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ANNUAL REPORT 1918 AND 1919 



CARE OF THE AVOCADO TREE FOR ONE YEAR 

 AFTER LEAVING THE NURSERY 



By Wm. Hertrich, San Gabriel, Cal. 



Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen of the Convention: 



The following suggestions regarding the care of the young avocado 

 tree are principally for amateurs who are about to plant their first avocado 

 tree. 



Do not be discouraged with your first attempt to grow one of the 

 most delicious fruits in the world's market today. During the last few 

 years of my observation on avocado planting I have noticed a great many 

 ways of handling young trees just from the nursery, especially among ama- 

 teur planters and some of them had great success, while others had just as 

 great failures. In the first instance all of the credit was claimed by the 

 planter; in the second, of course, the nurseryman was blamed, the trees 

 being considered no good. Most of us know that not all of the nurserymen 

 who sell avocado trees are angels, but, however, there are plenty of reliable 

 firms, who are not only willing to sell good trees true to name, but will also 

 give information regarding the planting and taking care of them, provided 

 that the buyer can inform him as to the condition of the surface cind subsoil 

 in which he wishes to plant, and if possible the location. 



It has been repeatedly stated that the avocado tree will stand all the 

 water one can give it and the more given the better it will grow, but this is 

 not true only under the right conditions, for it has also been proven that the 

 avocado can be grown with very little irrigation. However, neither of the 

 above statements should be used as a basis for planting young trees without 

 first taking into consideration the local condition of the soil, be it for orchard 

 or door-yard planting. 



C' far the best time to transplant young avocado trees just from the 

 nursery is in the Spring as soon as the ground is warm enough to encourage 

 root action, regardless of the fact that the stock was previously established 

 in cans, boxes, or had been dug from a nursery row. Established plants, 

 which have been kept in the open for some little time before planting will 

 require no special protection upon planting, but plants which have been 

 kept in a lath-house or shade of other nature should be protected for the 

 first few months from the strong sun's rays. If no protection is given and 

 a few warm days should follow the planting the tender foliage would be- 

 come burned and even the soft bark would be cooked. Young trees, which 

 have been growing in the nursery row, upon being dug and balled should 

 be placed in a shady place, either under a tree, a shade house, or the like, 

 so as to get over the shock of transplanting as soon as possible, and when 

 planting out such trees, it is much better to shade them for the first few 

 monhs. 



Small budded trees to 2 feet high are usually taken up without prun- 

 ing back the tops, but larger trees, two to fivel years old will have to be 

 pruned back severely so that they can be handled in small boxes. It is 

 these trees which are liable to sunburn very easily and not only the leaves, 

 but the soft limbs as well. Besides having a little shade to protect them it 

 is well to whitewash the trunks and limbs. 



