CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 



79 



poor rations while crossing the Andes of western Colombia, and if you could 

 have seen the way I waded into the pork and beans, or the facility with which 

 I dispatched the doughnuts and apple pie, you would have been surprised if 

 not shocked. The officers were complaining of the food, but no one heard a 

 whimper from me. 



I have made no mention of the miscellaneous plants which I collected in 

 the countries referred to above; the beautiful dwarf palm of northern Guatemala, 

 of which I sent a thousand plants to Washington; the giant blackberry of 

 Colombia, whose fruits are two and a half inches long by an inch and a half in 

 thickness; and many other things which will be of interest to Calif ornians. In 

 order to keep this report within reasonable limits as regards length, I will confine 

 myself to avocados : but I wish to call your attention to these other plants, because 

 it would be difficult to explain, otherwise, my relatively long sojourn in certain 

 regions, such as the highlands of Colombia, where there are no avocados of 

 interest. 



I was put ashore in Guayaquil, and the day before Christmas I reached 

 Quito, where I have since made my headquarters, and which I shall continue to 

 use as a base until June or July. For I am finding Equador one of the most 

 interesting fields I have ever worked, from the standpoint of general collecting; 

 and just recently I have stumbled upon a nest of remarkable avocados which I 

 think are worth our attention. The highlands of this country are full of small- 

 fruited Mexicans, this race doubtless having been introduced here at an early 

 day. On the coast there is the usual complement of indifferent West Indians, 

 with a few good sorts among them. 



Three weeks ago I loaded my blankets, collecting kit, and a few tins of 

 California fruit on a pack mule, and climbed into my saddle for a trip northward 

 to the Colombian frontier. I had no idea what I was going to find, nor exactly 

 where I would go. The first day we rode to a ranch called La Providencia, 

 and there we stopped over night: at least, we stopped part of the night, for at 

 two o'clock we were up, and by three we had the animals ready for the trail. 

 It was pitch dark, but my mule-driver knew the trail as well as I know the road 

 to the Altadena postoffice, and we struck out for Ibarra. We rode nearly 

 sixteen hours, and made the town after dusk. Here, after the customary argu- 

 ment with the hotel keeper in regard to rates, I obtained a dirty room with a bed 

 so hard that pine boards would have been soft in comparison. And the fleas! 

 They swarmed upon me, and greedily devoured the flea-powder which I fed 

 them. 



I arose in the morning feeling stiff and lame, but all this was forgotten 

 when I found in the market-place an avocado which appeared to be a Mexican, 

 yet was of remarkably large size for that race, and altogether an excellent fruit. 

 I asked whence it came, and was told that it had been grown at San Vicente, in 

 the valley of the Rio Chota, about five hours' ride from Ibarra. 



So I prepared immediately to visit San Vicente, to see the numerous avocado 

 trees I was told were to be found there. But suddenly, as I was walking through 

 the street, I was hailed by an officer of the law, and hustled off unceremoniously 

 to the police station. The Chief abruptly asked me where I came from, why I 

 came from there, and what I thought I was going to do in Ibarra. I enlightened 

 him on all these points. He then asked for my passports. They were in the 

 hotel, so I offered to send them over to him. He said this would be satis- 



