one of their principal articles of diet. To a considerable extent it replaces meat. The price at which avocados are sold in these villages of the highlands is ridiculously low,—rarely as high as a half a cent each. Plate VII. Figure 11 The Upper Limit of Avoeado Culture in Guatemala The city of Totonicapan, at 8500 feet elevation, is the highest spot in Guatemala at which avocados were found. Most of the trees here had been killed or badly injured by cold, but a few had escaped practically unhurt. The best variety found here, Pankay, was introduced into the United States for trial, in the hope that it might prove to be hardier than the average. 5% g Lite Plate VII. Figure 12 A Hillside near Solola Here may be seen avocado trees growing in the small cornfields of the Indians at an elevation of about 7000 feet. At this elevation the avocado is less abundant than it is at 4000 to 6000 feet, but it does fairly well up to 7500 feet. There are many such scenes as this in the highlands between Guatemala City and Quezaltenango. “MO[O9G IpBVYySs 94} UL posv}UP[d 9q uvo Sdoid 19410 1VY} OS ‘puNnors JY} VAOQB 499J ZL 10 QT po9wWu10sy SABMTB ATIBIU SI UMOAD IU “MOLT Youvsqg 0} POMOT[V S991} VY} VIB AlOUBY “puNOAIs BY} 0} ZVSOTO SOYOUBIG JO DDUISGB IY} OSTV SMOYS PUB ‘B[BUIZIBNY) UI OpBvo0aAe oy} AQ UIHVI ATUOUIWIOD WI0J JY} SOIVIISNT[I ‘enstjuy 18 pavA yorq B UL SUIMOIS ‘991} SIU OPBOOAY YOUN 2YP JO soa, pUdIVE PL OANSIA “TILA 9}¥Id ‘SyInuy o}BILI9dW9} BY} Jo AUBU UL pooNnpoid us9sq SBY YOIUM BY} UY 191B018 SWI99S UOIBAII[NO JoOpuNn OpPBOOAB OU} UL 9OR[d UIyHeW sey YOIUM JURUIZAOIdUIT 9Y1 ‘Zede19A [eqQOIsIIO UBS JO ensijuy Ul PUNOJ SolJOLIVA JUST[IOX9 JY} JO sUIOS YIM pe1edu0d Us MM ‘punoy sSeM YoOIUM IddA} DALZIWIId }SOUL 94} SI JT “OpBeooOAe UY[VUTZJeNY) 94} JO WAOJ PlIM 94} 0} UOoT}eUTxOI1dde ossof[o vB Ajlqeqoid si zedeisA BYIV 94} =WOTF YINAJ PoT[[eys-Hoy, Tews simpy (9Z1IS [BVin}eN) AY UVB[CUIZJENY BYR JO WOW BALI €L 9INSIT “IIIA 9381d OpBVO CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 105 United States. The success of Guatemalan varieties in California, where many have been tested during the past twenty years, served to increase this interest in the Central American republic from which they get their name. It was natural, therefore, that efforts should be made to obtain the best varieties which Guatemala could furnish, for the horticulturists of California and Florida would be satisfied with nothing less. Mr. E. E. Knight, long a resident of Central America, and consequently a firm be- liever in the avocado, went to the expense of making a trip to Guatemala for the sole purpose of obtaining budwood of certain varieties with which he was familiar. Fortune favored him, and he succeeded in introducing the Rey, Linda, Knight, and Queen, all of which are now being tested in the United States. At the meeting of the California Avocado Association held in Los Angeles in the fall of 1915, Dr. H. J. Webber introduced a motion to the effect that the Association should petition the Secretary of Agriculture to send an explorer to Guatemala for the purpose of conducting a more thorough search than had yet been attempted, not only for the best avo- cados in the republic, from the point of view of quality, but also for vari- eties which would extend the ripening season, varieties which would be par- ticularly frost-resistant and so on. It was my good fortune to be sent on this mission. I remained in Guatemala from the first of September, 1916, to the middle of December, 1917, thus having not only an opportunity to observe the trees during every month in the year, but also sufficient time at my disposal so that I could visit every portion of the country which gave promise of yielding anything of value. It must be understood that travel in Guatemala is tedious, unless one stays close to the railway which traverses the republic from east to west and runs up the west coast to the Mexican frontier. Most of the im- portant avocado regions are not accessible by rail; hence I had recourse to the saddle for a large part of my work. Who is it that has said, ““a year in the saddle is worth a lifetime by the hearthside>’’ If his year was spent in the Guatemalan highlands, I believe I would be willing to admit the truth of his assertion, for, with the excep- tion of some hard pulls through rain and mud in the Alta Verapaz, and equally hard pulls across the scorched and barren mountains which lie be- tween Zacapa and the Honduranean frontier, I have never spent any more enjoyable days than those during which I viewed the Guatemalan landscape from my McClellan, perched upon a white pony, closely followed, Quijote fashion, by my Pics boy upon a diminutive mule. ‘Together we covered nearly three thousand miles of rocky trail and dusty road, and in spite of the rocks and the dust it was thoroughly enjoyable. Camping by the way- side at sundown, up and in the saddle before the first gleam of day was in the sky, halting from time to time as we came upon an interesting avocado tree, and finally stopping for a day or two in an Indian village which gave promise of yielding interesting avocados,—this was our program week after week. Finally, after locating seedlings which appeared worthy of intro- duction into the United States, budwood was cut, washed, and packed in tin mailing tubes; a forced march made to Guatemala City, sometimes a hundred and twenty-five miles across the mountains, and the precious freight was deposited in the mails, to be opened only upon reaching Washington, 106 1917 ANNUAL REPORT where sturdy seedlings were waiting to be budded. Imagine our feelings when, after making one of these trips into the back country, and returning with a shipment of budwood, let us say of a variety which seemed espe- cially promising, a cablegram arrived from Washington ten days later bluntly stating that the entire shipment was dead upon arrival! Two weeks’ work, the last four or five days under pressure, all for nothing! But before the explorations were completed and I made my plans to return to the United States, every variety which I had selected for introduction was safely growing in the greenhouses at Washington or in the Plant Introduc- tion Garden at Miami, Florida. The successful establishment of these varieties in the United States is due in a large measure to the efforts of Dr. B. T. Galloway and Edward Goucher of the Office of Foreign Seed and Plant Introduction, the former having general charge of the work and the latter doing most of the budding. Mr. Edward Simmonds, of our Miami Station, and J. M. Rankin, of our Yarrow Station, also deserve much credit in the matter. Naturally enough, some of the budwood which came through was in very precarious condition, —scarcely seeming to be alive, yet not to be discarded as dead. But the skill of Mr. Goucher and Mr. Simmonds made it possible to save all of the varieties, when it appeared, at one time, as though it would be necessary to establish a nursery in Guatemala, propagate budded trees there and bring them home when large enough. Two nurseries were, in fact, started with such an object in view, one at Guatemala City, and the other at Quirigua, but the difficulty in shipping budwood was later overcome and it was not necessary to bud young seedlings and bring home growing trees. I say the difficulty was overcome; I might better explain that it over- came itself, and in this manner: toward the end of the rainy season, Octo- ber, and from then until March, the young branchlets suitable for budwood were covered with a heavy growth of sooty mold and other fungi. In ship- ment the fungi developed vigorously, and the budwood was nearly all dead upon arrival at Washington. Avocado trees in Guatemala make new erowth in February and March, a time of the year when there is no rain- fall. This growth was sufficiently mature for use by May or June, and had not yet become discolored with sooty mold, but was green and bright. Nearly all shipments during May, June and July reached Washington in splendid condition. I do not say that the absence of sooty mold was solely responsible for the difference; I only state that nearly all of the shipments in May, June and July were successful, while the majority of those from October to March were failures, or at best only a few budsticks were saved out of each shipment. METHOD OF SHIPMENT It may be of interest to explain that our method of packing this bud- wood was the simplest possible, the budsticks being placed in moist sphag- num moss and wrapped in heavy oiled paper. Sometimes the shipments were forwarded in mailing tubes of tin, sometimes the bundles were wrapped simply in strong brown paper; both were equally successful. Given clean budwood to begin with, the essential point in packing is the amount of moisture added to the sphagnum moss. It is our custom to have the moss bone dry at the time of packing, and then moisten it at the rate of half an ounce of water to an ounce of moss, being careful to have the CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 107 measurements exact. Many experiments were tried during