32 



ANNUAL REPORT 1918 AND 1919 



I have lived in California a little over four years and during that 

 time I have seen you start from seedling avocado trees, come dowTi through 

 Ganter, Harmon, Val-de-Flor, and up to your list of eight. List of eight, 

 how much better that is than a list of one hundred and fifty-eight. That 

 step was the first big advance towards the betterment of the avocado indus- 

 try in this state. This association owes a debt to Prof. L. B. Scott for the 

 help he gave us at that time. 



To many that list of eight may seem to be near the final solution of 

 the question of varieties but it is not. It is only the first step, and one that 

 was delayed longer than it should have been. I am satisfied that there is 

 not a single variety in that list that will be propagated commercially, ten 

 years from today. We shall have better ones before then. As time goes 

 on we shall have gained in knowledge. The question of varieties is too 

 important to be settled by the self interest of one or one dozen men. We 

 must produce the best if we are going to make a success of the avocado. 



In July, 1914, I landed in San Francisco with the first genuine 

 Guatemala Avocado varieties ever imported into this state. These varieties 

 came from the highlands of Guatemala where msmy of the finest avocados 

 in the world are found. Two years ago this association through the help 

 of Dr. H. J. Webber, succeeded in having the United States Department 

 of Agriculture send Mr. Wilson Popenoe, one of its best explorers, to the 

 Republic of Guatemala to have him report on the avocados found there. 

 After sixteen months of explorations, Mr. Popenoe has made his report, 

 which will be found in the proceedings of this association for 191 7. Mr. 

 Popenoe's report bears out all the claims that have been made as to the 

 wonderful avocados found in Guatemala. Not one fault is found with the 

 best of the Guatemalan avocados in any part of this article. In summing 

 up the best Guatemalans as compared with the best found in the United 

 States, he says: "The flesh is of a deeper yellow color, smoother, more 

 buttery texture, and richer flavor than in any varieties yet known in the 

 United States." (Page 1 1 7 Cal. Avocado Report for 191 7.) 



This report of Mr. Wilson Popenoe's will have more influence on 

 avocado varieties in California than any writing to date. In his statements 

 he is frank and conclusive. His explorations were extensive and thorough. 

 He does not mention the excellent shipping qualities of the genuine Guate- 

 malan avocado. The ability of these varieties to stand up under the severe 

 handling is not due as much to the thick skin as to the peculiar construction 

 of the skin which is of a woody nature. Any avocado, whether thick or 

 thin skinned, will ship well for a week or ten days from the date of pick- 

 ing. That is all that is required today, but within a few years, more or 

 less fruit will have to be placed in cold storage to hold it. When the cold 

 storage fruit comes out for re-shipment, then the genuine Guatemala can be 

 handled with much less loss. 



The best varieties of avocados are always found at high altitudes. 

 Each isolated highland seems to produce a class of avocados different from 

 all the others. 



