THE AVOCADO IX GUATEMALA. 41 



jectionable fibers. In a few varieties, however, the quality is very 

 good. Two trees were found in Alta Vera Paz whose fruits would 

 stand comparison with the best avocados. 



As a rule, the seed is proportionately larger in the coyo than in. the 

 Guatemalan race of avocados. In many coyos the layer of flesh be- 

 tween the seed and the skin is not half an inch thick. In the best 

 varieties, however, the seed is proportionately no larger than in good 

 avocados. In all the coyos seen in Guatemala the seed was tight in 

 its cavity. The seed coats are much thicker than in the avocado, the 

 outer one being somewhat corky in texture. 



The coyo seed is much more perishable than that of the avocado 

 and can be kept or shipped only with great difficulty. It is quickly 

 killed by drying in the sun. If kept too wet it rots very soon. It 

 must be kept moist, but not excessively so ; it was noticed that seeds 

 lying on the ground beneath trees in the Vera Paz kept for several 

 wpeks in good condition, finally sprouting and sending up vigorous 

 shoots. Such seeds were in the shade and were moistened practically 

 every day by rain, but the drainage furnished by the fallen leaves 

 upon which they lay and the exposure to the air kept them from 

 rotting. 



CULTURAL REQUIREMENTS. 



The coyo tree grows under a wide variety of conditions. In the 

 valley of the Motagua, between El Rancho and Gualan, it is found 

 near the banks of streams. There is little rainfall in this part of 

 Guatemala, and the air is exceedingly hot and dry during a large 

 part of the year. The hillsides are covered with typical desert vege- 

 tation — cacti, euphorbiads, and thorny leguminous shrubs. Con- 

 trasted with these conditions, the upper Polochic Valley, in Alta 

 Vera Paz, is a very moist region, with a rainfall of approximately 

 150 inches per annum. 



Like the Guatemalan race of avocados, the coyo is abundant at 

 elevations of 4,000 to 5,000 feet; unlike the former, it is fairly com- 

 mon in the tierra caliente, or hot zone, at elevations of 500 to 1,000 

 feet. Whether it will stand as much cold as the Guatemalan avocado 

 can not be stated, but everything indicates that it is reasonably hardy. 



Judging from its behavior in Guatemala, the coyo ought to be suc- 

 cessful in both California and Florida. It grows on soils of various 

 types, from sandy loam, at El Eancho and Zacapa, to heavy clay in 

 some parts of Alta Vera Paz. It withstands the heat of the tropical 

 zone and the cool climate of the subtropical equally well. It is a 

 vigorous, robust tree, requiring no more care than the avocado and 

 apparently subject to the attacks of no more enemies. The coyo can 

 be recommended as a fruit worthy of attention on the part of horti- 

 culturists in the warmest regions of the United States, as well as in 

 the Tropics and subtropics generally. 



