CHANGES IZST COMPOSITION OF CALIFORNIA AVOCADOS. 



Fat was extracted from the moisture-free samples with anhydrous 

 ether in a Soxhlet apparatus. 



Sugar was determined after inversion in the cold, by the usual 

 reduction methods, the cuprous oxid being determined by the 

 optional official method, using ferrous sulphate and permanganate 

 solution. 



Nitrogen was determined by the Gunning method, the result 

 obtained being multiplied by 6.25 for protein. 



Crude fiber was determined by the usual method. 



RESULTS OF INVESTIGATION. 



The results of this investigation are given in Tables 1 to 6. Table 

 1 shows the rank of each variety in the matter of weight, percentage 

 of edible portion, seed, and skin, and the percentage of pro- 

 tien, fat, and crude fiber in the edible portion. The data obtained 

 from the analyses of the fruit from the selected trees are presented 

 in Table 2, and, in order to facilitate comparisons, the same data, 

 calculated to a water-free basis, are given in Table 3. Table 4 

 shows the number of days elapsing between the time the fruits 

 were picked and the time they became soft enough to eat. 

 Table 5 gives the results obtained from the analyses of miscellaneous 

 samples of avocados grown in California. Table 6 gives the results 

 obtained from the analyses of samples of fruit of the varieties intro- 

 duced from Guatemala and South America by the Office of Seed and 

 Plant Introduction, Bureau of Plant Industry, United States Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture. Figure 1 shows the increase in the fat content 

 of the edible portion of the standard varieties of avocados during 

 growth. 



Table 1. — Comparison of varieties of the avocado. 



Rank. 



Weight. 



Seed. 



Skin. 



Variety. 



Ounce . 



Variety. 



Percent. 



Variety. 



Per cent. 



1 







23.4 

 19.3 

 18.2 



I. ..7 



15.3 



11.7 

 13. l 

 ,S.3 



Fuerti 



Sharp 

 Dickh 

 Lyon . 

 Taft.. 





8.5 



S.tt 

 9.5 



9.7 

 11.8 

 11. 1 

 17.7 

 19.4 



Puebla. 

 Fuerl e . 

 Blakem 



spin k., . 

 Sharpie 

 Tafl 





~>. 5 



2 









5.6 



3 









r>.7 



4 









7.0 





Taft... 







7.5 



'. 









8.(5 



7 





Puebl 







9. 5 



■ 



ila.. 





Diekins 





18.9 













Hank. 



Edible poi 



Protein in edible por- 

 tion. 



Fat in edible 



lortion. 



('rude fiber 

 porl ii 



edible 

 n. 





Van 



ivi cent. 



Variety. 



Pei ■■'■mi . 



Variel y. 



Percent. 



Variety. 



Pei ■•■nil . 



1 



3tuu pli 



Blakeman — 



Splnks 



Tafl 



Dickie 







•' 'i 



7 s. •) 

 7'i. 1 

 71.0 

 7.!. 



72.0 



1 lliTt I 



Puebb 

 Blakei 





1. 37 

 ■J. 7H 

 ■1. 32 

 8.30 



2. 26 

 1 . 92 

 1.66 



Puebla 



29. 93 

 •-'ii. 89 

 26. 15 

 21.55 



l -.. -;'i 

 1 S. :,3 

 H. 11 



1 1. us 



Tafl 



0. 7.". 



2 





Sharpless... 



Puebla 



Lyon 



Dickinson.. 

 Blakeman.. 

 Puerto 



1.09 



:; 







1.09 



l 



L 



Bla 

 Tal 

 Son 



slia 

 Die 



cemsnv.. - 



1. 12 

 I.I.". 



6 



7 

 H 



l)i' ki! 



k 



rpless.... 



i 



1.19 



1.24 



1.3.') 



















