CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 



87 



data to warrant the drawing of dependable conclusion. From the present 

 figures it would appear that there is a range of from 15 per cent to 31 

 percent in the different varieties, said figures based on ripe fruits in 

 all cases. 



It is of interest to note that Table No. I includes the test of one 

 variety, the Pomona, grown at Sacramento, analyzed the llr-th of this 

 month, showing 25.36 per cent of oil, also the analysis of a seedling 

 from Oroville analyized in September yielding 24.8 per cent of oil, both 

 good records. 



Averages have not been indicated in any of the tables because there 

 is such a variation in the oil content and again there are many determin- 

 ations made of immature fruit. It was therefore, deemed best to present 

 only individual analyses. 



B. Content of oil in seedlings vs. that in the known varieties: 



The highest percentage noted for the seedlings is 27.89, reported 

 for Seedling No. 1, from Carpinteria, two years ago. This percentage 

 has not been equaled by any seedling submitted for examination since 

 that time, the nearest approach being a seedling submitted by Mr. Popenoe 

 under date of September 22nd of this year, yielding 26.7 per cent of oil. 

 There are six samples of seedlings as indicated by the tables which yield 

 between 24 and 26 per cent of oil — a most excellent showing — five seed- 

 lings testing between 20 and 23 per cent, making a total of thirteen 

 seedlings reported in the table with a credit of above 20 per cent of oil. 

 Comparing the seeedlings with the knowTi varieties, it will certainly be 

 seen that, as far as the oil content is concerned, many of them are, 

 caeteris paribus, well worth propagating. 



C. Oil content of large fruit as compared with that of small fruit. 



As previously stated, the Purdy showing the highest percentage of 

 oil, 31.60, is a small fruit, weighing approximately one-third of a pound, 

 and by an examination of the data presented in the tables, it will be 

 noticed that all the high percentages are in connection with comparatively 

 speaking small fruits. The Chappelow with 29.1 per cent weighing 181 

 grams: the Northrop with 27.60 per cent weighing 218 grams: the Blake 

 with 25.50 per cent weighing 150 grams: the Mattern with 25.7 per cent 

 weighing 96 grams: the Pomona with 25.36 per cent weighing 80 grams: 

 seedling from Carpinteria with 27.89 per cent weighing 150 grams: and 

 the Knowles with 27.11 per cent weighing 100 grams. We do not find 

 any large fruits containing a high percentage of oil. This is emphasized 

 by a reference to Table No. Ill where will be found listed the Blakeman 

 with 17.27 per cent weighting 472 grams and the Taft with 18.5 per cent 

 weighing 626 grams. 



D. The development of the oil in the fruit during the ripening 

 process: 



Definite conclusions can not be drawn on this phase of the work 

 until more analyses have been made. From the data at hand, however,, 

 it would appear that the oil certainly increases with the ripening in that 

 we have not analyzed any sample which is immature or partly ripe which 

 shows as high a percentage as does the fully ripe fruit. In the case 

 of the Chappelow we have an immature fruit showing as low as 13.86 



