32 



SEEDS AND PLANTS IMPORTED. 



35282 and 35283— Continued. 



skinned), of good flavor, and very early producers. The above-named gen- 

 tlemen own some seedlings from fruits of the same tree, which, when 3 years 

 old, carried over 80 fruits, some ha\dng dropped off when I observed the tree. 

 The trees are of tall, upright growth, but otherwise present the same appear- 

 ance as trees of the usual Mexican type. I have a few of the same variety 

 of seedlings in my nurseries here which failed to take in budding and when 18 

 months old flowered, but did not set fruit; the trees are now 3 meters high. 

 I expect these same seedlings to produce quite a number of fruits this year. 

 It may be of interest to you that I have budded about 50 seedlings to one of 

 the best varieties of Mexican- type avocado found in Campo Santo (Salta), and 

 20 to the other type (which I will call Peruvian type, because I am informed that 

 the seeds from which the tree furnishing the budwood was grown were imported 

 from Peru) and that the latter buds made as good a union on the Mexican- 

 typ^ stock and are growing just as well as they could be expected to do on the 

 Peruvian stock. In other words, the Peruvian type, of which the Trapp, 

 Pollock, etc., are representatives, does equally well on the Mexican, fragrant- 

 leaf type of seedlings as when budded on seedlings of its own type. 



''Avocados, or paltas as they are called here, are grown in limited numbers 

 in Campo Santo and Betania, about 20 kilometers from this place. The trees 

 flower in September and mature their fruit, depending on climatic conditions, 

 in February and March. There are no systematically planted groves here, 

 only a few scattered trees which, however, bring good returns to their owners. 

 The fruits are all pear shaped, 8 to 11 centimeters long, and 4 to 5 centimeters 

 in diameter; the seed is seldom loose. The flavor does not quite reach in 

 nuttiness that of the best Florida-grown avocado, but is very satisfactory. 

 In recent years a few trees of the Peruvian type have been planted in this 

 neighborhood and yield much better returns, not quantitatively, but in quality 

 and size. In Tucuman (Lules, San Pablo, etc.) I have seen trees of the 

 Peruvian large-fruited type which were yielding very satisfactory crops and 

 fruit of very good quality. The latter ones sell in Buenos Aires at $3.50 and 

 $3 paper ($1.54 and $1.32 United States currency) per dozen, but are not 

 sufficiently well known to the public to have caused a great demand. The 

 Mexican-type fruits sell at from $2 to $3 paper locally and in the Salta city 

 market. The manager of an English company in the Province of Jujuy is 

 making great efforts to estabhsh a large avocado grove and has imported, upon 

 my ad\dce, quite a number of Trapp and some Pollock plants from Florida. 

 Unfortunately the plants generally arrive in pitiful shape. " (Schultz.) 

 35283. Annona cherimola L. Cherimoya. 



"Seeds from some choice fruits presented to me by the late Sr. Delfin Perez, 

 Finca 'El Carmen,' Campo Santo, Province of Salta. The cherimoya was 

 introduced into Campo Santo from Peru about 50 years ago, and while the 

 famous 'oldest residents' who heard the tales of the original importers claim 

 that the fruits have degenerated greatly, it must be admitted that the quality 

 of the present-grown cherimoyas in this region is very fine indeed. I have 

 never eaten as good cherimoyas in Central America or in the United States 

 as are produced here; their flavor and aroma are exquisite and their texture 

 velvety and most delicious. The beautifully fragrant, creamLike pulp melts 

 in the mouth like the best ice cream, and were it not for the somewhat objec- 

 tionable seeds a finer fruit could not be imagined. After sampUng the locally 

 produced cherimoya I feel no hesitancy in withdrawing the statement which 

 I made in the United States before visiting this country that cherimoya culture 

 had no important future in the United States. California can undoubtedly 



