CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 



41 



REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON REGISTRATION 

 AND CLASSIFICATION OF VARIETIES 



Numerous requests have reached the committee to mention a variety of the 

 Mexican race of Avocados, equally hardy with the orange, that would be satis- 

 factory for home use in door yard planting in places where it would be too cold 

 to raise the Guatemalan varieties. The Ganter has stood this test well for a 

 number of years. The tree is vigorous, precocious and productive. The fruit 

 is one of the largest of the Mexican type, averaging half a pound in weight, of 

 a green color and in quality and flavor extremely good. Its defect, a frequent 

 cracking or decay spot at the blossom end, does not interfere with its home use 

 and can be largely prevented if the fruit is not allowed to remain on the tree after 

 it reaches maturity. 



There has been expressed a desire for the discovery of a good Mexican 

 fruit larger than those with which we are familiar in California. Such a one came 

 into bearing last Fall, producing a handsome fruit weighing a pound, black in 

 color and of very fine flavor. It is growing in a frost free location, so we can 

 only assume, until tested elsewhere, that it will be exceptionally hardy, like the 

 other Mexican kinds. It is believed to be identical with the Gottfreid introduced 

 by the U. S. Government into Florida some years ago. This tree is growing on 

 Mr. Spink's place, where he has also under observation a Mexican seedling, 

 which he has named the * 'Mission" and which produces a fruit nearly as large, 

 of equally fine flavor, pyriform in shape, black in color, with a moderately small 

 seed that is tight in the seed cavity, clear yellow flesh and no fiber. Some of 

 the fruit comes late enough to be exhibited at this meeting. 



It is a surprise and pleasure to learn in how many places and to what extent 

 Guatemalan seedlings are being grown with the hope of finding fruit of value to 

 the industry. There are three separate places, in each of which, over a hundred 

 such trees are under care and observation, and numerous other places 

 having trees under similar care. We are getting good results, as our 

 report will show. In addition we have a sure gain to the industry from the 

 fruiting this year in California of twelve out of twenty-four Wilson Popenoe 

 introductions through the U. S. Government from Guatemala. 



On the invitation of Mr. Spinks, the Varieties Committee, by its three 

 active members assisted him on April 24th in picking and verifying the identity 

 of these varieties, preparatory to his exhibiting them and cutting them at this 

 meeting. All were sufficiently advanced to show they correspond superficially 

 to the government description, although only one, the Kanola, has matured and 

 been tested. The others are named as follows: Nimlioh, Benik, Mayapan, Cab- 

 nal, Ishim, Manik, Lamat, Cantel, Pankay, Ishkal, Tertoh. The Kanola is a 

 heavy bearer of a round deep purple fruit, six to ten ounces in weight, with a 

 very thick rough skin, a small seed and yellow flesh of rich flavor. A sample 

 of this fruit from Mr. Shedden's place, submitted to Messrs. Chace and Church 

 on March 24th for analysis, gave the following result: 



Total weight of fruit, 220 grams — approx. 7^ oz. 



% of pulp or edible matter 63.60 



% seed 12.30 



% skin 23.70 



% water 70.22 



% fat 21.92 