the course of the work in Guatemala, in order to determine whether a better method of pack- ing could be devised, but nothing was found which gave such satisfactory results as the method just outlined. I believe if avocado budwood can be obtained clean and free from fungous spores, it can be shipped without the slightest difficulty, but budwood covered with sooty mold, Colletotrichum, and other fungi,—my bitter experience in Guatemala makes me prefer to avoid it. Many thousands of avocado seeds were required at Washington for growing seedling stocks on which to bud these new Guatemalan varieties. We therefore purchased avocados in the markets of Guatemala City, hauled them by cart to our headquarters in the suburbs, and there cleaned and dried the seeds and boxed them for shipment. They were forwarded by freight to New York or New Orleans, and thence to Washington by express. The method of packing employed was the simplest imaginable, the seeds being dried in the shade, with perhaps a few hours in the sun just before they were packed in order to remove all moisture from the parch- ment-like seed coats, and packed in wooden boxes, with a little hay below and above to act as a cushion and keep them from rattling around. There was practically no loss due to decay in transit; some of the seeds were found upon arrival in Washington to be infested by the broad-nosed grain weevil (Caulophilus latinasus), and were thrown out; while some which were taken from slightly immature fruits shrivelled and became useless. But in general the percentage of loss was small. It may be of interest, en passant, to note that the fruits purchased for seed in no instance cost us more than 50 cents a hundred, and rarely more than 35 cents. Yet they were not culls or in any way inferior, but were good fruits which would bring 50 cents each in the eastern United States about Christmas time. RACES Before entering upon a consideration of avocado culture in the Guate- malan highlands, it is well to speak of the various races of avocados and their occurrence in Guatemala. It is becoming more and more apparent, as the years go by, that the first question to be asked concerning any avo- cado is, Io what race does it belong? And it is equally important to ask, when considering any particular avocado region, What races are grown there? All three races at present known to horticulture,—the West In- dian, the Mexican, and the Guatemalan,—are found in Guatemala, but the first two are far exceeded in importance by the third. It is only the Guatemalan race, in fact, that needs to receive our attention, since other regions possess much better varieties of the West Indian and Mexican races. The Mexican race is scarcely known in Guatemala, only two trees being seen during the entire course of my year’s travel in the country. I had reports of others from the Indians in several places, and am inclined to think they may occur wild in some places, but they cannot be abundant. The varieties seen were small and horticulturally inferior, suggesting by their size that they had never been improved and were the product of trees not more than one or two generations removed from the wild. The West Indian race is well known in the lowlands of both coasts, ascending to about 2500 feet. It is nowhere grown very commonly, however, and many of the avocados seen in the markets of lowland towns are fruits of the Guate- 108 1917 ANNUAL REPORT malan race produced in the highlands and carried perhaps fifty miles on the backs of Indians. CLIMATIC CONDITIONS There is probably no place where one gains a clearer idea of the dif- ferent climatic requirements of the various races than in Guatemala. On the coast you meet with practically nothing but the West Indian race. Occa- sionally a tree of the Guatemalan race will be seen, but it does not seem to be at home, and it is said that they do not fruit well. Ascending to- ward the central plateau from either side, the West Indian race disappears at approximately 2500 feet, and at 3000 feet or slightly higher the Guate- malan commences to become common. ‘The regions in which this race is most abundant lie between 4000 and 6000 feet. Above the latter eleva- tion it becomes less common, being rare at 7500 and disappearing entirely between 8500 and 9000. ‘The two trees of the Mexican race which I have mentioned were growing at elevations close to 7000 feet, but there is no doubt that they could be successfully cultivated much higher. The mere mention of these elevations, without an explanation of what they indicate in terms of minimum temperature, will not mean much to North Americans. It is necessary, therefore, to consider in detail the re- - lation between altitude and climate in Guatemala. In this republic, as in Mexico and some other parts of tropical America where high mountains are present, three climatic zones, dependent entirely upon elevation, are generally recognized. ‘These are the fierra caliente (as it is called in Span- ish) or hot region, extending from sea level to about 2000 feet; the tierra templada or temperate region, comprising the territory between 2000 and 6500 feet; and the fierra fria or cold region, which extends from 6500 feet to the upper limit of cultivation.—in Guatemala about 10,000 feet. It has seemed to me that this division of all the territory between sea level and 10,000 feet into three climatic zones,—at best an artificial ar- rangement, since each zone merges imperceptibly into the next,—would be more useful to horticulturists if based upon the presence of certain well known plants whose climatic requirements, in regard to tolerance of cold, are well known. This is, in fact, practically the only means by which we can form a reasonably accurate idea of these zones, since climatological data are lacking, and there would otherwise be no way of determining, even approximately, the minimum temperatures of any particular region. Many of the well known tropical fruits, such as the mango, the tamarind, and the sapodilla, have been planted in California and Florida, and we have a fairly accurate idea of the minimum temperatures to which they can be subjected without injury. By citing the behavior of some of these fruits at various elevations in Guatemala we can perhaps obtain an idea of the temperatures in the different climatic zones. In discussing these zones, however, I am going to term them tropical, subtropical and temperate, in place of hot, temperate, and cold, as indicating more accurately their horti- cultural character. In the tropical zone, grow only those fruits which horti- culturists term strictly tropical; in the subtropical zone, such fruits as the loquat and cherimoya are found; in the temperate zone, the fig thrives and even the temperate fruits are fairly successful. The tropical zone is characterised by the breadfruit tree (Artocarpus incisa), the custard apple (Annona reticulata), the sour-sop (Annona CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 109 muricata), the tamarind (Tamarindus indica), the star-apple (Chrysophyl- lum cainito), and the sapote (Achradelpha mammosa). It is the zone in which all of the commercial banana plantations are found, the zone in which the pineapple is most successful, and in which the mango reaches its greatest development. It will thus be seen that it is never subjected to low temperatures, the minimum being considerably higher than that of any por- tion of either Florida or California. The lower limit of this zone is the level of the sea, and the upper limit I would place between 2500 and 3000 feet. ‘This, it will be noticed, corresponds with the range of the West Indian race of avocados. The subtropical zone, which may be considered the great horticul- tural zone of the republic, is characterized by such fruits as the cherimoya (Annona cherimola), the jocote (Spondias mombin), the white sapote or matasano (Casimiroa edulis), and the loquat (Eriobotrya japonica). It extends approximately from 3000 feet to 7000 or 7500 feet. This is the zone of the Guatemalan race of avocados. Toward the upper limit of this zone frosts are fairly common, and at about 7500 feet the citrus fruits disappear. [he lower levels, between 4000 and 6000 feet, possess delightful climates, scarcely excelled any- where in the world. The temperate zone is characterized by the fig, and by most of the temperate fruits, which have, of course, been introduced into Guatemala since the Conquest. “The ones most commonly grown are the peach, the apple, and the pear. The lower limit of this zone is about 7500 feet, the upper limit approximately 10,000, though it might be considered to extend to the summits of the highest peaks. The amount of rainfall varies greatly in different parts of Guatemala. In some of the principal avocado regions, such as Antigua, it is 30 to 60 inches per annum; in some parts of the Alta Verapaz, it is as great as 130 or 140 inches. ‘The avocado appears to make healthier growth in those regions where the rainfall is not over 75 inches. In most parts of Guate- mala the rainfall is not distributed evenly throughout the year, but