The Future of the Avocado 



It may seem to be making a strong statement to say that 

 within the next quarter of a century the avocado will rank with 

 the orange as a commercial fruit in Southern California. But 

 there is a foundation of fact underlying this statement, and 

 the reasons seem sufficient, indeed, to warrant the belief that 

 it may become even more important. 



First, the adaptability of the avocado to this climate has 

 been proved beyond the possibility of a doubt. There are one 

 hundred or more trees now bearing, ranging in age from three 

 to twenty-five years, scattered over the southern end of the 

 State from the cool sea-coast to the hot and dry interior valleys. 

 These trees embrace a number of widely different types, sizes 

 and characters of fruits. This test of adaptability ought to 

 be sufficient to satisfy the most skeptical. 



Second, the food value of the fruit is the main basis for the 

 foregoing statement. It presents in a most easily digested and 

 assimilated form as high as 12 to 18 per cent of fat, which places 

 the fruit in a class with the staple food products, instead of be- 

 ing a mere luxury as is the case with many fruits. The taste 1 

 for the avocado is not always acquired upon first trial, but a 

 few repetitions are usually sufficient to make anyone extremely 

 fond of it. The price is now 7 prohibitive to most and only a 

 few have had opportunity to acquire the taste, but as the pro- 

 duction becomes greater and the price lower, an almost unlimited 

 demand will be created throughout the whole country. Culture 

 of the fruit in the United States will be restricted to limited areas 

 in Southern California and South Florida, and consequently the 

 danger of over-production will be eliminated. As rapidly as the 

 price and production will permit, the avocado will become an 

 important and indispensable part of the daily food of the ma- 

 jority of the people of the United States. 



The avocado industry will become the most profitable fruit 

 industry in the United States. A bearing avocado orchard will 

 be of greater value than a national bank. E. V. Blackman. 



