CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 



147 



prolific of these varieties, one tree giving one hundred fruits at two 

 years from setting, although I should judge that the trees were two- 

 year-old buds when set. 



It has always been a question of doubt in my mind as to whether 

 the thin-skinned varieties will ever have any considerable commercial 

 future, so I have only set a few dozen, more for ornament and variety 

 than for profit. Of the commercial sorts I have planted more heavily 

 to Taft than any other variety, not because I think it the only variety 

 worth cultivating, but because it was the first good, well-proven hard- 

 shelled tree that came to my attention. I have also planted three or 

 four acres to Challenge, Monroe, Royal, Walker, and Sharpless, with 

 one or two each of a dozen or more unproven varieties which are of 

 good promise, — according to the nurseryman. The Taft trees have set 

 fruit at three years from setting in the orchard, the buds being one year 

 old at the time of transplanting. The Walker has set fruit which ma- 

 tured at nineteen months from budding. The Challenge has borne at 

 two years from setting. The Royal has not yet borne although the 

 trees blossomed very freely the past spring. The Sharpless have not 

 yet borne at two years from budding. The Monroe has borne at two 

 years from the bud. 



I do not care to discuss the relative value of various varieties, and I 

 am unacquainted with many of them, but I think it must be apparent 

 that we want different varieties maturing their fruit at different sea- 

 sons of the year. We already have proven hard-shell varieties which 

 cover every month but December and January, with new varieties which 

 it is claimed will fill these months. The most of our proven fruits ripen 

 during the spring and summer, with the thin-skinned varieties covering 

 the fall. We have always supposed the Sharpless to be a summer fruit, 

 probably because an insistent demand on a limited supply caused the 

 harvest to be carried on earlier than necessary. This year the tree is 

 now full of fruit, much of which apparently could be carried until 

 December. If this should prove to be the habit of this tree, the Sharp- 

 less, already classed among the best of our fruits, will be a doubly valu- 

 able variety, as the fall and winter varieties are those on which we are 

 shortest. In fact, an inferior hard-shell which would mature its fruit 

 in the fall and winter months would at this stage of the game be most 

 valuable, as that is the season when the market is most bare. Of well 

 proven fruit trees, we now have the Challenge and the Royal for Feb- 

 ruary, March and April; the Monroe, the Lyon and a number of others 

 for the spring months; the Taft, the Walker, the Bartley, and others for 

 summer; and if, as I hope, the Sharpless proves to be a fall fruit, we 

 have left only a couple of months when we are not maturing fruit. An 

 ideal avocado farm is one where the harvester is at work every day 

 in the year. 



In conclusion, avocado orchards should be set on good, well-drained 

 soil, protected from wind storms, with little or no frost. They should be 

 given an abundance of water, and the trees for setting should never be 

 propagated in pots, but should be from trees well proven in Southern 

 California. 



