86 



1917 ANNUAL REPORT 



More illustration could be given, but the same general showing would 

 be made. It has been said that in the large fruits the percentage of seed 

 is less than in the small. This statement, however, is not borne out by the 

 above figures. The average percentage of seed in the fruits, whether it 

 refer to the large or small fruits, differs but little. This is an important 

 point when considering the total food value, because it will be noticed by 

 an inspection of the tables of the analyses that the higher the percentage of 

 oil the lower the percentage of water and vice versa. The other ingredi- 

 ents of the fruit do not vary to the same extent. The percentage of oil at 

 present from the standpoint of food conservation is very important. 



Experiments which have been conducted at the Nutrition Laboratory 

 have shown that the digestibility of the avocado oil is equal to that of other 

 oils. Therefore, this fat or oil can be very advantageously used as a sub- 

 stitute for butter fat. 



The honor ration which the United States Food Administration has 

 recently offered to the people of the United States with the hope that they 

 will adopt it, includes 7 ounces of butter fat per week, or 1 ounce per day, 

 per person. For many this would appear to be an insufficient amount. 

 There are other varieties of fat for the adult which can be utilized if the 

 amount of butter indicated by the ration appears to be too small. The 

 avocado pulp offers itself as an excellent source of fat, and it can be 

 spread upon bread similar to butter. It may be said that it would be an 

 expensive substitute. This is true if purchases are to be made in the open 

 market, but the foregoing suggestions are offered to those who grow the 

 avocado and who consume considerable quantities of this fruit. Such 

 consumption might not be considered as economical, but it certainly would 

 be in the line of conservation. For feeding very young children it would 

 be well to supplement the butter with the avocado, but not to use avocado 

 entirely in the place of butter, owing to the fact that butter fat has proper- 

 ties essential for growth which the avocado may not contain. On the other 

 hand, it must not be forgotten that when butter is consumed, it is only the 

 fat which is really concerned. When the avocado is used we have not 

 only a rich nutritive fat, but we have the mineral matter and organic salts 

 which are so valuable to the human body. 



Recorded examinations of avocados tend to show that the time of 

 picking is materially concerned with the flavor. The best flavor is not as 

 a rule associated with those fruits which hang for too long a period on the 

 tree. The financial return for the time being from the sale of such fruit 

 may exceed that of earlier fruits, but sooner or later this condition is bound 

 to change in favor of the highest flavored fruit. 



The advantage of the slight increase in fat which may result from 

 a very late picking is more than offset by the deterioration of the flavor, etc. 

 Quite often the fat does not increase after a certain point, no matter how 

 long the fruit may remain on the tree. It is agreed by all that the larger 

 use of the avocado is desired, and therefore, it must be borne in mind 

 that it is very necessary that the fruit be marketed at its best, and in many 

 instances this is not the case when the fat percentage is at its maximum. 

 Several studies on different varieties during the past season has strongly 

 emphasized this point. An increase of from 26 to 28 per cent in fat con- 

 tent has been accompanied with a much poorer quality of fruit. 