occurs between the months of May and October. In the Alta Verapaz the rainy season is much longer, March and April being the only dry months. HARDINESS OF THE GUATEMALAN RACE The hardiness of the Guatemalan race of avocados is being deter- mined both in California and Florida, and we will soon have excellent data covering a number of varieties. It has been thought, however, that varieties might occur in Guatemala which were much hardier than any yet known in the United States. Everything tends to indicate, that hardiness, in the ‘avocado, is much more a matter of race than of variety. No variety of the West Indian race has yet been found which is nearly as hardy as any of the Guatemalan, and no variety of the Guatemalan has been discovered which will withstand as much cold as the Chappelow or other varieties of the Mexican race. Within the race there is a certain amount of variation in regard to hardiness, but it is not so great, expressed in degrees of tem- perature, as the difference between the Guatemalan and the Mexican or the Guatemalan and the West Indian races in average hardiness. Severe frosts are not experienced in Guatemala at elevations lower than 7000 feet. As we desired to find the hardiest varieties obtainable for 110 1917 ANNUAL REPORT trial in Florida and California, I went to the upper limit of cultivation, and then worked downward until I encountered the first avocado trees, which were at 8500 feet. Here I found a number of trees, most of them killed back or severely injured by cold. One, however, had not been injured in the slightest degree, and as it was a good fruit,—small seed and flesh of ex- cellent quality,—I secured budwood which is now being propagated in Washington. Whether this variety, which comes from Totonicapan and which we have named Pankay (Fig. 21), will prove to be much hardier than the varieties already growing in the United States, I cannot say. It seems to me it stands a reasonable chance of being distinctly hardier than the average; yet it is impossible to determine what external causes may have been at work to produce the appearance of superior frost resistance. The avocado is cultivated in Guatemala about a thousand feet above the zone in which citrus fruits are grown. One might assume from this that the avocado is much hardier than the orange. Yet I do not know that this is the case. ‘There are so few trees of either the avocado or the orange above 7500 feet that it is difficult to obtain trustworthy data regarding their comparative hardiness. Both of them are commonly cultivated only - in regions free from injurious frosts. [he Guatemalans have not carried citrus culture into regions so cold that the trees require protection from frost, and the number of avocado trees in the cold region,—above 7500 feet—is very small. We know from experience that it takes generations to acclimatize a species so that it will stand a decidedly greater amount of cold. You can- not plant a tree in a climate colder than that to which it has been accus- tomed, and expect it, with protection for a few winters, to become more hardy. Nature does not work that way. Many trees must be planted, the hardiest ones selected and propagated; then the new generation thus obtained must be selected for hardiness. Continuing this process for many generations, a considerable increase in hardiness may be the result. But it does not appear to me that such a process has been going on at high eleva- tions in Guatemala. I would expect, therefore, that varieties from 8500 feet, such as our Pankay, might withstand a few degrees more frost than the average Guatemalan variety, but I would not dare to hope for them to prove as hardy as the Mexican race. Time only will tell. We must wait and see. AVOCADO REGIONS The principal avocado growing regions of Guatemala are rather wide- ly scattered throughout the highlands of the republic, thus possessing some widely different soil types. Antigua, certainly the most important region in all Guatemala if not one of the most important in the world, lies in a beautiful valley surrounded by volcanoes and high hills. “The valley floor is about 5100 feet above sea level; it is planted to coffee, with some patches of alfalfa here and there, and much maize and black beans around the edges. The soil is a loose volcanic loam, almost sandy in texture, black, deep and very fertile. It seems very retentive of moisture, and well suited to the avocado, the trees in this valley being vigorous and healthy in appearance, and producing much fruit. It is the custom in this valley to plant large trees to shade the coffee bushes; for this purpose the tree called in California the Australian Silk CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 111 Oak (Grevillea robusta) is largely used, often in conjunction with a native species of Inga, a leguminous tree of medium size and spreading habit. Avocados spring up in these coffee plantations, from seeds dropped by the laborers. When one of these seedlings occurs in a spot where it can de- velop and become a part of the shade tree system, it is usually left; if its situation is unfavorable it may be pulled up or crowded out by other trees which it happens to be near. In most of the coffee plantations of this val- ley there are numerous avocado trees scattered here and there. Two hun- dred was the largest number I counted in any one plantation, and rarely are there more than fifty, but the presence of even fifty avocados in a single plantation of ten or twenty acres is rare in the tropics, for fruit trees are usually scattered and almost never cultivated in regular orchards as they are in the North. Some of the best avocados in all Guatemala are to be found in these coffee fincas of Antigua, and I shall always look back on that delightful little valley as one of the pleasantest spots it has ever been my privilege to visit. Its climate is equable and not excelled by that of Southern California; its setting is indescribably beautiful; its historic back- ground is fascinating, with its memories of Alvarado and Bartolomé de las Casas, Protector of the Indians; and its appearance is exceedingly pic- turesque. Next to Antigua, I believe the most important avocado region is San Cristébal Verapaz, far to the north of Guatemala City, and reached only by riding three days across the mountains, or by going down to the coast, taking a boat up the Polochic River to Panzos, the train twenty-eight miles further to Pancajehé, and a horse or mule from there for a long day’s ride. I was fortunate in making the acquaintance of an American coffee planter in this region, a man of the type which Guatemalans would de- scribe as muy sympatico. Without the assistance of R. W. Hempstead, in fact, I doubt if it would have been possible to obtain the excellent avo- cados from San Cristébal which we finally succeeded in shipping to Wash- ington. I wice did I cut budwood from the trees, pack it carefully, and forward it with all haste, only to receive a cablegram that it was dead upon arrival. With Mr. Hempstead’s assistance, however, it was finally possible to land budwood of three splendid avocados from San Cristobal, together with two from nearby Purula, safely in Washington. San Cristébal Verapaz lies at an elevation of about 4500 feet. Con- sequently it is not subjected to low temperatures. It has a rainfall prob- ably twice that of Antigua, and the soil is a heavy, tenacious clay. The town is filled with little patches of coffee, owned principally by the In- dians, and many avocado trees are scattered here and there among the coffee bushes. The village of Purula lies southeasterly from San Cristobal, just about a day’s ride. Its elevation is 5100 feet, its climate much cooler than that of San Cristébal, yet not cold enough to experience severe frosts. One can tell by the character of the cultivated vegetation approximately how much frost these mountain villages experience. In Antigua, for ex- ample, the presence of the royal palm (JRoystonea regia) indicates very definitely that severe frosts are not experienced, though there may be occa- sional light frosts which scorch the leaves of the coffee bushes. Puruld does not grow royal palms, but has other plants characteristic of mild situa- 112 1917 ANNUAL REPORT tions, and in addition one can judge from the altitude that it does not be- come very cold. Not far from Antigua, the village of Amatitlan, close to the lake of the same name, possesses excellent avocados, some of them appearing to ripen earlier than would be expected at this elevationn—approximately 4000 feet. As will be explained later on, the ripening season in Guate- mala is largely dependent upon altitude. Westward from Guatemala City, the valley of Panajachél, on the shore of Lake Atitlan (elevation 5400 ft.) is a famous spot for avocados, but from my examination of them I did not think them equal in quality to those of other regions. ‘The soil in this small valley, which opens upon the lake, is clearly alluvial in origin, and like most alluvial soils is excellent. Momostenango, northward from Quezaltenango one day’s