62 BULLETIN 743, IT. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



bushes and grevilleas, the tree is not crowded and has developed to 

 large size. It stands about 50 feet high, with a rather slender trunk 

 and a dense crown, the trunk being 2 feet thick at the base and 

 branching about 8 feet from the ground. The age of the tree is 

 probably 30 years or more. It is badly attacked by leaf-gall, but in 

 ' general has the appearance of a strong, vigorous variety, the branch- 

 lets being well formed, long, round, and stout. The bud wood is 

 good, having strongly developed eyes well placed for cutting. 



Antigua does not experience severe frosts; hence, it is impossible 

 to determine in advance of a trial in the United States whether or 

 not the variety is any hardier than the average of the Guatemalan 

 race. 



The flowering season is February and March. The tree blooms 

 profusely and in some years sets enormous crops of fruit. In 1917 a 

 very heavy crop was ripened. The 1918 crop is much smaller. In 

 general, the bearing habits of the tree give promise of being unusually 

 good, there being a tendency for the fruits to develop in clusters. 

 The season of ripening is properly from February to June, but fruits 

 picked early in December develop fairly good flavor upon being 

 ripened in the house. The season may be termed early to midseason. 



The fruit is more variable in form than that of most other varie- 

 ties. The range is from oval to slender pyriform, nearly all the 

 fruits being of the latter shape, without, however, a well-defined 

 neck. The weight varies from 8 to 12 ounces. The surface is slightly 

 rough and green in color. The skin is moderately thick, the flesh 

 rich yellow in color, quite free from all fiber or discoloration, and of 

 very rich and pleasant flavor. The seed is a trifle large in some 

 specimens, small in others, being medium sized or rather small on 

 the average. It is tight in the seed cavity. 

 • The variety may be formally described as follows : 



Form oval to elliptic-pyriform ; size below medium to medium, weight 8i 

 to 12 ounces, length 3f to 4| inches, breadth 2| to 3| inches ; base rounded to 

 pointed, the stem inserted slightly to one side without depression; apex rounded 

 to broadly pointed ; surface sparsely pebbled, uniformly so, bright green in 

 color, with comparatively few small yellowish dots ; skin not very thick for 

 this type, one-sixteenth of an inch near the stem and slightly more toward the 

 ; t p (j x of the fruit, hard and coarsely granular; flesh rich cream yellow in color, 

 free from fiber and with no discoloration, firm and unusually drj% of rich and 

 pleasant flavor ; quality very good ; seed ovoid conical, medium sized, weighing 

 1 ounce more or less, tight in its cavity, with both seed coats adhering closely 

 to the smooth cotyledons. 



CABNAL. (No. 27.) S. P. I. No. 44782. 



The Cabnal avocado is a very productive variety (PI. XXI), whose 

 fruits are of pleasing round form, good size, and rich flavor. It gives 

 promise of being slightly later in ripening than most other Antiguan 

 varieties. 



