CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 



23 



The minimum per cent of ash, 0.60 per cent, noted for the 

 variety, Cardinal, from Florida, exceeds the per cent of ash deter- 

 mined for apples, apricots, grapes, blackberries, oranges, pears 

 and plums, and fully equals the corresponding figure for cherries, 

 figs, melons and prunes. 



The minimum per cent of ash noted for a variety grown in 

 California is .80 per cent, exceeding that found in any of the fresh 

 fruits. The average for 28 varieties is 1.26 per cent, only slightly 

 below the ash percentage in dates. 



The foregoing discussion clearly indicates that so far as protein 

 and ash in fresh fruits are concerned, the avocado stands at the 

 head of the list, and with reference to the cabohydrates, contains 

 on an average fully 50 per cent of that found in many fresh fruits. 

 These facts alone would warrant due consideration being given to 

 the value of the avocado as a fresh fruit. 



The chief value of the avocado as food, however, is due to 

 its high content of fat. This varies from a minimum of 9.8 per 

 cent to a maximum of 29.1 per cent, with an average of 20.1 per 

 cent. 



Reviewing the analytical data at hand, it is seen that ten 

 varieties show more than 23 per cent fat and seven other varieties 

 an excess of 18 per cent. 



The only fruit comparable with the avocado in this respect is 

 the olive. In this connection, it is of interest to compare, as 

 shown in the following table, the fat percentages of the edible 

 portion of ten varieties of the olive. 



Showing percentage of fat or oil in the avocado or olive : 



Avocado 



EDIBLE PORTION 



ORIGINAL. MATERIAL WATER FREE 



VARIETY Water % Fat % Fat % 



Chappelow 62.84 29.10 78.01 



SeedHng No. 1 62.65 27.89 74.67 



Northrup 61.08 27.60 70.88 



Mattern 61.55 25.70 66.84 



Ganter 63.86 25.60 70 84 



Blake 65.80 25.50 74.48 



Miller 66.60 23.70 70.96 



Seedling No. 3 65.10 23.40 67.05 



Unnamed 65.50 23.10 66.96 



Northrup 66.31 23.00 68.27 



