THE AVOCADO IN GUATEMALA. 63 



The parent tree is growing in a sitio occupied by Atanasio Salazar 

 in the outskirts of Antigua, a short distance beyond the first kilo- 

 meter post on the Guatemala road. The elevation is approximately 

 5,100 feet. The tree stands beside a small stream, with several jocote 

 trees (Spondias morribin L.) close around it. Its age is unknown, but 

 it appears to be at least 25 years old, perhaps more. It stands about 

 30 feet high, the trunk, about 15 inches thick at the base, giving off its 

 first branches 10 feet above the ground. The crown is rather broad, 

 dense, and well branched. The young branches are erect, stout, stiff, 

 and well formed, indicating that the tree is a vigorous grower. The 

 wood is not unduly brittle. The bud wood is excellent, the branches 

 being of good length with the buds well placed. The eyes are large, 

 well developed, and show no tendency to fall and leave a blind bud. 



The climate of Antigua is not cold enough to test the hardiness of 

 Guatemalan avocados, but it may reasonably be assumed that this 

 variety is of average hardiness. 



The flowering season is late February and March. The tree pro- 

 duced a heavy crop of fruit from the 1916 blooms and set an equally 

 heavy crop in 1917 to be ripened in 1918. The bearing habits of the 

 variety give promise of being excellent. The fruit ripens in March 

 and April, but can be left on the tree until June or even later. The 

 ripening period may be termed midseason to late. 



The fruit is round, weighing 12 to 16 ounces, rather rough, and 

 dark green or yellowish green externally, with a skin of moderate 

 thickness. It is attractive in appearance and of convenient and de- 

 sirable size and form. The flesh is cream yellow, very oily in texture, 

 and of rich flavor. There is a peculiar nuttiness about the flavor 

 which is not found in the other varieties of this collection. It may, 

 perhaps, be said to suggest the coconut. The seed is /variable in size, 

 but on the average is rather small for a round fruit. It is tight in 

 the cavity. 



A formal description of the fruit is as follows : 



Form spherical ; size below medium to above medium ; weight 10 to 16 

 ounces ; length 3f to 3| inches ; breadth Si to 3| inches ; base rounded, the 

 slender stem inserted slightly to one side without depression ; apex flattened 

 and slightly depressed around the stigmatic point ; surface pebbled, usually 

 rather heavily so, dull green in color with a few small yellowish dots ; skin 

 thick, about one-eighth of an inch, coarsely granular toward the flesh, hard 

 and woody ; flesh rich cream yellow in color, with no fiber and only very 

 slight discoloration, pale green near the skin, fairly dry, and of rich, nutty 

 flavor ; quality very good ; seed round or oblate, medium sized, varying from 1 

 to 2 ounces in weight, tight in the cavity, with both seed coats adhering closely 

 to the cotyledons. 



CANTEL. (No. 28.) S. P. I. No. 44783. 



The parent tree of the Cantel avocado is just coming into bearing 

 and produced but few fruits in 1917. While it is too early to know 