ride, is the highest spot at which avocados were found abundantly. Its elevation is approximately 7500 feet. ‘The situation is a protected one, and probably much warmer than most others of the same elevation. ‘The soil here is a mixture of clay and volcanic tufa, very curious in appearance. It has seemed to me, upon comparing the avocado trees grown upon - these various types of soil,—sandy loams to heavy clays,—that the largest trees were found on clay soils. Yet there are some good sized trees upon the volcanic loam of Antigua, and I would personally prefer this soil to any other I saw in Guatemala for avocado culture. HABIT OF THE GUATEMALAN AVOCADO In character of growth, the Guatemalan avocado presents two ex- tremes; the broad and spreading type and the tall and strict. There are intermediate stages, of course. In the Alta Verapaz most of the trees in- cline toward the tall and strict type; in Antigua the spreading form is per- haps more common. A notable characteristic of nearly all the trees is the absence of branches close to the ground. In coffee plantations especially is this conspicuous, the lower limbs being pruned off to prevent their inter- fering with the coffee bushes. “The crown is rarely formed closer than 10 feet to the ground. The Guatemalans do not observe closely the behavior of their avo- cados and rarely are able to give trustworthy accounts concerning the age of the trees, their bearing habits, or similar characteristics. In general, it seems to be the opinion that seedlings come into bearing at the age of six to eight years, which coincides rather closely with the behavior of this race in California. The bearing life of the tree is not definitely known, but it would seem to be at least 50 years, and in many instances considerably more. Some of the growers affirm that a tree does not produce its best fruit until 25 or 30 years old. CULTURE So little cultural attention is given avocados in Guatemala that it is scarcely necessary to touch on this subject. Experience obtained in Cali- fornia and Florida is a better guide than the observed practices of the Guatemalans, because the latter make no systematic effort to meet the tree’s cultural requirements. The method followed in cultivating coffee plantations in Antigua has been recommended for avocados in California, but I do not know what success will result from its application. It con- CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 113 sists in clearing the ground two or three times a year with a hoe, but never cultivating deeply. The avocado trees which grow among the coffee bushes in Antiguan plantations certainly appear healthy and vigorous, but it does not necessarily follow that this method of cultivation is the best. ‘They might be even more healthy and vigorous under another. REGULARITY OF BEARING I was somewhat surprised to observe the irregularity in bearing which seems to characterize most of the trees in Guatemala. How much of this irregularity is due to faulty culture, and how much is inherent, I do not know. I hope that much of it can be eliminated when the trees are planted in our orchards and their needs carefully studied and supplied. But it was rare to find a tree which bore heavily two years in succession. ‘The Guatemalans usually say that the trees bear a heavy crop one year and a light one the following, but I saw many trees which bore heavy crops one year and nothing the next. This is a point which I do not believe we have emphasized sufficiently in this country, and I would strongly urge all pros- pective planters of Guatemalan avocados to investigate thoroughly the bearing habits of the varieties they propose to plant. Unfortunately, we do not know a great deal about the bearing habits of many of our varieties, for they have been in cultivation but a short time. But it appeared to me, from my observations of seedling trees in Guatemala (it is, of course, un- derstood by all North Americans that every avocado tree in Guatemala is a seedling) that there was a remarkable difference in this respect, and some varieties I would look upon as likely to be much more regular bearers than others. It is probably more important to have a tree that bears regularly than one that bears abundantly; by this I mean a variety which will pro- duce a fair crop every year rather than one which will produce an enor- mous crop one year and nothing the following. SEASON Travelers have returned from Guatemala City with accounts of avo- cados every month in the year. It is true that there are avocados in the markets of the capital throughout the year, but it is a mistake to infer from this that avocados, in any given section of Guatemala, ripen continuously from January to December. Guatemala City draws upon all the surround- ing country for its avocados, and the surrounding country varies in eleva- tion. ‘The ripening season of avocados, is largely dependent upon eleva- tion, hence by bringing in avocados from an altitude of 3000 feet part of the year, from 5000 and 6000 the rest, the market can be supplied con- tinuously. This ideal condition is also maintained in part by the custom, far from ideal, of picking green and immature fruit at seasons of the year when fully mature fruit is not available. I have purchased hundreds of fruits in the markets of Guatemala City,—fruits calculated to be eaten by the unsuspecting public,—which were so green they shrivelled upon soften- ing, and the seeds within them were so immature they could not be used for planting. This matter is doubly important to us when we remember that a similar crime has sometimes been perpetrated upon the North Ameri- ‘can public by avocado growers in Florida and California. I know of nothing better calculated to discourage people from eating avocados than this. Except in those varieties which become purple upon reaching matur- 114 1917 ANNUAL REPORT ity, it is next to impossible to distinguish an immature from a mature avo- cado simply by looking at it. But when it comes to eating it, nothing is easier. AA mature avocado can be eaten, and an immature one cannot,— at least no connoisseur will stoop so low as to do it, and the tyro will not do it more than once. I urge upon the consideration of every avocado grower in California and Florida the importance of suppressing this per- nicious custom in the United States before it has obtained a foothold. In general, I found the variation in ripening season, due to differ- ences in elevation, to be one month for every thousand feet. Where pecu- liar environmental conditions come into play, such as the protected situa- tion of Panajachél, this rule does not hold good, but in most cases it does. At Senaht, in the Alta Verapaz (3200 ft.) the principal season of ripen- ing is November to February; at Amatitlan (3900 ft.) it is January to April; at San Cristébal Verapaz (4600 ft.) it is February to May; at Antigua (5100 ft.) it is March to June; at Purula, Baja Verapaz (5150 ft.) is is March to June; at Panajachél (5300 ft.) it is February to May; at Chimaltenango (6000 ft.) it is April to July, and at Momostenango (7400 ft.) it is May to August. We have noticed in the United States that the same variety of avo- cado does not ripen at the same time in Florida and in California. Cli- matic differences prevent it. Judging from the principal ripening season of Guatemalan avocados in these two states, it seems to me that California corresponds rather closely to an elevation of 6000 to 7000 feet in Guate- mala, while South Florida corresponds to an elevation of 3000 to 4000 feet. It might be expected, then, that the average variety growing at 6500 feet in Guatemala would, if transplanted to California, mpen at approxi- mately the same season, while the average variety from 3500 feet trans- planted to California would ripen much later than it does in Guatemala, but if planted in Florida would ripen at about the same time. The majority of avocados in any given section of the Guatemalan highlands ripen at approximately the same season. This would be ex- pected. Considering Antigua, for example, only half a dozen trees were found which commenced to ripen their fruits in October and November, the vast majority not beginning to mature until February. With an occasional exception, the earliest varieties are of inferior quality. They are so scarce that they make no impression whatever upon the market, but from the standpoint of California avocado growers such varieties, if of good quality, are very important, as they may ripen sufficiently early, when planted in that state, to be marketable during the holiday season. ‘This remains to be seen. Summing up the question of season, it may be said that variation is due to two causes, first, altitude as expressed in its effect upon temperature, and second, the normal difference exhibited by seedlings. The first factor is of little importance to us, but by giving attention to the second we should be able to obtain avocados which will greatly extend the period during which ripe avocados are available. PICKING AVOCADOS The Guatemalans have an interesting rule