194 American Horticultural Society. 



Sixth Day— Thursday. 



MoKNixo Session, Kebruarj' 9, 1888. 



At 9 o'clock A. M. tlic Society rc-a>.scniljl. <l. 



II. K. Bradbury, of Santa Barbara, rea<l the following i)ai>er : 



KAKK FIU'ITS OF THE SANTA BARBARA REGION. 



I;Y I'KOF. H. C. ford, of CALIFORNIA. 



Tlial portion of Santa Barbara county lying between the SanUi Ines 

 range of mountains and the Santa Barbara channel, with an east and west 

 trend of the shore line, having a southern exposure, with pr<.)tection on one 

 hand from the north winds in a mountain wall from 3,0(10 to 4,000 feet in 

 height, and on the other in a chain of outlying islands that break the force 

 of th ^ summer trades, together with the close proximity of a body of water 

 whicli maintains a uniform temperature of 62°, renders this district fitted 

 to the production of certain fruits, some of which are not generally supposed 

 to thrive witliout protection within the limits of the United States. The 

 temperature of this region seldom falls below 40° or rises above 90°, with an 

 average rain-fall of seventeen inches. The cherimoyer, white sapote, avo- 

 cado, date, banana and guava will not thrive where there is much frost, 

 while the Japan persimmon, pomegranate and loquat will bear a greater de- 

 gree of cold, and consequently will lind a wider range of growth in our 

 country. 



The cherimoyer (yl/io?ia c/i,mmo/ia) is a native of Peru, and Humboldt 

 on his visit there denominated it one of the most delicious fruits of the earth. 

 It was introduced to this region about twenty-five years ago. The parent 

 tree, now standing in the grounds of A. Packard, Esq , has attained its full 

 height of sixteen feet, and has produced abundant fruit for many years in 

 such perfection that the seeds have readily germinited, and trees thus prop- 

 agated are in successful bearing in several SanUi Barbara gardens. The 

 leaves are oval and pointed at both ends; tlowers solitiry, very fragrant, and 

 having a greenish color. Good specimens of the fruit are three or four 

 inches in diameter, often heart-shaped, grayish-brown or nearly black when 

 fully ripe. The flesh, in which thirty or forty brown seeds are contained, 

 is soft, sweet and pleasant to the taste, being highly esteemed in its own 

 land both by natives and foreigners. Like many other tropical fruits, it is 

 most palatable when near decay. By many persons in this locality it is pro- 

 nounced excellent, while others speak of it with indifTorence. .Vpparently, 

 it has no i);irticular season for ripening in this neighborhood, yet the best 

 specimens seem to be found at the April and May exhibitions of fruit. 



In the grounds once occupied by one of the mission gardens is a tree of 

 the white sapote {Casimiroa edidU) about two feet in diameter, with sturdy, 



