166 



1916 ANNUAL REPORT 



fiber none or very little, texture smooth and fine; flavor fairly rich; 

 quality dessert, good; good shipper; good keeper; seed cavity rather large; 

 seed conical, 2 by 2^/2 inches, tight in the cavity with the seed coats 

 closely adhering, season January 15th to April 1st at Miami, Florida." — 

 (Wilson Popenoe.) 



The variety called Chappelow (Mexican type) has also been fruiting 

 for six or eight years on the plantation of Prof. Rolfs at Buena Vista. 

 It ripens from May to July, but is not considered of any value as a 

 market fruit being treated merely as a curiosity, coming when no other 

 avocados are in season. There are quite a number of other trees, 

 scatered about, from these government introductions, and from private 

 importations from California, or elsewhere, of the hardy types, which 

 are fruiting for the first time this year, or have set their second crop, 

 though the Taylor and Chappelow have the longest records in Florida. 



So far as we can gather from our brief experience, the various trees 

 mature their fruit in Florida at approximately the same season they do 

 in California, but chance for observation has been so limited, it is im- 

 possible to make any definite statement on this subject. One thing has 

 been observed, which is likely to be of considerable importance in propa- 

 gating trees for the middle and upper portions of Florida: trees of the 

 hardy types, when worked upon stock of the same type, seem to be fully 

 one month earlier in starting their spring growth than when the native 

 West Indian stock is used. This will greatly militate against the 

 frost resisting value of the tree, and tend to loss of crop and damage 

 to foliage from late frosts, which the dormant tree on native roots 

 would never feel. 



The Trapp is the only variety which is being propagated extensively 

 for commercial purposes, and while not quite an ideal fruit, it combines 

 so many good qualities that it will be hard to find a rival for it, 

 and it has already established its name and reputation in the markets, like 

 the Riverside Navel, and the Indian River Orange. The original tree 

 is a chance seedling growing on a rock ridge near the shore of Biscayne 

 Bay, south of Miami, and bears the name of the pioneer who planted 

 the seed. In shape it is, roughly speaking, spherical, flattened at the 

 blossom end, and just a trifle one-sided, owing to the stem being placed 

 at a slight angle with the axis of the fruit. In actual practice" it packs 

 like a grapefruit, and coming into market after the weather has become 

 cool, may be safely transported to our most distant markets, some 

 growers sending much of their crop to Seattle and Tacoma with perfect 

 safety. The color is bright, glossy green, not changing when mellow; 

 weight 1 to 2 pounds, meat rich butter-yellow, shading to green at rind. 



In the most southern portion of Florida it matures about a month 

 earlier than in the middle portion of the Peninsula, reaching maturity 

 in October and November. After it has completed its growth, the 

 fruit hangs upon the tree with wonderful tenacity, often enduring severe 

 winter storms in exposed locations into March. Of course there is always 

 a certain amount of fruit which falls off from week to week and month 

 to month, varying very much from year to year, so that the earlier one 

 can market his crop to advantage, the greater the quantity of fruit. In 



