CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 



65 



about the planting of an avocado orchard will lose that first great enthusi- 

 asm and come to the more sober realization that bringing a grove into 

 bearing is a slow and most expensive undertaking. We are all beginners, 

 trying to establish a paying industry, uncertain as to the kind of trees to 

 plant, their care, etc. I think we are too prone to give a roseate view to 

 others about to engage in the same undertaking. 



I do not believe that the avocados we are planting today will stand 

 a great deal of frost, and I think many will plant in localities unsuited to 

 the trees. My place is especially frost free, being a warm, southern slope 

 along the foothills. During the cold spells of last winter and this spring, 

 my trees were untouched, while three miles south where my foreman has 

 a few trees of the same varieties, the frost injured them badly. 



I understand that most of the orchards being planted for sale in acre 

 lots are being planted to the Harman variety, which probably will stand a 

 great deal of frost. If it does, that is its only virtue. I consider it abso- 

 lutely worthless, and am rebudding the few trees I have. I know that 

 bitter disappointment will attend the purchase of one acre of avocados, 

 with the hope that a self-sustaining orchard will result in three years' time. 

 Not only will disappointment come to those who can ill afford mistakes, 

 but it will hurt the industry immeasurably. 



My Pueblas planted in 1914 bore an average of 1 5 to 20 fruits per 

 tree, and this year have set thousands. The Fuertes were smaller and did 

 not bear so heavily, but are setting now a number of fruits. The Chal- 

 lenge and the Royal both bore some fruit, and the Ganters bore several 

 hundred, many of the trees bearing over 1 00 fruits. 



With all the faults of the Ganter before me, I have hesitated about 

 rebudding the trees at this time. I personally prefer the flavor of the Gan- 

 ter to that of any fruit grown here. By peeling the fruit with a sharp knife 

 and serving it diced or in halves, as we often serve it, it is easy to manage 

 with a fork and most palatable. The trees set such enormous quantities 

 of fruit that we could well afford to give a daily demonstration in some 

 prominent shop, where the thousands of people who have never tasted an 

 avocado might be led to realize what a very welcome addition the avocado 

 is to one's diet. However, the fruit people dislike to handle this variety, 

 and offer very little for it. I find the main trouble with the fruit is that it 

 is allowed to hang on the trees too long. If picked at the proper time, it 

 keeps splendidly. 



The most famous tree in my orchard is a small Dickey, not over 3 

 feet high, that last year matured 42 fruits which sold for $32. My ex- 

 perience with the Dickey trees may prove interesting. I originally had 50 

 trees of this variety. After a time they began to turn yellow and die, not- 

 withstanding all our efforts to save them. In watching the trees closely, it 

 occurred to me that possibly a certain constriction at the union of the bud 

 and stock was responsible for the trouble, causing a damming back of the 

 nutrient fluid. I, therefore, made three longitudinal cuts with a sharp knife 

 through the bark at each bud union. Much to my surprise and delight, the 

 trees responded beautifully, throwing out a vigorous new growth and losing 

 entirely the yellow tinge. The 16 trees that are left from the 50 planted 

 are all growing splendidly. 



