CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 



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devote too much of their attention to the medicinal virtues of the avocado. 

 From our point of view it would have been mucli better if they had given 

 us more information concerning its culture among the ancient Mexicans. 



If we are safe in assuming that the avocado is of more or less the 

 same importance as a foodstuff among the Mexicans of today that it was 

 in pre-Columbian times, — and I believe in general this must be true, — then 

 it can be said that this fruit did not play such an important role in the 

 daily life of the Mexicans as it did among the Maya tribes of Guatemala. 

 For I have seen no place in Mexico, as yet, where the avocado is so extens- 

 ively used, — where it is such a veritable staple, — as it is in northern Guate- 

 mala. Nor does its use among Mexicans of European blood seem to be 

 so extensive as among Guatemalans of European blood. Recently, while 

 working in the highlands during the height of the season for avocados of 

 the Mexican race, I was somewhat surprised to observe that not even in 

 Queretaro, an important center of avocado culture, were there quantities 

 of fruit in the market at all comparable to the huge piles seen in the markets 

 of Guatemala City almost any day in the year. I am certain that for 

 every bushel of fruits I saw in the markets of Queretaro, I could, on the 

 same day, have found three in the markets of Guatemala City. 



Classification 



To those interested only in the practical side of avocado culture, the 

 subject of classification may not possess a great deal of interest. Yet a 

 moment's reflection is sufficient to convince nearly anyone of the immense 

 practical importance of this subject, and the immediate necessity of its 

 thorough study. 



Horticultural science is founded upon botanical science, in certain 

 very important particulars at least, and botanical science is founded upon 

 classification. Without an adequate knowledge of the classification of 

 avocados, the horticulturist begins his work of planting, cultivation, and 

 those numerous other operations which have for their object the production 

 of fruit, under a tremendous handicap. Let me illustrate. A certain hor- 

 ticulturist in California has learned, by empirical means, that avocados 

 from Florida do not succeed in California. This is because they are of 

 the West Indian race, but we are assuming that he knows nothing about 

 races ; to him an avocado is an avocado, and all he knows is that avocados 

 from Florida have frosted down every time he has planted them in his 

 orchard. A friend of his at Miami sends him a young tree with the 

 request that he plant it. It happenes to be an avocado of the Guatemalan 

 race, which would succeed in California ; but knowing nothing of races and 

 remembering his previous experience with avocados from Florida, he 

 throws it on the trash heap. 



Another hypothetical instance to show the opposite state of affairs. 

 An avocado is introduced into the United States from the lowlands of 

 southern Mexico, and a tree is sent to a man in California by the De- 

 partment of Agriculture at Washington. This man knows that the avocados 

 of the region whence this comes are mainly of the West Indian race, and 

 he knows that the West Indian race has been tested pretty thoroughly in 

 California and does not give satisfactory results. He is undecided for a 

 moment; shall he plant it and see if by careful protection during the first 



