THE AVOCADO IN GUATEMALA. 69 



face pebbled, bright green in color with a few large yellowish dots ; skin moder- 

 ately thick, nearly one-eighth of an inch, coarsely granular, woody, and brittle ; 

 flesh cream color, greenish close to the skin, free from fiber or discoloration, of 

 rich and pleasant flavor ; quality very good ; seed rather small, weighing about 

 2 ounces, oblate in form, tight in the cavity, with both seed coats adhering 

 closely to the smooth cotyledons. 



CHABIL. (No. 36.) S. P. I. No. 45564. 



The Chabil avocado is a small, early variety of attractive appear- 

 ance, desirable form, and excellent quality. It is similar to the 

 Kanola of this series and is from the same region. 



The parent tree is growing in a small coffee plantation belong- 

 ing to Ignacio Hernandez, situated on the hillside above San 

 Lorenzo del Cubo, about 3 miles from Antigua. The elevation is 

 approximately 5,500 feet. The tree is 45 feet high, the crown round, 

 of good form, 45 feet broad, formed high above the ground. The 

 trunk is 2 feet thick at the base and the branches are 15 feet above the 

 ground. The age of the tree is not known. 



The elevation of this location is not sufficient to show whether the 

 variety is unusually hardy or not. It may be assumed to be of aver- 

 age hardiness for the Guatemalan race until it has been tested in the 

 United States. 



The crop ripened at the end of 1917 was a very large one, indicat- 

 ing that the productiveness of the variety is likely to prove satis- 

 factory. The flowering season appears to be December and Janu- 

 ary, the fruiting season November to March. 



The fruit is round, weighs about 9 ounces, and is deep purple 

 when fully ripe. The skin is thick and woody. The flesh is of yel- 

 low color. The seed is rather small for a round fruit and is tight in 

 the cavity. 



Following is a formal description of the variety. 



Form spherical or nearly so, usually slightly oblique; size below medium, 

 weight averaging 9 ounces, length 3i inches, greatest breadth 3f inches; base 

 slightly flattened, the stem inserted somewhat obliquely without depression ; 

 apex obliquely flattened but not prominently so ; surface practically smooth, 

 deep dull purple in color when fully ripe, with scattering large yellowish 

 dots; skin thick, sometimes more than one-eighth of an inch, very coarsely 

 granular, hard and woody, rather unusually so ; flesh rich cream yellow in 

 color, with a few fine and almost unobjectionable fibers running through it, 

 flavor rich and nutty ; quality good ; seed medium sized, averaging about 1£ 

 ounces in weight, oblate in form, tight in the cavity, with both seed coats 

 adhering closely to the smooth cotyledons. 



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