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1916 ANNUAL REPORT 



able size. Most unfortunately Mr. Stevens died in 1897, and then a 

 series of dry years came on when water was very scarce in Montecito, 

 and a great acreage of lemons were grubbed out, as absolutely unprofit- 

 able and alas! the pioneer Ahuacate orchard of California had to share 

 their unlucky fate. 



"The "White" Ahuacate, to be seen on West Arrellaga Street, Santa 

 Barbara, which has proved to be such a prolific bearer, was raised by 

 me from Mexican seed in 1895. A few grafted plants and a large 

 number of seedlings from this tree were distributed under the name 

 of "Santa Barbara Early." 



"It was also about 1895 that I obtained from Chile a few seeds of 

 "Paltita", as a very hardy form or variety is called there, with, small 

 fruits, but of good quality. Most of the plants I raised went abroad, 

 and in this country I know only of one large specimen, on the Nordhoff 

 place at Redlands, which has proved to be much hardier than any other." 



Judging from this account by Dr. Franceschi it appears that the older 

 trees planted in Santa Barbara have passed out of existence and that 

 the White tree which he raised in 1895 is the oldest in that city. The 

 tree on the Jacob Miller place, Hollywood, to which reference is made, is 

 probably the Miller, but the year 1886 is now commonly accepted as the 

 date when the tree was planted. This seems to make the Miller tree 

 the oldest by several years of any avocado tree in California. The Chap- 

 pelow tree was planted in 1893, and the White in 1895. 



In 1897 Dr. Franceschi wrote that the last two years had seen a con- 

 siderable increase in the plantings, several hundred trees having been set 

 out chiefly at Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, and San Diego. Fruits were 

 rot exactly marketed but many more people, residents and tourists had 

 opportunity of tasting the delicious fruit. 



Mr. C. P. Taft of Orange planted the first avocado seed on his 

 place about 1899 from a specimen obtained on the market. The resulting 

 tree proved a poor bearer of almost worthless fruit. The next year 

 another seed obtained in the same way was planted and later the seedling 

 bore excellent fruits. In 1902-3 more seeds were planted; these were 

 partly from Los Angeles trees but most were from Mexican fruit sent 

 to private parties in Los Angeles. From the seeds planted during the 

 four years, he had in 1912 thirty trees over eight years old in addition 

 to over three hundred younger trees. Twenty-four of the thirty treees 

 had borne fruit and only one or two seemed likely to prove unprofitable. 

 Eight were of the thin-skinned type while the others were of the thick- 

 skinned. 



In the spring of 1908, Mr. E. S. Thacher planted his first avocado 

 trees at Nordhoff. Most of them were bought from the Exotic Nurseries 

 of Santa Barbara but some were obtained from Mr. Taft and Mr. 

 Camfield of Orange. The same spring he bought some seed from the 

 American Fruit and Produce Company of Mexico City and it was from 

 this lot of seed that trees were sold to W. G. Davison of La Habra in 

 1910. All of the first seeds planted by Mr. Thacher were of the Mexican 

 thin-skinned type. 



