512 



SUCCESSFUL FARMING 



other fruits as to suggest a class of its own, and for this reason it has been 

 called a 'salad fruit.' But this term seems too limiting, because it is used 

 in so many other ways. There are many ways in which it might be served. 

 The simplest treatment is to cut open the fruit longitudinally, remove the 

 seeds and serve, affording everybody the opportunity to add salt, pepper, 

 vinegar, olive oil, lime juice or other seasoning in any combination to suit 

 the individual taste. Some prefer it as a dessert with sugar and cream, or 

 with wine and lemon or orange juice. It may be served on the side with 



soup, and in this way is 

 delicious. It is true that 

 the taste for the avocado 

 is an acquired one, yet 

 there are few, if any, 

 food products which so 

 quickly overcome any 

 prej udice and become so 

 highly esteemed. The 

 novice may pronounce 

 the first fruit worthless, 

 but the second is toler- 

 able, the third good, the 

 fourth better, the fifth 

 a delight and after that 

 the difficulty of learning 

 to like them usually 

 gives place to that of 

 getting them often 

 enough." 



The avocado is 

 adapted to a wide range 

 of soils. It demands 

 good drainage and 

 plenty of organic mat- 

 ter. The trees do well 

 in the southern coast district of California and in various sections of 

 Florida. The geographic limits of successful avocado culture are at 

 present undetermined. 



The avocado responds to judicious applications of fertilizers. The 

 texture and flavor as well as the yield of fruit are improved by fertilizers. 

 Excessive amounts of nitrogen should be avoided. 



The trees are propagated from the seeds. These must be fresh, as 

 they soon lose their vitality when exposed to the air. It has been a com- 

 mon practice to produce bearing trees from the seedlings without grafting. 

 The seed should be planted in the soil either in pots, in nursery rows or in 



1 Courtesy of University of California, College of Agriculture. Berkeley, Cal. 



The Taft Avocado Fruit. 1 



