CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 



81 



has proved too generally weak and hard to raise; many trees In many plantings 

 have died and a decay has developed in some of the fruit while still on the tree. 

 We find this has occurred even in the parent tree. Fortunately, these defects do 

 not interfere with the continuance of good prices for the sound fruit from tne goou 

 crops being given by the good trees, nor do they interfere with planting of the 

 trees by those willing to take the risks involved. 



The Blakeman is one of the hardier varieties, with fruit of desirable size 

 and quality, weight about one pound, color, glossy green, and seed comparatively 

 small. Some three-year-old trees are bearing well and the parent tree is a good 

 and regular bearer. The growth of the tree is too spreading and needs pruning 

 when young to produce a compact and proper shape in the older tree. What we 

 lack with this variety is experience with the young budded trees. It has been very 

 limited and we feel that until we have more the variety should not be continued 

 on the list. 



Of the three races of avocado, we know the West Indian to be the most 

 tropical, too tender for California and generally inferior in quality to the Guate- 

 malan, which comes from high altitudes in Guatemala and Mexico and finds itself 

 at home in our orchards wherever lemons will do well and be safe to plant. The 

 fruits of the Guatemalan race so surpass the third race — the Mexican — in size, 

 beauty, thickness of skin, freedom from fiber and good shipping qualities, that we 

 have been led to recommend them alone for commercial planting to the exclusion 

 of the Mexican type, which has a distinctive flavor of its own and is more hardy, 

 standing with very many kinds, as much cold as an orange, with some seedlings 

 even more. The usual faults with the Mexican type, besides the thin skin and 

 very small size, are presence of fibre, of anise taste and of loose seed in the seed 

 cavity. 



It has been well understood that it was only a question of time before we 

 would find examples of the Mexican type worthy to be recommended for plant- 

 ing, and now we discover we have already in the Puebla a very high-grade Mexi- 

 can, which Mr. Wilson Popenoe, after a careful study of the original tree, states 

 positively to be a true Mexican, and not a cross or hybrid, as we supposed. If 

 we will accept his classification, and he is the one best qualified to know, we have 

 already an excellent variety, with its fine distinctive flavor, in our recommended 

 table to which we will, eventually, from time to time, find others to add. The 

 Fuerte also, while predominantly Guatemalan, shows evidence of some Mexican 

 blood. 



In the table which follows the names are placed, not according to merit, 

 but in the order in which the fruit begins to ripen, following the calendar year and 

 using Los Angeles as a center. The ripening periods vary in different years and 

 in different localities. In San Diego and vicinty they are earlier than those given 

 in the table. Last season in that district Pueblas matured from October 7th to 

 December 24th, Dickinsons from March 28th to June 7th: 



LIST OF RECOMMENDED AVOCADO VARIETIES WITH BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS 



Season Dates, \Vt. of Fruit Wt. of Seed Color of 



Varieties Inclusive in Ounces in Ounces Shape of Fruit Mature Fruits 



Fuerte Jan. to April 10 to 16 l^to3 Pyriform Dull Green 



Spinks March to Oct. 1 6 to 20 2 to 3'/2 Obovate to pyriform Purplish Black 



Dickinson May to Sept. 1 4 to 20 1 to V/i Obovate to pyriform Dark Purple 



Sharpless Sept. to Jan. 16 to 20 2 to 3 Pyriform Dark Purple 



Puebla Nov. to Jan. 6 to 1 4 1 to V/i Pyriform Dark Purple 



The Fuerte is one of the hardier varieties on the list, one of the most vigorous 

 growing trees, an early and productive bearer, with fruit of the highest quality 



