26 



THE AVOCADO IN FLORIDA. 



When the ideal crate shall he adopted it will probably be similar in 

 shape to the boxes used for California pears. 



Before packing, the individual avocado should be wrapped in some 

 substantial and attractive paper. This will add materiall}^ to the car- 

 r3nng quality and to the selling- price of the fruit. Enough fruit 

 should be put into the crate so that it will be packed firmly, to pre- 

 vent any possibilit}^ of shaking on the way to market. It is not always 



Fig 9 — Loiigitiulinnl scctionsof iMitllc-nofked avocados (ubout one-half natural diameter): A, West 

 Indian-South Auiericau variety, witli very large cavity; B, Mexican variety, with seed Idling 

 cavity. 



possible to properly fill the crates now used, and it sometimes becomes 

 necessary to fill up the vacant space with excelsior. In large crates 

 and with well-matured fruit a considerable (juantity of excelsior must 

 be used to make sure that the fruit will not be bruised. The produc- 

 tion of avocados in the United States is so limited and the demand 

 thus far is so much greater than the supply that comparatively little 

 care has been necessaiy to secure good prices, provided the fruit 

 reached the market in sound condition. 



