54 BULLETIN 743, U. S. DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE. 



at least a few fruits, but it is to be expected that a tree which pro- 

 duces such a crop as this one did in 1917 will not bear heavily the 

 following- year. While an accurate count was not made, the crop 

 this season was estimated at 300 to 400 fruits. The normal size of 

 the fruits is between 2 and 3 pounds, but owing, doubtless, to the 

 large number on the tree, many do not develop to a greater size than 

 1 pound. Probably good culture and thinning would result in a 

 crop of uniformly large fruits. The season of ripening is earlier 

 than some, most of the fruits being fully ripe in February and March. 



In form this avocado is broadly oval, usually somewhat oblique. 

 The surface is deep green and rather rough, while the skin is thick 

 and woody. The flesh is rich cream yellow in color, smooth, and en- 

 tirely free from fiber or discoloration. The flavor is of the very best, 

 being rich, bland, and pleasant. The seed, while large, is not large 

 in comparison to the great size of the fruit, and the proportion of 

 flesh to seed is quite satisfactory. 



Those who are interested in large avocados should by all means 

 give this variety a trial. Its only visible defect is the tendency to 

 produce weak branches, but if priming and good culture can produce 

 a reasonably shapely and vigorous growth the variety seems likely to 

 prove of value in the United States. 



A formal description of the fruit follows. 



Form broadly oval, sometimes oblong-oval, and always more or less oblique; 

 size extremely large, perfectly developed fruits weighing 36 to 45 ounces and 

 measuring 54 to 6 inches in length by 4£ to 5 inches in breadth ; stem 

 rather short and very stout, inserted obliquely without depression ; base slightly 

 flattened obliquely, not decidedly so ; apes rounded to obliquely flattened ; sur- 

 face heavily pebbled in most instances, occasionally lightly pebbled, deep green 

 in color, with numerous irregular large yellowish dots ; skin moderately thick, 

 one-sixteenth of an inch toward the base of the fruit and one-eighth of an inch 

 toward the apex, separating readily from the flesh, coarsely granular, and 

 brittle ; flesh firm, oily, smooth, rich cream yellow, tinged with green toward 

 the skin, free from fiber or discoloration, and of very rich, pleasant flavor ; 

 quality excellent; seed medium sized, roundish conic or oblate conic, weighing 

 4 ounces, tight in the cavity, with both seed coats adhering closely. 



PANCHOY. (No. 18.) S. P. I. No. 44G25. 



The fruit of the Panchoy avocado is very thick skinned and of 

 unusually good quality. It is rather above medium size (PI. 

 XVII), weighing 15 to 18 ounces, and is of pleasing form — broadly 

 obovoid. The seed is small. Perhaps its most striking characteristic 

 is its unusually thick skin ; but its quality deserves even more notice, 

 for in this respect it is one of the very best in the collection. 



The parent tree is growing in the finca La Polvora in Antigua. 

 The elevation is approximately 5,100 feet. The ground beneath the 

 tree is planted to coffee bushes, which are now about 8 feet high. The 

 soil is rich sandy loam, friable, black, and fertile. The tree is about 