governing the picking of avocados. I do not know that it will hold good in the United States, but as far as I could observe it was fairly trustworthy in Guatemala. They CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 115 consider that the fruit is mature and ready for picking when the tree comes into bloom. It is better to allow the fruit to remain on the tree several months longer, as its flavor becomes much richer; but the appearance of flowers is considered to indicate the earliest moment at which the fruit can be picked, if it is to ripen properly, without shrivelling, and possess reason- ably rich flavor. The maturity of certain varieties is indicated by the appearance of purple color upon the fruit, but fully half of the avocados found in Guate- mala are green in color when mature and there is no reliable indication of maturity, unless it be the appearance of flowers upon the tree. THE FRUIT We now come to a consideration of the fruit itself, and I believe it will interest the horticulturists of California and Florida to know some- thing of the range of variation which occurs in Guatemala in the principal fruit characters. I have made an effort to observe the extreme range, and also to note the average of each character. In the United States we are already familiar with a certain amount of variation in the Guatemalan avo- cados; it is interesting to compare the variations known to us with those which occur in Guatemala, especially where they concern characters of marked commercial importance, such as the season of ripening and the quality of the fruit. In northern Guatemala it is a common occurrence to find avocado trees growing in a semi-wild state. One might almost infer that they were truly indigenous, yet after -the most careful investigation which I could make I was unable to reach this conclusion. The region in question has been so many centuries under cultivation, and the forest has been cleared away so many times to make room for maize fields, that one hesitates to assume that any tree not common in the most infrequented places is truly indigenous. I have seen avocado trees in the edge of the forest, but the thought has always arisen in my mind that a seed might have been dropped there by some passing Indian. We must consider, then, that the native home of the Guatemalan avocado has not certainly been determined up to the present time; I am strongly inclined to suspect that it may be in ex- treme northern Guatemala or across the Mexican frontier in the states of Chiapas and Tabasco, but this remains to be proved. But what I started out to say was this: semi-wild avocado trees, those growing in the edge of the forest or in abandoned places throughout the mountains of northern Guatemala, where the most primitive forms of the Guatemalan avocado ap- pear to occur, nearly always produce fruits of round form (Plate VIII, Fig. 13). I believe it almost safe to assume that the primitive form of the Guatemalan avocado is round, and that the pear shaped and elongated forms have arisen in cultivation. In the principal avocado regions of Guatemala, such as Antigua and San Cristébal Verapaz, round and pear- shaped fruits are about equally common. Extremely slender ones are rare; the broadly pear-shaped fruits are very common. ‘The majority of small fruits are round. Oval and elliptical forms are not rare, but are less com- mon than the round and pyriform. It can thus be seen that we already _ have, in the United States, practically the entire range which this race ex- hibits with regard to shape. In size we also have approximately the same range of variation which 116 1917 ANNUAL REPORT is found in Guatemala. ‘There are fruits of smaller size than any of those cultivated in California or Florida, but better cultivation would probably increase the bulk of such fruits and bring them up to six or eight ounces in weight. It is notable that avocado trees growing in unfavorable situations, where the ground is exceedingly poor and hard and there is a severe strug- gle with surrounding vegetation, usually produce small fruits in which the seed constitutes a large proportion of the entire weight. The smallest variety examined weighed three ounces. In this case, however, the size did not appear to be due to unfavorable cultural conditions, but was an in- herent characteristic. The largest fruits found,—varieties included in our introductions under the names Nimlioh and Tertoh,—weighed about three pounds. ‘The common size is from eight to twelve ounces. Fruits of a pound in weight are also abundant, and there are many which weigh 20 ounces, but above this there are comparatively few. North American avocado growers have already come to recognize that an avocado need not have a rough skin to be a Guatemalan, though this was at first looked upon as one of the characteristics of the race. Many varieties have rough skins, but many do not. Some are as smooth as the Trapp or other varieties of the West Indian race, yet they are none the less Guatemalan avocados. A rough surface indicates a thick skin, and a smooth surface a comparatively thin skin. No variety was seen in Guate- mala in which the skin was very thick, yet smooth on the surface, and con- versely none was seen in which the skin was thin yet rough on the surface. In the past we have probably placed too much emphasis in the United States upon the thick skin of the Guatemalan race. True enough, it is commonly thicker than in any other race of avocados at present cultivated, but there are varieties in Guatemala which are in every other respect typical of the Guatemalan race, yet the skin is no thicker than that of the Trapp. One of the varieties in our collection, the Ishim, has a skin thinner than that of the Trapp, yet it would be foolish to say that this fruit does not belong to the Guatemalan race. Some growers have desired to separate the Guatemalan avocados into two groups, the thick skinned and the “hard- shelled.’’ This is perhaps possible, although there is every intermediate stage between the thickest and the thinnest skinned, so that no distinct line can be drawn separating the two groups. The question is, whether any- thing will be gained by such a classification, based solely upon one char- acter. One might speak of thin-skmned Guatemalans and thick-skinned Guatemalans, but if we go farther and form two groups in our general classificatory system, we may lose sight of the important racial characteris- tics which are common to the thick skinned and the thin skinned alike. Tt has been suggested that some of the thin-skinned Guatemalans might in reality be crosses between the West Indian and the Guatemalan races. ‘This must be admitted as a possibility, yet I have seen no trees ‘ whose character strongly suggested such a cross. In figures, the thickness of the skin varies from a sixteenth to a quar- ter of an inch. In the Alta Verapaz skins of such thickness and brittle- ness are found that it is difficult to open the fruits with a knife. ‘They are usually broken in the hands. It has sometimes been thought that thick- ness of skin was correlated with altitude; that is, the thickest skins should be found at the highest altitudes, because the fruit needs more protection CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 117 when grown in a cold climate. ‘This is not the case. There is no rela- tion between altitude and thickness of skin. The thickest skinned varieties were found in the Alta Verapaz at elevations of 3000 to 5000 feet, while the avocados of Momostenango (7500 ft.) and Totonicapan (8500 ft.), the latter at the uppermost limit of avocado culture, had comparatively thin skins. The two common colors of Guatemalan avocados, green and purple, are found everywhere; I was not able to notice that one was decidedly more frequent than the other in any particular region. Yellowish greens are sometimes seen, and varying shades of purple; of the latter, maroon is the lightest shade, and a brilliant purplish black the deepest. Bright green and deep purple are the two common colors, however. In some parts of the tropics the natives have a preference for avocados of a certain color, but I was unable to find any well-marked trend in this direction anywhere in Guatemala. Comparing the Guatemalan avocados at present grown in California with those of Guatemala itself, I feel that California has been fortunate in having received so many fruits of good quality. For I believe many of the best California varieties, such as Sharpless, Dickinson, and Blakeman, are better than the average fruits sold in the markets of Guatemala City. But in a lottery the man who holds five tickets has a better prospect of winning than the man who holds one. The law of chance is inviolable. So it is that among the many thousands of avocados found in Guatemala, a few very superior ones are bound to occur, and these I believe to sur- pass in quality anything yet known in California. The California varie- ties apparently had good parentage, and they are as a rule of good quality; but an occasional variety which I have found in Guatemala has impressed