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1917 ANNUAL REPORT 



tree two years from planting was in full bloom the first of May. At a 

 near-by place on the floor of the Ignacio Valley, a Northrop tree passed 

 through the winter uninjured by a minimum temperature of 220° and was 

 full of bloom May 2nd. A Taft tree near-by was frozen back to the 

 ground, while one Fuerte and one Sebastian were seriously injured but 

 were sprouting from the trunks and main branches. 



In the Santa Clara Valley proper, attempts to grow the avocado tree 

 have been on the whole discouraging. One fairly old seedling on Judge 

 Leib's place near San Jose, has managed to survive but has been frozen 

 nearly every winter and the injury during the past winter was especially 

 severe. 



Along the western foothills, however, greater success has been at- 

 tained as the bearing tree of the Mexican seedling at Los Gatos shows. 

 Most of the budded trees planted have been of the Harman, which at 

 Saratoga was only slightly injured at 26°. A number of varieties in- 

 cluding the Taft are growing successfully at Los Altos. 



Small plantings of the avocado are found in the San Joaquin valley, 

 not only in nearly every citrus section, but also on the floor of the valley. 

 Along the foothills in protected situations, thriving trees already show 

 much promise of future commercial success, but in the center of the valley 

 only a few of the most hardy trees may be expected to succeed. One at- 

 tempt to grow a Northrop tree at Oakley was unsuccessful but at Elk 

 Grove where the winters are not so severe, the results were much more 

 encouraging. Mrs. Gage of Elk Grove has 1 1 trees growing out of 1 5 

 originally planted. The trees lost were of the Taft variety; there is one 

 Chappelow, while the rest are Harman. She reports that she firmly be- 

 lieves the avocado can be grown successfully in the valley by giving some 

 protection during the first winter or two. Three of the trees are three 

 years old, about 14 feet high and well branched. They stood the cold 

 much better than the Villa Franca and Lisbon lemon trees, as the branches 

 of the avocado trees had to be cut back 2 to 4 inches, and the lemon trees 

 2 to 4 feet. 



It may surprise some to know that there is now a railroad station in 

 California bearing the name Avocado, This is in the foothills of Fresno 

 County, on a branch line of the Santa Fe running northeast from Reedley, 

 where the Kirkman Nursery has an experimnetal planting of avocado 

 trees. About two dozen varieties were planted during the month of May 

 1913, in sandy nursery soil, citrus stock being grown on the land at the 

 same time. In 1916 the Fowler, Harman, Northrop and Blake matured 

 fruit, the Fowler being exceptionally fruitful. 



The writer visited this planting on April 4th, 1917, and made the 

 following notes as to the condition of trees observed: 



Harman : Some trees in full bloom, others in bud, showing prac- 

 tically no frost damage. 



Northrop: Trees mostly in bud, showing practically no injury. 



Meserve: Badly injured, branches up to 1 inch in diameter 

 being killed. 



Wagner : Injured; branches up to one-half inch in diameter killed. 

 Champion: Small tree, practically killed; surrounded by orange 

 and lemon nursery trees uninjured. 



