THE AVOCADO 31 



ahead of them our most trying months of drought, March, April 

 and usually most of May. During this period the plants must be 

 watered with the greatest regularity or they will suffer. Following 

 the dry weather of our spring months the trees have the benefit of the 

 rainy season but in Florida our rains are quite frequently uncertain 

 during July and August and there will be need for watering any trees 

 planted during the preceding three or four months. For the past 

 month (June) we have averaged at least two applications of water per 

 week to avocados planted during March, April and May. These 

 spring-planted trees must also withstand the sun's rays during our 

 season of greatest heat and shading is usually a necessity if sun-scald 

 is to be prevented. There are no good reasons why trees thus planted 

 should not be brought through to fall in good condition but it requires 

 a great deal of additional work and expense as compared with trees 

 planted during the latter part of September or first half of October, 

 when rains are of almost daily occurrence and the plants after setting 

 need very little further attention. Furthermore, spring-planted 

 trees very seldom make sufficient growth over those planted in the 

 fall to acquire any considerably greater degree of resistance to cold 

 the following winter. I have always found that trees planted in March 

 fare just about as badly as those planted in September when we have 

 severe cold the next winter." 



In California it is not desirable to plant earlier than March, 

 because of danger from late frosts. April and May are good 

 months, and November planting has been successful. Plant- 

 ing in midsummer is to be avoided, but it may be done success- 

 fully if the trees are carefully shaded and watered until they 

 have become established. 



Avocados are sometimes interplanted with other fruit-trees, 

 such as grapefruit and mangos. This is scarcely to be recom- 

 mended, since avocados require different cultural treatment. 



In Florida, budded avocados are planted 20 by 20 feet (108 

 to the acre) to 26 by 26 feet (64 to the acre), some growers 

 preferring to have the trees close together so that they will 

 soon shade the ground, others desiring to give more room for 

 ultimate development. On light sandy soil the trees are 

 usually set closer than on heavy soils, 20 by 20 feet being a 

 suitable distance in the first case, 24 by 24 in the second. In 



