CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 



45 



the contrary have gained time, as I shall have occasion to explain later on 

 when speaking of top-working. The weak and sickly varieties, of which 

 there are many, will net the planter disappointment and loss. 



The question of varieties is clearing to some extent and we now begin 

 to feel that a selection may be made offering reasonable assurance of per- 

 manent value. Surely among four of the best known commercial varieties 

 at present available, one will be found having permanent value. My plan 

 contemplates the planting of either two or four varieties in the same orchard, 

 and in such way that all but one may be removed at any time, leaving the 

 remaining one in perfect orchard form. The grower would have four 

 times the use of his land for the next twelve to fifteen years, the period dur- 

 ing which prices will probably be highest, also the period when he would 

 most desire to have returns from his land, that is to say, while he is alive; 

 and at the end of that time he will have the great advantage of being able 

 to select any one of four varieties for his permanent orchard. 



It has already been pointed out by Mr. Knight and others that the 

 very close planting of avocado trees, with a view to taking some of them 

 out in years to come, offers greater and quicker profit than the generally 

 practiced method of planting 30, 40 or 50 feet apart and waiting the 

 necessary years for the trees to grow together. I suggest that a foundation 

 planting be made, say 40, 50 or even 60 feet apart, of whatever variety 

 the grower may consider most likely to remain the permanent one. Let him 

 then make a second choice, planting in the squares formed by the first plant- 

 ing. This would leave the two varieties some 28 feet apart, if the first 

 were planted 40 feet apart. A third variety might then be planted between 

 the rows of variety "A," and a fourth between the rows of variety "B," 

 leaving no trees closer than 20 feet and the trees of each individual variety 

 40 feet apart and each forming a perfect orchard by itself. 



As the average of the more acceptable varieties bear considerable 

 fruit at five years of age, it appears that the grower would have a revenue 

 from all of the trees for a number of years before he would have to con- 

 sider the question of taking any of them out. I have it on excellent au- 

 thority, though I do not know this to be a fact by my own experience, that 

 in certain lines of orchard work it has been found profitable to plant the 

 trees as close together as 1 feet, taking out the entire orchard and replant- 

 ing every ten or twelve years. It would seem that such a plan would be 

 as feasible in avocado growing as in any other line of orchard work. The 

 avocado, however, bemg very long lived, there would be no object in re- 

 moving all of the trees. 



The objection to the plan would be that it involves four times the 

 initial cost for trees. The answer is that the grower already has a certain 

 investment in his land out of which by this plan, he would get four times 

 the use for a number of years with the option of any one of four varieties 

 for his permanent orchard. Should none of the four prove to be the one 

 he wants, he still may resort to top working with the loss of only two years. 



And now let us consider this very important subject of top-working. 

 An avocado tree may be easily changed to any desired variety by being 

 cut back in the early spring and properly budded or grafted. Grafting 

 gives somewhat quicker results, but calls for a much greater expenditure 

 of labor and many times the quantity of scions. With the present high 



