CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 



8T 



tion, were protected by burlap shelters, and it came through in about as 

 good condition as those which were protected. The wind in fall and 

 winter seems to be the limiting factor for avocado trees at Orland and 

 ihe advisability of planting Guatemalan types, the fruit of which hangs 

 on the tree over winter, is doubtful. Planting near buildings, windbreaks, 

 or among other evergreen trees may obviate this difficulty to some extent. 



Near Dunnigan, Yolo County, trees of several varieties were planted 

 in March 1916, but all were burned by the sun because of disregard of 

 the instructions to protect them with sacking. Three Harman trees seemed 

 to show most vitality from the start and survived the winter in good shape. 



Reports from Sacramento County are so far not very encouraging. 

 Northrop, Taft and Ganter trees in the Carmichael Colony were all badly 

 injured with the exception of one Northrop tree from which the burlap 

 covering was blown by the wind. This tree, though unprotected, proved 

 the hardiest of all and stood the frost better than the rest. At Folsom one 

 Taft and one Ganter tree, planted in the spring of 1913, were about 5 

 feet high and well branched by 1916, but the past winter both were frozen 

 back some, the Ganter more than the Taft, which was protected by other 

 trees and vines. Three more Taft trees and one Ganter planted a couple 

 of years later froze to the ground during the VN^inter of 1916-17. 



One grower at Fairoaks is of the opinion that the avocado tree will 

 not do well in that section, as it does not seem to endure the frosts or the 

 heat. Several years ago he planted 1 00 Mexican seedlings v/hich lived 

 through the winter with protection but died the following summer even 

 though pains were taken to shade them. Two years ago 1 00 more plants 

 were raised from seed, but they were all killed during the winter of 1916-17 

 with the exception of three plants, one Harman, one Chappelow and one 

 seedling, which stood near a building and came through unprotected. The 

 seedling is very hardy and v/as uninjured by the severest frosts, but it is 

 very slow growing. It is now three years old and full of bloom. The 

 Harman is two years old and is also in bloom. 



At Lincoln in Placer County there is a Harman tree now three years 

 old, which is reported to have escaped all frost injury although some of 

 the surrounding orange trees of the same age were killed by the frosts of 

 last winter. A.t Newcastle in the same county, however, budded trees 

 of several varieties both Mexican and Guatemalan, were killed during the 

 past winter. Several Mexican seedlings, however, escaped and were blos- 

 soming heavily in April. These trees were in a fairly low, unprotected 

 locality and the test is probably not a fair indication of the possibilities of 

 the region for avocado trees. 



In many of the protected valleys and hillsides of the San F rancisco 

 Bay region, orange and lemon trees laden with fruit are a common sight 

 and thriving lemon orchards are by no means uncommon. In some of these 

 places the possibilities of avocado culture have already been recognized 

 and many thriving trees are to be found. One of the most extensive and 

 promising plantings is on the Ostrand place, two miles east of Walnut 

 Creek. During the past winter a self-registering thermometer showed a 

 minimum temperature of 30° F. at the house near which most of the trees 

 are planted. Some of the trees are now one year old from planting, while 

 others were set this spring. They include such varieties as Fuerte, Lyon, 

 Blakeman, Taft, Murrieta, Spinks, Linda, Rey, and Queen. A Harman 



