48 BULLETIN 743, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



around, it seems to be an exceptionally promising variety, and it 

 ripens earlier than many others, which makes it particularly worthy 

 of trial in California, where early-ripening varieties of the Guate- 

 malan race are greatly desired. 



The parent tree stands among coffee bushes in the sitio of Diego 

 Muus in the town of San Cristobal. The elevation here is 4,550 

 feet. Close to the tree, on the west, is a much larger avocado tree 

 which crowds it considerably, and there is an inga tree a few 

 feet away on another side. The tree must be considered, therefore, 

 to be growing under unfavorable conditions. The soil is a heavy 

 clay loam, blackish and very fertile. While the owner is not certain 

 as to the exact age of the tree, it is thought to be 8 or 10 years old. 

 It is about 25 feet high, with a slender, open crown rather sparsely 

 branched. The trunk is 8 inches thick at the base, branching about 

 8 feet from the ground. The tree bears every indication of being a 

 strong grower; the young branchlets are stout, long, and extremely 

 healthy in appearance. The wood is no more brittle than the average. 

 The bud wood furnished by the tree is excellent, having strong, 

 vigorous eyes which are not inclined to drop at an early stage. The 

 twigs are smooth, round, stout, with the eyes conveniently placed for 

 cutting buds, i. e., not too close together. 



No frosts occur in San Cristobal; hence, there is no means of de- 

 termining whether varieties growing here are hardier than the aver- 

 age. Until further evidence is obtained in the United States it must 

 be assumed that varieties from elevations such as that of San Cristo- 

 bal are of average hardiness. 



The flowering season is February. The tree is said to have come 

 into bearing three years ago. It produced an excellent crop the past 

 season, considering the size of the fruit and the unfavorable condi- 

 tions under which it is growing. In 1917 it set no fruit. The crop 

 which developed in 1916 was picked in January and February, 1917, 

 at which time the fruit was considered to be mature, None was left 

 on the tree, so it is impossible to say how late the fruits might hang 

 on if they were allowed to do so. 



This fruit is broadly oval in form, slightly oblique, and weighs 20 

 to 22 ounces. It is green in color when ripe, practically smooth on 

 the surface, with a hard, brittle, but not unusually thick skin. The 

 flesh is smooth, deep yellow in color, clean, and free from fiber. The 

 flavor is very rich and pleasant. The seed is unusually small, weigh- 

 ing but 2 ounces, and fits tightly in its cavity. 



Following is a formal description of this variety. 



Form broadly oval, slightly oblique; size very large, weight 20 to 22 ounces, 

 length 4J inches, breadth 4 inches; base obliquely flattened, the stem in- 

 serted without depression ; apex obliquely flattened, slightly depressed 

 around the stigmatic point; surface pebbled, deep green in color, with 



