CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 



3\ 



The name Atlixco as 

 represented in the picture- 

 writing of the Aztecs. (See 

 explanation in the text). 



as 25 feet below' the surface. I noticed in the garden of Pedro Carrera a well 

 in which the water stood at a depth of about 20 feet. 



In discussing the climatic conditions of a region 

 such as Atlixco, one is handicapped by the lack of 

 meteorological data. Naturally enough, such data 

 are not obtained in the small towns of Latin Ameri- 

 can countries, hence one must resort to the observa- 

 tions he can make from the presence of topographical 

 features which influence the climate, and from the 

 character of the vegetation. In the case of Atlixco, 

 we have a few data from Puebla which are of value, 

 but must draw our conclusions regarding minimum 

 temperatures from the presence and behavior of cer- 

 tain plants whose susceptibility to frost is fairly well 

 known to us. 



The valley of Atlixco is said to be somewhat drier than that of Puebla. The 

 rain-clouds which drift up from the Gulf coast and impinge upon the great bulk 

 of the volcano Malintzi, precipitating their moisture upon the valley of Puebla, 

 do not always reach Atlixco, because of the barrier formed by the mountain range 

 which separates the two valleys. I have been unable to obtain any records of 

 the annual rainfall in the valley of Atlixco, hence an approximation must be 

 reached by subtracting 5 to 10 inches, the probable difference, from the known 

 annual rainfall of Puebla. This latter, according to the records of the observatory 

 of the Colegio del Estado, averaged about 36 inches during a period of five years. 

 Using this as a basis, it is reasonable to consider the rainfall of Atlixco 30 inches 

 or a little less. 



There are well-marked wet and dry seasons, the former extending from 

 June to September or October, and the latter from October to May inclusive. 

 During the dry season there is an occasional light shower, usually of no import- 

 ance agriculturally. The abundance of surface water in the vicinity of the avocado 

 orchards, however, makes it possible to irrigate the trees at any period of the year. 



In regard to extremes of temperature, the maximum is not so high, nor the 

 minimum so low, as in the avocado districts of California. The highest tempera- 

 ture registered in the city of Puebla during a long period of years is approximately 

 90° F. The minimum in the same city is 32° F. The difference in elevation be- 

 tween Puebla and Atlixco results in the minimum temperatures of the latter region 

 being higher than those of the former. It is safe to assume, therefore, that the 

 minimum experienced in Atlixco is not as low as 32° F. The mean annual tem- 

 perature of Puebla is about 61° F. ; in Atlixco it certainly is not much higher. 

 The presence of coffee plants in abundance is a definite indication that the usual 

 minimum temperatures are not so low as in most parts of southern California; 

 even better evidence of this is furnished by the zapote {Achradelpha mammosa), 

 the zapote negro (Diospyros ehenaster), and the zapote amarillo (Lucuma 

 salicifoUa) . All of these plants succeed in Atlixco, but can not be grown in 

 California. Judging by the presence and appearance of these and other cultivated 

 plants, I do not believe it is common for this region to experience temperatures 

 lower than 38° or 40° above zero. 



It will readily be seen, therefore, that the climate of Atlixco is not so cold in 

 winter as that of southern California, neither is it so warm in summer. It is more 

 equable, the seasons being less well marked by changes of temperature than they 

 are in California. 