me, viewing it as impartially as possible, as far superior to anything which I have ever seen in California. ‘The flesh is of deeper yellow color, smoother, more buttery texture, and richer flavor than in any varieties yet known in the United States. In many fruits grown in the Guatemalan highlands,—it might almost be said in the majority of fruits,—the flesh is cream colored. In some it is cream-yellow, and in a few it is deep yellow. Rarely is there any ob- jectionable fiber. Fiber seems to be much more characteristic of the Mex- ican race than it is of the Guatemalan. Even the most primitive forms seen in the Alta Verpaz did not have noticeable fiber in the flesh. The flavor of nearly all Guatemalan avocados is pleasant if the fruits are fully ripe, but some greatly exceed others in richness. We have thought, from a study of the Guatemalan varieties culti- vated in California, that this race of avocados was characterized by a smaller seed, in comparison to the size of the fruit, than either the West Indian or the Mexican race. It has seemed to me, however, that the Cali- fornia varieties are not typical in this respect of the Guatemalan race, most of them having smaller seeds than the average noted in Guatemala. Many of the fruits purchased in the markets of Guatemala City to furnish seed for planting in the United States,—and there were about 30,000 of them, from many different trees,—had seeds which were so large as to make the variety of no value horticulturally. It takes much searching to bring 118 1917 ANNUAL REPORT to light a variety having a desirably small seed, combined at the same time with other desirable characteristics. Pyriform and elongated fruits are not so likely to have large seeds as round ones; but it is not true, as has sometimes been thought, that all round avocados have large seeds. Quite a few were found in which the seed was comparatively very small. Some such varieties are included in our introductions. The seed is almost invariably tight in its cavity. I would consider this, in fact, one of the characteristics of the Guatemalan race. In one locality a few trees were found whose fruit had seeds slightly loose in the cavity, but these were the only ones out of thousands examined. VARIETIES INTRODUCED FOR TRIAL* I wish now to present brief descriptions of the twenty-three varieties which we have introduced from Guatemala for trial generally throughout the avocado growing regions of the United States. More complete de- scriptions of these fruits will appear in a bulletin on the avocados of Guate- - mala which the Department of Agriculture expects to publish in the near future, and they will also be sent to growers who receive budwood or trees of these varieties for trial. I will therefore limit myself at this time to a brief mention of the important characteristics and interesting features of each variety. The names which we have given these avocados are taken from the Maya tongue, which, in some twenty dialectic forms, is the language spoken by the aboriginal inhabitants of Guatemala and southern Mexico. It has been thought that the use of Maya names might serve to distinguish these varieties of foreign origin from those developed in California. Following the name of each variety I give the number under which the variety was collected in Guatemala. ‘This series of numbers runs up to 36, but some of the varieties originally included in the set were, upon more de- tailed examination, found to be defective in some point, and were not in- troduced. Only 23 out of the original 36 varieties are therefore repre- sented in the collection. Finally, I give the inventory number of the Office of Foreign Seed and Plant Introduction (S. P. I.), under which the variety is recorded in Washington. Probably the most important point to be tested in connection with these varieties is the character of growth they will make in the United States. Most of the Guatemalan varieties which have been discarded in California during the past five years have had to be dropped because of some defect in habit of growth; the most common defect has been a tend- ency on the part of young budded trees of several varieties to die during the first or second year without any apparent cause. It seems probable that these varieties, when grown under good culti- vation in the United States, will in many instances produce fruits consid- erably larger than those which were borne by the parent trees in Guatemala. The weights here given may not hold when the varieties come into bear- ing in the United States. *I am indebted to Robert N. Jones of the office of Foreign Seed and Plant Introduction for the drawings illustrating these varieties. They are alk from photographs or diagrams made by me in Guatemala. CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 119 LAMAT (No. Three) S. P. I. 43476. From Amatitlan, Guate- mala. Elevation 3872 ft. A very productive variety of good size, at- tractive shape and appearance, and good quality. It is broadly oval in form, and weighs 14 to 20 ozs. ‘The surface is smooth, bright green, the skin of average thickness, about one-sixteenth inch or slightly more. ‘The flesh is free from fiber, cream colored, and of pleasant flavor. ‘The seed is comparatively small. The season of ripening at Amatitlan is from Novem- ber or December to March; the variety may therefore be classed as early to midseason. (See Fig. 15) Figure 15 LAMAT A smooth, green fruit averaging about a pound in weight. A productive variety ripening early to midseason. 120 1917 ANNUAL REPORT KANOLA (No. Six) S. P. I. 43560. From San Lorenzo el Cubo, near Antigua, Guatemala. Elevation about 5600 feet. Interest- ing particularly for its earliness. It ripens two or three months ahead of most other varieties of its region. In addition it is a handsome little fruit of round form, and the tree is very productive. The weight is about 8 ounces, the surface almost smooth and deep purple in color. ‘The skin is woody, the flesh yellow, of excellent flavor and quality. The seed is com- paratively small. The season at San Lorenzo is October to April. Be- cause of its long season this may be a particularly good variety for the home garden. (Fig. 16) Figure 16 KANOLA A very early and productive little fruit of fine quality. Slightly rough, deep purple in color, about 8 ounces in weight. ISHKAL (No. Seven) S. P. I. 43602. From Guatemala City. Elevation 4900 feet. A variety possessing a considerable reputation lo- cally as a fruit of fine quality. It is spherical to broadly obovoid in form, and weighs about 8 ozs. The surface is somewhat rough, deep purple in color, the flesh deep yellow and of very rich flavor. The seed is medium sized or slightly large. The fruits of this variety which were examined were not up to the usual standard, hence the description here given prob- ably does not do the variety justice. CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 121 COBAN (No. Eight) S. P. I. 43932. From Coban, Alta Vera- paz, Guatemala. Elevation 4325 ft. A fruit well known in Coban for its excellent quality. In addition it has a small seed and other desirable characteristics. It is pear-shaped or obovoid in form, and weighs about oe ae Figure 17 COBAN Slightly rough, green, about 15 ounces in weight. A fruit of excellent quality, ripening midseason. 15 ounces. The surface is slightly rough, deep green in color, the skin moderately thick. ‘The flesh is clear, deep yellow, and of very rich flavor. The seed is rather small. Ripening season February and March at Coban. A midseason sort. (Fig. 17) 122 1917 ANNUAL REPORT KASHLAN (No. Ten) S. P. I. 43934. From San Cristébal Verapaz, Guatemala. Elevation 4550 ft. A good sized fruit of attrac- tive shape and unusually fine quality. In form it is broadly oval. The weight is about 20 ozs. The surface is almost smooth, green in color, the “ Po {Z jy C7 oO ‘Gm f 2; 27% ab! O at hs ‘ AOS vs Wy : f: Se Bes ae, UY; S . [oe , Figure 18 KASHLAN An unusually fine fruit, almost smooth, green in color, about 20 ounces in weight. Early to midseason. skin moderately thick. The flesh is deep yellow, free from discoloration of any sort, and of very rich flavor. The seed is unusually small. The ripening season at San Cristobal is January and February,—early to mid- season. (Fig. 18) CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 123 CHISOY (No. Eleven)) S. P. I. 43935. From San Cristébal Verapaz, Guatemala. Elevation 4550 ft. One of the finest varieties in the collection, almost identical with the Trapp of Florida in form and size. It weighs 20 to 24 ozs. The surface is pebbled, bright green in color, the ite = f SS ; oe Sf ~~ Ar VAT ET? Jia. CHISOY In quality one of the finest in the collection. rough, green, 20 to 24 ounces in weight. Midseason. Figure 19 Slightly skin thick and woody. The flesh is deep yellow, of fine, oily texture, and very rich flavor. The seed is small to medium sized. ‘The parent tree is productive. Ripens midseason, February to April at San Cristébal. (Fig. 19) 124 1917 ANNUAL REPORT NABAL (No. Fifteen) S. P. I. 44439. From Antigua, Guate- mala. Elevation 