CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 



73 



follow the admonition of Dr. Hardin's little green stickers: "EAT AVO- 

 CADOS!" 



But we will not always be bare of that which we are supposed to 

 produce and we should aim to have at all our assemblages abundance of 

 fruit for complimentary and educational use among visitors who desire to 

 taste and learn to like. This might be done in one or more, or all of the 

 following ways: 



First: Fruit might be sold at a low or nominal price. 



Second: Present a fruit to any visitor who shows appreciation. 



Third: Give a part of a fruit to anyone desiring to taste. 



Fourth: Have stacks of small avocado sandwiches for all who care 

 to partake. This being such a good and unsuspected way to advertise, the 

 Association might well afford to buy fruit at a nominal price to be so used. 



I am an old believer in the life-giving and far-reaching influences of 

 the dinner table in connection with associational and periodical meetings. 

 The necessity of eating is, "One touch of nature that makes the whole 

 world kin," and dining together brings the kinship still closer; fellowship, 

 fraternity and equality play hide and seek among the plates and glasses; 

 distances and differences are obliterated; misunderstandings and misappre- 

 hensions melt; widely separated ideas are fused and bring forth wisdom. 

 Knowledge follows eating — proven by the case of Adam and Eve. We 

 are to try one of these table sessions of the Association, and I truly hope 

 it will be pleasing to all, and receive a hearty encore. 



We had no thought of indulging in a banquet, — in fact advise 

 against it in these times, — but as we all have to eat a dinner, we thought 

 well to have a "Together Dinner" at a modest price, which modesty 

 should prevail with us at least until, to the avocadoan, "the flowing tide 

 comes in." The dinner is merely a pleasing accompaniment to an enjoy- 

 able meeting of avocado cranks, and the only item on the table which 

 might suggest immodesty will be avocados, on which we should go the 

 limit — from our own trees. 



I urge the business wisdom of devoting more time and even money, 

 to our exhibit. At least half our time should be given to the show, which 

 in time should be competive as well as educational, which latter it em- 

 phatically is. There is a demand for it. In fact the crowd is always loth 

 to leave the fruit stands when the president starts to round 'em up to hear 

 the platform eloquence of the thirty per cent oil avocado orators. If further 

 proof is needed, I might mention, that upon the two occasions when the 

 exhibit was in the assembly room or near it, the noise of those who lingered 

 around the fruit stands was disturbing and continued, notwithstanding the 

 protests from the chair and the audience in general. 



Next in line with the collective idea of learning, I present a sugges- 

 tion from the avocado's good friend, L. B. Scott, that we might have an 

 occasional field day for the Association, or as many members as might care 

 to attend and respond, so that suitable arrangements could be made for 

 entertainment or for conveyance if necessary, beyond a certain point. The 

 purpose would be to visit trees, orchards, and other avocado plantings in a 

 certain locality, also to visit the members in that neighborhood. These ex- 

 cursions could be made at convenient times, and to different places, and 



