62 



1917 ANNUAL REPORT 



two were stolen) weighed 1 pound. The seed weighed 4 ounces and the 

 flesh showed a trace of fiber. It did not taste as rich as the Fuerte. Pu- 

 ebla, Wagner, and Walker are too small to be considered as standard 

 avocados. They also mature fruit when they are in competition with larger, 

 and better varieties; the Puebla comes in the earlier part of the Sharpless 

 season and the Wagner and Walker mature at the same time as the Surprise 

 and Spinks. The Lambert is a shy bearer and the fruits have a tendency to 

 crack; the Bartley shows this same tendency. The IXL has too much 

 fiber and the trees are not as vigorous as the Spinks. Miller, Meserve and 

 Ferry are shy bearers. Most of the budded trees of the Sinaloa have a 

 bushlike habit of growth and do not appear very vigorous. Beauty, Cham- 

 pion, Rhoad, and Senor have been discarded by Mr. Taft as not worthy 

 of extensive propagation. 



TTie Knight introductions are making a good growth. It is to be 

 hoped they will mature fruit this coming year. Mr. Knight deserves a 

 great deal of credit. He went to Guatemala, searched for the best varie- 

 ties he could find in that country, and introduced budwood from these 

 superior trees. 



The Queen is blooming heavily and gives every indication of setting 

 a crop. Linda and Rey are showing some blooms. All of Mr. Knight's 

 introductions deserve close study this coming year. 



Even though this Association should, in view of the present informa- 

 tion and knowledge, recommend that the Sharpless, Fuerte, Surprise, 

 Spinks, and the Taft or Blakeman be developed as standard varieties, with 

 the Monroe, Lyon, and possibly the Dickinson carried as supplementary 

 ones, the problem then is only partially solved. The accompanying chart 

 (Table 1 ) shows the wide range of variation in a three-year-old planting 

 of budded Fuertes in Mr. Whedon's grove, Yorba Linda. The lowest 

 producing tree bore 1 fruit, the highest 85. Three distinct strains were 

 found which were characterized by the shape of the fruit, round, oval, and 

 pyriform. The round strain has been propagated as a distinct variety 

 under the name of Redondo. Out of the whole planting not more than 

 ten trees were found, possibly less, which should be used as sources of 

 budwood. 



A similar variation is seen in the G. W. Beck, Lyon planting at La 

 Habra. The plantings are of different varieties, propagated by different 

 nurserymen, but both show the great variation that will be found in all 

 your avocado orchards unless the nurserymen are compelled to cut bud- 

 wood from fruiting trees with a known record. 



And so, even should you feel your Association cannot take any defi- 

 nite action on the matter of varieties, you can at least urge the nurserymen 

 to cut budwood only from fruiting trees. There are or will be, next year, 

 a sufficient number of fruiting trees of the desirable varieties to furnish a 

 large amount of record budwood. 



At the San Diego meeting I urged your Association to take definite 

 action on the elimination of varieties. I wish to go even further this time. 

 Your Association is bound to be a great factor in the development of the 

 avocado industry of the country; your reports are the recognized authority 

 on all subjects pertaining to the avocado; you as members and directors of 

 this Association owe it to the industry to publish as soon as possible, a 



