CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 



107 



The trees planted by Mr. Davison grew thriftily in the location 

 selected at ^'Orchard Dale" near Whittier and La Habra, a region 

 that had always been practically frostless until the winter of 1912-13 

 when they were severely frosted. Mrs. Davison did not care to replace 

 the trees that were most damaged and sold the entire lot to D. E. 

 Clower who moved them to his nursery in Monrovia. Mr. Clower 

 budded ten thousand seedling avocado trees as early as 1909. In 1910 Mr. 

 Clower published what was probably the first descriptive nursery 

 pamphlet of budded trees in California. 



Mr. F. 0. Popenoe of the West India Gardens, Altadena, began 

 propagating the avocado a number of years ago and, realizing the need 

 of good varieties, imported budwood from Mexico in 1911 and 1912. 



The first lot of buds was sent by J. M. Goulding now living at Paso 

 Robles. Afterwards Mr. C. B. Schmidt was sent down to collect budwood, 

 and more trees were propagated from the buds he secured than from 

 the others. Later, budwood was secured from parties in Mexico, namely 

 Roberto Johnson of Jalisco and F. S. Furnival of Guadalajara. Twenty- 

 seven varieties in all were successfully established here from these intro- 

 ductions. 



Mr. W. A. Spinks of Duarte began planting avocado trees about 1907 

 and produced budded trees in 1908. He has tested out a large number 

 of seedlings as well as budded trees of California and imported varieties. 

 The fruiting habits of such varieties as the Buddington, Murrieta, 

 Colorado, Ferry, Harman, Ganter, Chappelow, and others were ascertained 

 by Mr. Spinks by budding them into larger seedlings. 



Mr. Sexton of Goleta planted out a few avocado trees several 

 years ago and has since gathered together a large number of varieties 

 for testing under similar conditions. In 1916 he had about ninety-two 

 distinct varieties representing types from Mexico, Guatemala, Florida, 

 and Hawaii as well as from California. Seventeen have already fruited. 



I have been unable to ascertain where and when the first budded 

 avocado trees were produced in this state, but Dr. Franceschi probably 

 deserves this credit. 



The number of varieties of distinctively California origin which I 

 have listed is fifty-four; those of foreign origin number eighty-six, a 

 total of named varieties of one hundred and forty. 



California seedlings are fruiting and varieties are being obtained else- 

 where in such numbers every season that the list is likely to be con- 

 siderably lengthened. Many local seedlings are undoubtedly as good 

 and some are much better than several of the varieties already named. 

 It is unwise to give names to seedlings which appear here and there 

 until they prove themselves superior to established varieties of the 

 same type. This superiority may manifest itself in productiveness, 

 hardiness, or resistance of the tree to soil conditions or disease, or 

 quality and flavor of the fruit. 



While some may think it best to omit from the list and forget the 

 names of certain varieties previously described, it is true that many 

 trees under these names have been planted along the coast and through- 

 out the interior valleys of the state where they may prove to have 



