12 



ANNUAL REPORT 1919 AND 1920 



During the forenoon meeting President Sallmon introduced Dr. David Fair- 

 child of the U. S. Department of Agriculture at Washington, who gave a most 

 interesting and instructive talk on some of the general features of the avocado 

 industry. 



A very creditable exhibition of the Mexican and Guatemalan fruits was 

 made by some of the members. Linda fruits weighing as much as 3 pounds were 

 exhibited. The exhibit was in charge of Mr. Yaggy and Dr. Keller. 



At the conclusion of the program President Sallmon expressed the appreci- 

 ation of the Association to Mr. Yaggy and his committee for arrangements for the 

 meeting; to Miss Sexton for her kindness in furnishing the beautiful decorations; 

 to Dr. and Mrs. Keller for their efForts in securing an ample supply of ripe fruit 

 for the dinner; to the management of the Belvedere for the generous assistance 

 which made our meeting a success; and to the local Chamber of Commerce for 

 courteous invitations for entertainment. 



The program being finished, President Sallmon declared the meeting ad- 



W. L. Hardin, Secretary. 

 OPENING ADDRESS 



PRESIDENT WM. H. SALLMON, CHULA VISTA, CALIF. 



Ladies and Gentlemen: 



Let me first express the pleasure we feel in meeting in Santa Barbara, and 

 under the roof of this famous old hotel. It is peculiarly fitting that we should 

 meet in this section of the *'Golden State," where so many experiments in the grow- 

 ing of avocados were tried, where several varieties have originated, and where so 

 many successes in the culture of the fruit have been attained. Here some of the 

 earliest plantings in the state were made. In 1871, the late Judge R. B. Ord 

 brought three avocado seedlings from Mexico, two of which grew to be fine big 

 trees, bearing good fruit. Here the first orchard of avocados planted in Califor- 

 nia was started by the late Kinton Stevens in Montecito in 1 895, and here the late 

 Joseph Sexton nurtured at his home in Goleta over ninety varieties of avocado 

 trees representing types from Mexico, Guatemala, Hawaii, Florida and California, 

 with the object of discovering the varieties best adapted to the conditions in this 

 section. It is pleasurable and profitable to visit the place of beginnings and the 

 pleasure and profit we derived from the dinner and lecture last evening are fore- 

 tastes of what we expect from this meeting in Santa Barbara. 



It has been the custom of the California Avocado Association to hold two 

 meetings a year. The annual meeting at which business is transacted, directors 

 elected, reports of secretary, treasurer and committees received, the annual address 

 of the president delivered, and a get-together dinner with brief prepared speeches 

 enjoyed has, by common consent, been held in Los Angeles or Pasadena in the 

 spring. The semi-annual meeting with a set program but with no business trans- 

 acted, no reports of officers or committees except one occasionally of very general 

 interest like the report of the committee on varieties to be presented at this meeting, 

 a dinner without speeches and an informal address by the president, is held in the 

 fall. Such meetings, hke this at Santa Barbara, have been held also at San 

 Diego and Riverside. We are a young organization and it has been felt that 

 the holding of two meetings a year helps to stimulate and maintain interest. More- 

 over, the exhibit of fruit which is such an attractive feature of our gatherings, 



