The Commercial Avocado 



At the present moment the question of greatest importance 

 to prospective avocado growers is "What are the best varieties 

 for commercial purposes?" 



1. SEASON 



When the avocado comes to be known and valued as a food 

 product, there will be a steady demand for it throughout 

 the twelve months of the year. At present, however, there is 

 the greatest demand during the winter months, when other 

 fruits are scarce. The Florida growers have almost ceased to 

 plant anything but winter bearing varieties, and it will be ad- 

 visable for California orchardists to plant mainly of winter and 

 early spring bearing sorts. 



2. HARDINESS 



While there are doubtless limited areas in Southern Califor- 

 nia where avocados from the West Indies and Hawaii will thrive, 

 our experience leads to the belief that for general culture in 

 California we must have hardier varieties than those localities 

 ordinarily produce. Avocados from the Mexican highlands have 

 proved to be hardy almost anywhere in Southern California, and 

 suited to as large an area as the orange. There are many loca- 

 tions in Mexico where avocados are produced in quantity, where 

 fully as low temperatures are experienced as are ever felt here. 

 Indeed, it is stated by G. N. Collins, a well known authority 

 that he found in one locality in Mexico avocados growing and 

 thriving where snow fell every winter. There are many fine 

 Mexican and Central American varieties which possess the re- 

 quisite of hardiness in a very satisfactory degree. 



3. YIELD. 



Through the propagation by budding a great difficulty ex- 

 perienced with the seedlings has been done away with, namely 

 the liability of the tree to bear sparsely. The orchadist does not, 

 of course, want to plant a tree on which he cannot depend for 

 a good crop. While the smaller types of avocados are almost 

 invariably prolific bearers, the larger varieties when grown from 

 seed are inclined to considerable variation in this respect. Through 

 budding the prolific varieties may be propagated and all danger 

 from this source done away with. The avocado is ordinarily a 

 good bearer. It is not unusual for mature trees of larger 

 varieties to produce a crop of five hundred to one thousand 

 fruits each season, and the small purple varieties are. sometimes 

 extraordinarily prolific, a single tree bearing as high as four 

 thousand fruits in one season, in some instances. 



4. SIZE. 



A mistaken idea which is held by many prospective avocado 

 growers is that the larger the fruit the better. The experience of 



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