CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 



29 



rich in fat and very smooth. Picked most of fruit in March. There 

 are still a few large fruits on the tree. Seed is of medium size. The 

 tree is a vigorous grower and is in full bloom now (April). About 10 

 per cent of the fruit cracked at the blossom end, causing some of them to 

 have a dry rot almost to the seed about the size of a fifty-cent piece, but 

 it didn't seem to affect the balance of the fruit. 



The Surprise is also a tree from a Mexican fruit which I planted 

 in 1909. It bore 1 fruit in 1 91 5 ; in 1 91 6 it had 81 fruits; and this 

 year we will get about 250 to 300 fruits. Average weight of fruit is 

 20 ounces; oval shepe and green; flesh, very smooth grain, but not so 

 rich as the Wagner and the Lambert. Last year I picked the fruit in 

 February and March, but I think they will impro^ very much by letting 

 them hang several months longer. The biggest part of this year's crop 

 will still be on the tree in May. The tree is making new fruit buds now 

 (April). The tree has a fine shape and is also a vigorous grower. The 

 cold weather didn't seem to affect any of my trees here in Hollywood. 

 The seed of the fruit weighs 3 ounces. 



MY EXPERIENCE IN GROWING THE AVOCADO 

 By Martin Fesler, Covina, Cahfornia 



I have been requested to read a paper on my experience as an avo- 

 cado grower. I do not know whether I have a message worth while on 

 the subject or not, but if my experience is of any value to the mdustry 

 I am only too glad to give it. 



The avocado industry, like the orange business at its beginning, is 

 groping in the dark with a lot of unprofitable varieties, and a great deal 

 of money and time is being spent trying out the various trees and finding 

 out what is worth planting. 



I planted my first trees in 1912, and as they were potted, they were 

 all badly root-bound. The freeze came on and settled them, and I dug 

 most of them up and learned what my troubles were. One seedling came 

 through without much damage, and as it had refused to support the high- 

 priced buds that I had repeatedly stuck into it, I decided to allow it to 

 remain a seedling. The second year it matured 4 fruits; the next year it 

 had 36, and last year it had about 350. My enthusiastic avocado friendsi 

 advised me to place a 32-foot fence around it with a lock on the gate and 

 a burglar alarm appliance to prevent people stealing the buds and begin 

 selling them at two bits per. As it had no especial merit over many others 

 that I knew of, I decided not to afflict the dear, suffering public with any 

 more varieties but allowed all that wanted them, to have buds free. Very 

 few availed themselves of the opportunity, though the fruit was better than 

 some of those behind the fence. 



I bought Blakes that turned out to be Harmans and Murrietas that 

 were Taf ts. A Mexican No. 6 must have been 4- 1 1 -44 or some other 

 number. At any rate it was not a winner. 



Like some others, I thought there was some easy money in the 

 nursery business raising the trees, and I broke into the game with about 

 2000 seeds. I planted these in a hot-bed very close together, and when 

 they sprouted and got a top on them about 2 inches high, I transplanted 



