CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 



29 



little perplexed, inquired the reason for his sudden chamge of heart. 

 **WelL" said the Colonel, *'when I went into that warehouse I saw enough 

 tobacker to last these United States ten years, and I said 'sell,' but when I 

 walked up to my hotel I saw enough people to chaw all that tobacker in 

 three days, so I guess I will hold it for higher price." 



We have been talking about varieties and methods of culture for the 

 past three years, ever since this association came into existence. We have 

 planted our groves and some of us have fruit to sell, while others are living 

 on expectations, and these expectations we hope will soon be realized. We 

 have reached the place where we will have to be doing some missionary 

 work or our supply will soon be greater than the demand. We must be 

 getting others to try avocados. Remember that learning to eat avocados 

 is like learning to swim. When you have learned once you never forget it. 

 Everyone who learns to like them makes a customer. Those who have 

 learned to eat them will continue to do so but we must educate others that 

 our market will increase as fast as our production. Just how we must go 

 about it, how much is to be done by the individual grower and how much 

 by this association are problems we must work out. 



In direct answer to the first part of my subject, *'How far can we 

 go with the avocado as a food," I will say we can go the limit. There is 

 no danger people will eat too many of them. Why will people eat it, and 

 to what extent? Well, why does a cat eat cream? The cat eats cream 

 because she likes it and then it is good for her. We may give the same 

 reason why people will eat avocados. People like avocados, or will like 

 them when they get good ones, and that will be the great reason why they 

 will eat them. People will eat many things bcause they like them, although 

 the food value may be very small. Then they will eat avocados when they 

 find out their great food value. It's easy digestibility and exceedingly 

 pleasant taste cannot help making it popular when its merits are known. 

 We should make its merits known. 



"It takes the place of meat," is a slogan that will make many eat it. 

 For the past several years we have been getting away from a meat diet. 

 The present war has so increased the price of meat that more and more are 

 cutting down their amount of meat. Meat will probably never be as cheap 

 again as in the past and many will not go back to a meat diet. Some 

 will still have the feeling that they need a little meat, but if they find 

 avocados make a good substitute they surely will eat them. Avocados will 

 be eaten when the price comes down to real food value. Of course, I hope 

 to sell fruit at the prevailing fancy prices. It is now impossible for the man 

 with a small income to eat them regularly. When he pays $1 .00 or $1 .50 

 for an avocado he is not getting food value for his money. He buys be- 

 cause he has the price and wants to gratify that craving for something good. 

 Prices will come down some time, but I think it will be a long time until 

 good avocados will sell per pound for less than the price of butter. 



People will buy them to the extent to which we educate them, to the 

 extent of our ability to sell them at a reasonable price and to the extent of 

 their ability to raise that price. 



