CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 



99 



those remaining are looking sickly. The San Sebastian, Ameca and Per- 

 fect© stood the heat very well. 



My trees were well started previous to the heat. At that time they 

 stopped growing as far as we could see, and were practically dormant for 

 two months, since which time they have made a wonderful growth. 



J. T. Whedon: From my observations the heat wave affected all 

 avocado fruit that had just set, up to the size of a pea. The Fuertes, 

 which had reached the size of a cherry by the middle of June when the 

 hot wave came, held on the trees. In Yorba Linda the Fuerte commences 

 blossoming the early part of December and continues until June, giving 

 at least six months in which the fruit may be picked. As to the actual 

 time a fruit will hang on the tree after full maturity, I am not able to say. 



The warm, dry "norther" setting in on the 18th of this month, with 

 the continued hot weather ever since, has burned the tips of all new growth 

 as badly as did the June hot wave. The Fuerte will stand more rough 

 usage by being knocked about by the wind than any of my other varieties 

 fruiting to date. 



SPECIAL REPORT OF DIRECTORS ON AVOCADO 

 VARIETIES 

 By T. U. Barber, Puente, CaHf. 



One of the greatest benefits derived from an association is its ability 

 to raise the standard of the production it represents and thereby bring 

 greater returns to the producer and furnish higher quality to the consumer. 



The first Board of Directors of this Association realized that the 

 selection of varieties was the most important problem before them and, after 

 due consideration, Edwin G. Hart, then president, with the approval of 

 the Board, in February, 1916, appointed a special committee on Classi- 

 fication and Registration of Varieties consisting of Dr. H .J. Webber as 

 chairman. Prof. I. J. Condit, C. D. Adams, H. M. Haldeman and Wm. 

 Hertrich. This was an excellent selection of enthusiastic, thoroughly cap- 

 able members of the Association, not one of them having any commercial 

 interest nor a special variety to boost. After their appointment they organ- 

 ized and made a careful study of all varieties exhibited at our semi-annual 

 meetings and also made trips of inspection to all the original trees and most 

 important plantings located in this part of the state, so they might have 

 first hand knowledge of each variety. After nearly a year of considera- 

 tion, the chairman was instructed to place before the Board of Directors 

 the first report. At that time the Board thought it wise to carry on another 

 season's investigation with certain varieties before making public announce- 

 men of the conclusions. Therefore, the Committee went thoroughly over 

 the subject during the spring and early summer of this year and on July 6 

 prepared a second report for the Directors. This was presented to a full 

 meeting of the Board for consideration on August 1 6. To this meeting 

 were invited the members of the Classification and Registration Committee 

 and Mr. L. B. Scott, Special Pomological Investigator of the United 

 States Department of Agriculture, who gave us such a comprehensive talk 

 on this very subject at our last meeting. Mr. Scott was elected as an addi- 

 tional member of the conmiittee. There were four of the six members 

 present and they were invited to vote with the same power as the members 



