THE AVOCADO IN GUATEMALA. 59 



The tree has not been seen in bloom, but probably flowers in Febru- 

 ary. In good seasons it carries an enormous crop of fruit. This 

 would be expected of a small-fruited variety. The first fruits turn 

 color about the first of December and can then be picked. The height 

 of the season, however, is not until February, at which time the fruits 

 are fully mature. If allowed to remain on the tree, many of them 

 hang until April or May. 



The fruit is pear shaped or obovoid, small, weighing not over 6 

 ounces (it will probably weigh more when grown under cultivation 

 in California and Florida), somewhat rough on the surface, and 

 maroon in color. The skin is thick and woody. The flesh is yellow, 

 sometimes slightly discolored with fiber streaks, but with no objec- 

 tionable fiber. The flavor is rich and pleasant. The seed is medium 

 sized in comparison with the size of the fruit. In comparison with 

 the seeds of most other 6-ounce fruits it would be called small. 



The variety may be formally described as follows : 



Form broadly obovoid to pyriform ; size small, weight 5 to 6 ounces, length 

 3| to 3J inches, greatest breadth 2f to 2| inches ; base tapering, the moderately 

 stout stem, which is 5| inches long, being inserted slightly obliquely without 

 depression ; apex rounded or almost imperceptibly flattened ; surface rough, 

 deep dull purple-maroon in color, with rather few small russet dots ; skin thick, 

 one-sixteenth of an inch at base, nearly one-eighth of an inch toward the apex 

 of the fruit, coarsely granular and woody in texture ; flesh rich cream yellow, 

 changing to pale green near the skin, sometimes marked with fiber traces but 

 without any tough fibers, buttery in texture, of very rich and agreeable flavor ; 

 quality very good ; seed roundish oblate, small to medium in size, weighing less 

 than 1 ounce, tight in the seed cavity, with both seed coats adhering closely to 

 the cotyledons. 



MAYAPAN. (No. 23.) S. P. I. No. 44680. 



The Mayapan avocado (PI. XX) possesses several excellent com- 

 mercial characteristics — round form, desirable size (nearly 1 pound) , 

 attractive purple color, thick, firm skin, and flesh of excellent quality. 

 In this latter respect it is one of the very best varieties in the collec- 

 tion. The seed is not large and the tree is very productive. It seems 

 a very promising avocado. 



The parent tree is growing in a sitio owned by Arcadio Saguirre 

 in the town of Purula, Department of Baja Vera Paz. The eleva- 

 tion of this town is approximately 5,150 feet. The soil is a heavy clay 

 loam, black, very fertile, and retentive of moisture. The tree stands 

 in the rear of the property, close to a chichicaste hedge. It is 

 apparently not more than 15 or 20 years old, slender, about 40 feet 

 high, with a trunk 1 foot thick at the base. The crown is slender, 

 but well branched, with an abundance of fruiting wood. The young 

 growths are shapely and vigorous, indicating that the variety will 

 probably be a good grower. The bud wood is satisfactory, the 

 branchlets being of good length, round, smooth, with the eyes well 