5100 ft. A very productive little fruit of excellent qual- ity. It is nearly round in form, weighs about 10 ounces, and is green in Figure 20 NABAL Very productive and of excellent quality. Smooth, green, about 10 ounces in weight. Midseason. color, with the surface smooth and the skin moderately thick. The flesh is yellow, free from discoloration, and of rich flavor. The seed is rather small. The ripening season at Antigua is February or March to May. A midseason sort. (Fig. 20) CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 125 PANKAY (No. Twelve) S. P. I. 44785. From Totonicapan, Guatemala. Elevation 8500 ft. Obtained chiefly for its probable hardi- ness. The fruit is pear-shaped, weighs 12 ozs., and is green in color, with tz C2 » , ROLES Re oF oF a ee Figure 21 PANKAY Should be the hardiest variety in the collection. Smooth, green, of good quality, about 12 ounces in weight. the surface smooth. The flesh is cream-yellow, of good flavor, and the seed is medium size. ‘The ripening season at Totonicapan is from Septem- ber to January. (Fig. 21) 326 1917 ANNUAL REPORT SS ee as SS ass ¢ fat. a Sano os oye) FY 2 SPs = Figure 22 NIMLIOH One of the largest varieties, and very productive. Rough, green, about 3 pounds in weight. Ripens rather early. CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 127 NIMLIOH (No. Seventeen) S. P. I. 44440. From Antigua, Guatemala. Elevation 5100 ft. A large-fruited variety which is at the same time very productive, and of excellent quality. The fruit is broadly oval in form, usually somewhat oblique. It weighs 36 to 45 ozs. ‘The surface is deep green in color, rather rough, the skin thick and woody. lhe flesh is yellow, free from discoloration, and of excellent texture and very rich flavor. The seed is medium sized. At Antigua the ripening season of this variety is February and March, slightly earlier than that of most others. (Fig. 22) Figure 23 PANCHOY A very thick-skinned fruit of excellent quality. Rough, green, about a pound in weight. Midseason. PANCHOY (No. Eighteen) S. P. I. 44625. From Antigua, Guatemala. Elevation 5100 ft. A very thick-skinned fruit of unusually choice quality. In form it is broadly obovoid, in weight about one pound. The surface is rough, green in color, the flesh deep yellow, smooth, of very rich flavor. The seed is rather small. ‘The ripening season at Antigua is January to April. A midseason variety. (Fig. 23) 128 1917 ANNUAL REPORT TUMIN (No. Twenty) S. P. I. 44627. From Antigua, Guate- mala. Elevation 5100 ft. Remarkable for its unusual productiveness, the fruits often being borne in clusters. In addition the fruit is of desir- able size and form, and of excellent quality. It is slightly oblate, shaped Figure 24 TUMIN Unusually productive. Smooth, almost glossy, purplish black in color. Weight 12 to 15 ounces. Midseason. like the Trapp of Florida, but weighs only 12 to 15 ozs. The surface is quite smooth, almost glossy, purplish black in color. ‘The skin is rather thin, the flesh yellow, smooth, free from discoloration, and of rich flavor. The seed is medium sized, sometimes a trifle large. The variety ripens about midseason, March to May at Antigua. (Fig. 24) CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 129 BENIK (No. Twenty-one) S. P. I. 44626. From Antigua, Guatemala. Elevation 5100 ft. A very handsome fruit of fine quality. In form it is pear-shaped, in weight about 20 ozs. The surface is slightly rough, maroon-purple in color, the skin moderately thick. The flesh is Figure 25 BENIK Handsome and of fine quality. Rough, maroon-purple in color, 20 ounces in weight. Midseason. bright yellow, free from discoloration, and of very fine quality. The seed is medium sized. It ripens about midseason, February to May at Antigua. (Eig 25) 130 1917 ANNUAL REPORT KEKCHI (No. Twenty-two) S. P. I. 44679. From Purula, Baja Verapaz, Guatemala. Elevation 5150 ft. A remarkable little fruit, early in season and very productive. In form it is pear-shaped or obovoid, in weight not over 6 ozs. ‘The surface is slightly rough, deep maroon in color. Figure 26 KEKCHI Early and very prolific. Rough, purple, 6 ounces in weight. The ripening season is unusually long. The skin is moderately thick, the flesh yellow, slightly discolored, and of very rich and pleasant flavor. The seed is comparatively small. It com- mences to ripen very early, December at Purula, and continues until April or May. (Fig. 26) CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 1381 MAYAPAN (No. Twenty-three) S. P. I. 44680. From Purula, Baja Verapaz, Guatemala. A fruit of attractive form and size, and in quality excelled by none. It is nearly round, about a pound in weight, the surface slightly rough and deep maroon in color. ‘The skin is very Figure 27 MAYAPAN One of the very best in quality. Rough, deep maroon in color, about 1 pound in weight. Midseason. thick, the flesh deep yellow, smooth, free from all discoloration, and of ex- ceedingly rich and pleasant flavor. The seed is small to medium sized. At Purula the variety ripens from March to July, hence it can be termed midseason. (Fig. 27) 132 1917 ANNUAL REPORT KAYAB (No. Twenty-five) S. P. I. 44681. From San Cristébal Verapaz, Guatemala. Elevation 4550 ft. A round fruit similar to the Chisoy. It weighs about a pound. The surface is slightly rough, the skin Gg SE ce 8 srl ag GF Cart eae So f sA e a c~ aa Fp iS a 7 , a Figure 28 KAYAB A fruit of fine quality. Rough, green, about a pound in weight. Midseason. thick. The flesh is deep yellow, free from discoloration, and of rich flavor. The seed is small to medium sized. The variety ripens about midseason, February to May at San Cristébal. (Fig. 28) CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 133 MANIK (No. Twenty-six) S. P. I. 45560. From Antigua, Guatemala. Elevation 5100 ft. A productive and rather early variety of excellent quality. In form the fruit is oval to slender pyriform, in weight ~ K,. mre, 4 ess Revyie SEG vf > Figure 29 MANIK Productive and rather early. Slightly rough, green, 8 to 12 ounces in weight. it varies from 8 to 12 ozs. ‘The surface is green, slightly rough, the skin moderately thick. The flesh is rich yellow in color, free from all discolora- tion, and of very rich flavor. The seed is small to a trifle large. The sea- son at Antigua is from January to June. (Fig. 29) 134 1917 ANNUAL REPORT CABNAL (No. Twenty-seven) S. P. I. 44782. From Antigua, Guatemala. Elevation 5100 ft. A productive variety of attractive form and good quality. The fruit is round, and weighs 12 to 16 ozs. The Figure 30 CABNAL A productive variety of fine quality. Rough, dark green in color, 12 to 16 ounces in weight. Midseason to late. surface is rather rough, dark green in color, the skin thick. The flesh is cream-yellow, oily in texture, and of rich and rather distinctive flavor. The seed averages rather small. The variety ripens midseason to late, March to June or later at Antigua. (Fig. 30) CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 135 CANTEL (No. Twenty-eight) S. P. I. 44783. From Antigua, Guatemala. Elevation 5100 ft. A round fruit having an unusually small seed. The parent tree is young, and has not yet produced a large crop. The fruit weighs about a pound. The surface is green, pebbled, the skin moderately thick. The flesh is cream colored, of rich flavor. ‘The seed is usually small. Ripens midseason. (Fig. 31) Figure 31 CANTEL A variety of good quality, with an unusually small seed for a round fruit. Almost smooth, green, a pound in weight. TERTOH (No. Thirty) S. P. I. 44856. From Mixco, near Guatemala City. Elevation approximately 5700 ft. A famous avocado of very large size and excellent quality. In form it is pear-shaped or al- most oblong, in weight up to 3 lbs. The surface is quite smooth, deep purple in color, the skin rather thin. The flesh is yellow, free from dis- coloration, and of rich flavor. The seed is comparatively very small. The ripening season is rather early, February to April at Mixco. (Fig. 32) AKBAL (No. Thirty-two) S. P. I. 45505. From Anmatitlan, Guatemala. Elevation 4200 ft. A particularly early avocado. In form it is long and slender, in weight about 12 ozs. The surface is quite smooth, bright green, the skin thin. ‘The flesh is deep yellow in color, of rich and pleasant flavor. The seed is medium sized, not fitting quite as snugly within the cavity as in most Guatemalan avocados. ‘The ripening season at Amatitlan is August to November, hence the variety may be classed as very early. (Fig. 33) Figure 32 TERTOH Very large and x of excellent quality. is Smooth, deep purple Ike in color, 3 pounds in weight. Rather early in season. a, yy s pose iP) CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 137 Figure 33 AKBAL Very early and of good quality, though the shape is) not as desirable as some others. Smooth, green, about 12 ounces in weight. 