36 



ANNUAL REPORT 1920 AND 1921 



was done that so little criticism has been directed at these lists. Considering the 

 feelings of disappointment and chagrin likely to be aroused over the omission 

 or rejection of this, that and the other favorite avocado son it is rather remarkable 

 that more protests have not been raised over the decisions. The Committee for 

 the year has consisted of Messrs. Chas. D. Adams, T. U. Barber, Wm. Hert- 

 rich, C. F. Kinman and L. B. Scott. They have met frequently, have visited 

 trees of promising new varieties, sampled their fruits in season and reported 

 their conclusions at each meeting of the directors. Very careful data has been 

 kept by Mr. Hertrich and the reports are included in the records of the Associa- 

 tion. With the increase of knowledge and experience the list will be revised at 

 intervals and members who have information of value about the older varieties or 

 promising new ones are invited to lay it before the Committee. 



Budrvood Selection. At the annual meeting in May, 1920, the Associa- 

 tion voted to establish a department for the selection of budwood and the 

 keeping of individual tree records. Following your instructions the directors 

 accepted the generous offer of $500 from Mr. R. M. Teague towards the 

 salary of a person to take charge of this v/ork and, as stated, appointed Miss 

 McNally to include this duty with the secretaryship. We were not long in 

 discovering that we had the cart before the horse. Emphasis had been placed 

 upon the selection of budwood and the benefits which it would bring to all 

 avocado growers, whereas prior emphasis should be placed upon the keeping of 

 individual tree records, for there can be no intelligent and satisfactory selection 

 of budwood without these records. It is not sufficient to take the word of a 

 grower that certain trees have borne fruit abundantly of good size and quality 

 and that others have been inferior in these respects. There are too many uncer- 

 tain factors in such offhand information. One of our most respected growers, 

 who indicated his superior trees in this informal manner for the cutting of bud 

 wood, was until recently of the opinion that since all Fuerte trees traced their 

 origin to the parent Fuerte, one Fuerte was as good as another from which to 

 obtain budwood. Experience has shown that the budded trees of this variety 

 and of all others vary greatly in their performance. Just how greatly they vary, 

 in what respects and which are the super trees can only be determined thru actucJ 

 performance records kept accurately thru a period of years. The careful nur- 

 seryman who uses the buds and the grower who buys the budded stock in quantity 

 desire assurance as to the records of the trees from which the buds are taken. 

 Now there are very few of our growers who are keeping such records and conse- 

 quently we have a rather insecure foundation upon which to build a department 

 of budwood selection. A similar state of affairs faced Mr. L. B. Scott who 

 came to California to manage the newly-formed Nurserymen's Bud Selection 

 Association. He says, "The formation of the Nurserymen's Bud Selection 

 Association of California was heralded by fruit growers, nurserymen and others 

 interested in California horticulture as a progressive step towards the solving of 

 the question of securing a better type of budwood, and thus assuring the public a 

 better type of orchard tree. We were at once confronted with the problem that 

 there was an immediate demand for budwood and, with the possible exception of 

 a few olive and walnut records, practically no individual tree records of deciduous 

 fruits had been secured in this state. I at once saw that it was impossible to fur- 

 nish budwood to the nurseryman this season which could in any sense of the 

 word be called 'selected.' I also realized that if my time and that of other 

 employes of the association were given entirely to the cutting of budwood for this 

 year's propagation that no attempt could be made toward securing a better type 

 of budwood for future propagation. We therefore began securing estimated 



