Pomona College Journal of Economic Botanv 



85 



sible to perpetuate the superior varieties. It is doubtful if much experimenting 

 has been done in the propagation of the White Sapote by budding or grafting, 

 but it seems reasonable to believe that it will not be long until our nurserymen 

 will be propagating it in this way, and when this is done and standard varieties 

 established, it promises to appear in general orchard plantings along with such 

 fruits as the avocado and mango. 



Quite a number of trees have been grown from seed in recent years and dis- 

 seminated by nurserymen, and the propagation of the tree in this way is a very 

 simple matter. The seeds do not retain their power of germination for a great 

 length of time after being removed from the fruit, and should be planted as 

 promptly as possible. No special treatment is necessary, and the seedlings make 

 a rapid and vigorous growth under favorable conditions. The seedlings are very 

 much inclined to spindle. I have seen many which have grown to a height of ten or 

 twelve feet before branching, and to avoid this it has been advised to pinch out the 

 terminal bud when the tree has attained a height of two or three feet. 



The tree will certainly tolerate a great amount of harsh treatment and still thrive, 

 as is emphasized by the behavior of many of the local trees which have had no 

 cultivation or irrigation for years, and still bear regularly and profusely and are 

 in a flourishing conditon. This drought resistant quality makes the tree very 

 valuable for locations where there is an insufficient supply of water. 



The question of hardiness has probably never been definitely settled. In his 

 Dictionary of Gardening Nicholson predicts that it will prove hardy in Ireland 

 and the south of England, and no amount of frost that has occurred in Southern 

 California has been sufficient to injure even the youngest seedlings. Doubtless it 

 will prove hardy practically all over the state. According to Von Mueller it is 

 found in Mexico up to heights of 7000 feet, which certainly goes to show that it is 

 adapted to a cool climate. 



A second drawback to its being more extensively planted has been the fact that 

 the seedling trees do not come into bearing until eight or nine years old, but this 

 is a difficulty which will doubtless be eliminated through the propagation of the 

 tree by some vegetative means. 



Variations and Varieties 

 Like most other fruits grown from seeds, the White Sapote is subject to con- 

 siderable variation. With the local trees no two have produced fruits exactly alike, 

 and there are even marked differences between fruits on the same tree in many in- 

 stances. 



Especially is this variation noticeable in regard to size. None of the trees which 

 I have observed produce fruits of anywhere near uniform size, but this is probably 

 due in a large measure to lack of cultivation and irrigation. For many years the 

 old tree in Santa Barbara was the only fruiting White Sapote in California, and it 

 produced fruits no larger than a cherry. This is doubtless the reason that in early 

 accounts of this species the statement is made that the fruits are from one-half to 

 one inch in diameter. The trees which have come into bearing more recently have 

 produced much larger fruits, in many cases up to the average of the fruits grown 

 in Mexico. 