138 1917 ANNUAL REPORT ISHIM (No. Thirty-four) S. P. I. 45562. From San Lorenzo el Cubo, near Antigua, Guatemala. Elevation about 5500 ft. A very early variety, not quite equal in quality to some of the others in the collection. In form the fruit is pear-shaped to obovoid, in weight about 12 ozs. The surface is quite smooth, deep maroon in color, the skin very thin for this race. The flesh is cream yellow, slightly discolored, of moderately rich flavor. ‘The seed is a trifle large. At San Lorenzo the variety ripens from October to December. KANAN (No. Thirty-five) S. P. I. 45563. From San Lorenzo el Cubo, near Antigua, Guatemala. Elevation about 5300 ft. A medium early variety of good form and rather large size. It is round, and weighs 16 to 20 ozs. The surface is bright green, slightly rough, the skin mod- erately thick. ‘The flesh is yellow, free from discoloration, smooth, and of very rich flavor. The seed is rather small. The variety matures in Janu- ary at San Lorenzo. (Fig. 34) ae re? PON < = ae > 7 y il YY R ott wu e ‘ fis (te ee ta ee oe" SN . YI , My : , t , _-——" ~— A? ay RS oh oy tir . C3 4 4 .. be Kee a 3 Ste. « Be es Foe Naps RES eve no PS we sho. ree 9 7 Bile Bry f “fo oe Exes Figure 34 KANAN An excellent fruit, and rather early in season. Slightly rough, green, 16 to 20 ounces in weight. CHABIL (No. Thirty-six) S. P. I. 45564. From San Lorenzo el Cubo, near Antigua, Guatemala. Elevation 5500 ft. A small early fruit of excellent quality. In form it is round, in weigh about 9 ozs. The sur- face is smooth, deep purple in color. The skin is quite thick and woody. The flesh is yellow, of rich flavor. The seed is rather small. ‘The ripen- ing season at San Lorenzo is November to March. Sn Hemoriam Nathan W. Blanchard Santa Paula G. W. Hosford San Dimas | Joseph Sexton Santa Barbara G. W. Tewksbury Pasadena Four Years Lost To Many Avocado Growers VERY claim that I have made during the last four years for the Genuine Guatemalan Avocado has been sustained by Mr. Wilson Popenoe, the U. S. Dept. of Agriculture Explorer, who has just returned from Cen- tral America. Read carefully his article in this book. From among all the so-called Guatemalan Type of Avocados grown in California, only the Rey, Linda, Queen and Knight varieties are grown from Genuine Guatemalan Budwood. These varieties were selected by me from among the very finest fruiting trees growing in Guatemala. Call and examine my trees and nursery stock. Write for booklets on the Guatemalan Avocado. FOR SALE Nursery stock from all four varieties. Budwood from the Rey and Linda varieties only. E. E. KNIGHT GUATEMALA AVOCADO NURSERY YORBA LINDA, CALIFORNIA The Commonest Mistake now being made by orchardists is in planting a hodge-podge of varieties, a little of every- thing and not much of anything. When it comes to marketing the most important assets are a known brand and a uniform pack. Miscellaneous lots of fruits are hard to sell. Are you planting trees for the pleasure of experimenting or to make money? The ques- tion of varieties is pretty well settled, if you are of an open mind and willing to investi- gate. The Spinks is really the only one to consider. It embodies the good points of all the others combined with none of their de- fects. The tree is sturdy, cold and heat re- sistant, rapid growing, early bearing, pro- lific and holds its fruit for months after ma- turity. The fruit is of the finest quality, ex- actly the right size and far surpasses all others in external beauty. What other points of merit could you suggest? Why give your time and valuable space to other kinds? W. A. SPINKS AVOCADO NURSERIES DUARTE, CALIFORNIA Hart & Barber N Avocado Co. .e"™™ Orchardists NURSERIES, NORTH WHITTIER HEIGHTS Root Curl Eliminated. Our seedlings are transplanted bare root. No pots. Only Mexican seeds used for stock. Budwood selected from fruit wood of bearing trees. You are invited to inspect our Nurseries. Two miles south of Puente. T. U. BARBER, Vice-President and Manager Telephone 7952 Whittier Exchange Los Angeles Office, 518 Van Nuys Bldg. Growing AVOCADO TREES has been a specialty in our nurseries for years. Careful selection of buds, propagation methods, close study of new varieties, and the habits of the Avocado combine to enable us to supply the most exacting planter with strong depend- able trees. WE CORDIALLY INVITE YOU to visit our nurseries, see the trees and investigate our methods of growing. LARGE ILLUSTRATED CATALOG of Avocados, Tropical, Citrus, and Deciduous Fruit Trees, Fruit Plants, Ornamental Plants, Shrubs and Trees, mailed free upon request. : WE GROW OUR OWN STOCK Each department is under the supervision of trained men. ARMSTRONG NURSERIES Jno. S. ARMSTRONG, Proprietor 402 EUCLID AVE. ONTARIO, CAL. WE GROW AVOCADOS WE ALSO GROW Apples Figs Plums Apricots Olives Prunes Almonds Peaches Pomegranates Cherries Pears Quinces A complete stock of Citrus Fruits, Ornamental Trees, Shrubs, Climbing Vines, Roses. Our Catalogue is free. Write for it. Fancher Creek Nurseries FRESNO, CALIFORNIA Avocado Budwood Tree Performance Record— Leading Varieties The Fuerte has proved a win- ter (commercial) bearer, pro- lific, high in oil (30.72 per cent), heat resistant and the hardiest of the thick-skin va- rieties. The only California avocado on the market this winter. J. T. Whedon YORBA LINDA CALIFORNIA Every Avocado Grower Should Read The California Citrograph To keep informed concerning the industry. New Price $! a year. 425 Story Building Los Angeles - - California The FUERTE AVOCADO ‘The Fuerte is one of the richest and best Avocados | ever ate.” Willett L. Hardin, Ph. D., Consulting Chemist, Mount Washington, Los Angeles,—for two years a resident of Mexico, Student of Avocado Culture, and a Director of the California Avocado Association. lLrS HISTORY From Atlixco, in the highlands of Southern Mexico, at an allti- tude of 6,000 feet, where the climate is dry, the summers hot, and the winters cold, a West India Gardens explorer in 1911 sent in budwood of several varieties, which represented the cream of this region, long famous for its superior Avocados. ‘These varieties were propagated by us in California, and one of them seemed to deserve the name of Fuerte (vigorous) by its strong growth and hardiness. We accordingly introduced it under that name and grew it beside many other varieties of both local and foreign origin. In the succeeding six years the Fuerte has steadily forced its way upwards. Its record has lead J. T. Whedon an orchardist of Yorba Linda, and owner of fifty 4-year old Fuerte trees to declare: ‘‘I believe there will be more Fuerte trees planted during the next 5 years than all the othervarieties put together’’ **The Fuerte is the hardiest variety growing in my or- chard. I have 40 varieties growing here, and I am sure that the Fuerte is the strongest grower, the most heat resist- ant, and the most frost resistant. I have 60 Fuertes just two years of age, and all are now in full bloom. I am re- setting a number of trees that have failed for various reasons, and all my resets are Fuertes.’-—Lester Keller, President First National Bank of Yorba Linda, and Proprietor of Aztec Ranch. “*As the introducer of the Fuerte Avocado, you are sure- ly entitled to the thanks of all people who learn to know that particular variety. Its richness, productiveness, size, season of ripening, vigor of growth, and hardiness, make it an exceptionally desirable variety.”,—H. A. Stearns, of Stearns & Co., Mfg. Pharmacists, Detroit; California Ranch Owner, and Avocado Grower. Prices of field grown trees, on hardy Mexican roots; | tree, $4; 5 to 10, $3.75 each; 10 to 100, $3.50 each; 100 to 500, $3.25 each; over 500, $3 each. WEST INDIA GARDENS F. O. PoPENOE, President and Manager ALTADENA, CALIFORNIA Sharpless Budded Trees HE Sharpless is the only large, thick-skinner avo- cado ripening in California during the fall and winter months, thus commanding the highest mar- ket prices. This makes it the most protable tree for commercial planting and its long season makes it very desir- able for home use. Mr. L. B. Scott, of the Department of Agriculture, after many months of careful investigation of the avocado in California, said of the Sharpless avocado, in his report before the Avocado Association, in May, 1917: “The Sharpless is, in many respects, the most remark- able avocado in California today. Its season is from Oc- tober to March, and nine avocados in perfect condition were remaining on the tree as late as April Ist this year. The fruits average 20 to 22 ounces in weight, are pear shaped, and when mature, show a beautiful bronze color. The seed is small and the flesh free from fibre.” In his report Mr. Scott advised the association to “urge the nurserymen to cut budwood only from fruiting trees.” We use only budwood from the original Sharpless tree. This insures fruit true to type, and trees should bear at least a year earlier than those budded from young nursery stock. Everyone who plants avocados plants the Sharpless. We carry other varieties recommended by the Califor- nia Avocado Association committee on varieties. Budwood Furnished for Top Working Other Varieties and for Nursery Work. Nurseries Located Five Miles Northeast of Santa Ana on the Newport Road. Phone: Sunset, Tustin 19R4 B. H. SHARPLESS SANTA ANA R. F.-D; Neat 9 ~~ ~ “~ rh Ein