CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 



73 



In Mexico, I know of no large plantings of the avocado. In fact, 

 orchards or commercial planting of any of the fruits is very little 

 developed. In recent years Americans have, here and there, done some 

 planting, chiefly oranges and pineapples in the state of Vera Cruz and 

 bananas in Tabasco. Each family, in the country or in the small pueblas, 

 will have a few trees around their homes, and the surplus finds its way to 

 the plaza or market of the nearest town. 



As to the popularity of the avocado, there is no fruit among 

 the Mexicans or foreigners in Mexico that is more esteemed unless it 

 be the mango. This fact alone is proof positive to me that the fruit 

 has a great future in this country, and I feel justified in predicting that 

 someday our shipments from California will rank along with its 

 tiopical neighbor the lemon, and perhaps the orange. 



HAS THE MEXICAN TYPE OF AVOCADO A PERMANENT 

 PLACE IN THE INDUSTRY? 

 By E. S. Thacher, Nordhoff, Cal. 



When I consented to open this discussion, I felt as though I were going 

 to be the bone for hungry dogs to fight over. For, at the meeting of last 

 fall, although this, if any, should be the season for the "thin-skins" to 

 assert themselves, whenever that humble type was mentioned, deep 

 growls of fierce derision could be heard through the hall and there was 

 no one bold enough to stand up and declare his trembling faith. 



For myself, I was somewhat bewildered at discovering that the gentle 

 orchardist should find the question of tree varieties a personal matter, 

 involving his hottest feelings; and, being also a little under the weather 

 at the time, I tamely kept silence. After the meeting, I asked a gentle- 

 man who had told us of his considerable experience, in Mexico and in 

 thiis country, in the marketing of avocados, if it was not the case that, 

 in Mexico, where the fruit has long been an every-day article of diet and 

 is sold on its merits, thin-skinned fruit is generally preferred as being- 

 richer and more delicate than the big type. He answered at once, em- 

 phatically, that this is so, but added that he had not ventured to make 

 this statement at the meeting, because he foresaw the uproar that it 

 v.'ould occasion. 



Possibly that wave of hostile feeling may have passed by, but if I 

 am exposing myself to its return, I count on the shelter due me from our 

 president, who detailed me for this undertaking. 



It has been interesting to find in our experience with this new in- 

 dustry, that some of the large fruits are, nevertheless, very good. Plenty 

 of varieties there are, handsome and generous in appearance, that are not 

 worth anyone's trouble to eat, unless it may be an occasional consumer of 

 the mildest tastes, who chiefly desires not to be much disturbed by what he 

 feeds on. We shall eliminate these fruits as we go on, for it will not pay 

 us to market fruits that do not invite the purchaser to come again. By the 

 careful pursuit of this selective study we may be able to offer really good 

 fruit throughout the year, but when large size ceases to be an object, as 

 it pretty surely will when this product is an every-day matter, the discern- 



