38 



REPORT OF THE FIRST SEMI-ANNUAL MEETING 



the price is considerably higher and from that time until after 

 Christmas it is excellent. The last few crates from one grove the 

 past season brought $36 per crate of 36 fruits ; this was in early 

 February. 



Trapps have been shipped without difficulty to all parts of the 

 United States. The past season one grower sent small consign- 

 ments — a crate or two — every day during a large part of the ship- 

 ping season to Seattle, Wash., and told me he did not receive a 

 single complaint of a crate being received in bad order. These 

 shipments were on the road eight days, and were not sent in cold 

 storage. I do not know of any instances in which avocados have 

 been shipped from Florida in cold storage. The usual method is 

 to ship by express. 



At the present time most of the crop goes to the markets of the 

 eastern United States — Washington, Philadelphia, New York and 

 Boston each taking a good share. There seems to be quite a 

 demand in the Middle West, however, and I understand a good 

 many shipments are made to Chicago, St. Louis, Cincinnati and 

 even as far west as Denver. 



The shipping qualities of Trapp are much better than the 

 average seedling. One grower told me that last year he received 

 a report of several cases of Trapps being received in bad order in 

 one of the northern cities ; he thought it peculiar, and upon inves- 

 tigation found that his man had put in a number of seedling fruits 

 which looked like Trapps, and it was these that had spoiled in 

 transit. Some attention should be given to this subject here in 

 California, though it may not be of such great importance with 

 the Guatemalan type as it is with the South American. 



Best results in picking avocados have been obtained when 

 orange cHppers were used. The stem is usually swollen just above 

 the point of attachment with the fruit, and it is severed with the 

 clippers just above this swollen portion. Seedlings are sometimes 

 picked before they are fully ripe, a thing which should not be 

 encouraged, for these fruits, when they soften up and are sold in 

 northern cities, are certain to be fiat and tasteless, and if they 

 should fall into the hands of those who were trying the avocado 

 for the first time they would give a very bad impression. Trapps 

 are left on the tree as long as possible ; when they begin to change 

 from bright green to yellowish green they must be picked or they 



