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1916 ANNUAL REPORT 



of cultivation in Hawaii to secure excellent varieties; but by the careful 

 selection of characters and the crossing of varieties it is probable that 

 new forms may be originated better adapted to the requirements of a 

 commercial fruit than any now in existence. Most of the selection of 

 seeds in Hawaii during past years has been from the standpoint of 

 flavor and texture only, little regard being paid to the requirements of a 

 commercial fruit in other particulars. The form of the fruit, the tight- 

 ness of the seed, the keeping quality, productivity, and such characters 

 have been too often overlooked. Much can be done to secure excellent 

 sorts of this fruit by the judicious selection of chance-fertilized seeds, 

 but more is to be expected from careful crossing. The Hawaii Experiment 

 Station has begun some preliminary work along these lines and probably 

 workers in other parts of the tropics and sub-tropics have also made a 

 beginning. 



In the matter of marketing, some of the experience of Hawaii, prior 

 to the advent of the Mediterranean Fruit Fly may be of interest to 

 growers in California. Experiments were conducted in shipping the fruit 

 to San Francisco and also to Chicago. A shipment in a refrigerated car 

 to Chicago arrived at its destination in excellent condition. These were 

 packed in single layer crates, were promptly placed in refrigeration after 

 being picked and were out of refrigeration only long enough to be trans- 

 ferred to a pre-iced car. The varieties used in the several experiments 

 tried showed great variation in the carrying qualities. It is a mistake to 

 suppose that the hard-shelled varieties are necessarily the best shippers. 

 Without a doubt the hard shell is a protection to them from outside 

 bruising, but fruits may be poor carriers because of the internal breaking 

 down of the tissues, entirely apart from injury of a mechanical nature. 

 One of the best shipping varieties tested in the experiments of the 

 Hav/aii Station was the Farnsworth, a large and comparatively thin rind 

 fruit. This was at one time shipped to Washington, D. C, by way of 

 San Francisco, Lodi, and New York, having been out of refrigeration 

 from San Francisco to Lodi and from New York to Washington, but it 

 arrived in excellent condition at the capital. 



Another consideration in the matter of marketing is the relation of 

 supply and demand. When the shipping experiments referred to above 

 were carried on the avocado was very little known even in San Francisco 

 and in most cities of the United States they were almost wholly unknown. 

 A very few fruits would then supply the demand. Today they are be- 

 coming very popular in California, but in the interior cities there are 

 surprisingly few people who have ever heard of an avocado. I entertain 

 no doubt as to the ultimate triumph in the markets of this highly nutri- 

 tious fruit so universally relished in the tropics where it is grown, but 

 unless there be at the present time a carefully carried out program 

 of preparedness in advertising, there may be a period when for a time 

 the supply will exceed the demand. This always means disaster for 

 some and discourages the progress of the industry. It can be avoided 

 by judicious advertising. 



There are a few insect pests and diseases of the avocado which are 

 quite generally distributed, but which may not yet have entered Call- 



