47 



Edible Products. 



heard it called by any other name than the Spanish Pear, or by some the 

 Shell-Pear ; and I suppose it is so called only by the English (knowing no 

 other name for it) because it Avas there planted by Spaniards before our country- 

 men had any being there ; or else because it hath a kinde of shell or crusty 

 out-side. I think it to be one of the most rare and most pleasant Fruits in 

 that Island; it nourisheth and strengthened the body, corroborating the vital 

 spirits, and procuring lust exceedingly : the Pulp being taken out and macerated 

 in some convenient thing, and eaten with a little Vinegar and Pepper, or several 

 other ways, is very delicious meat. 



GEOGRAPHICAL TYPES. 



In nearly all parts of the American Tropics there is a great variety in 

 the forms of the avocado, yet comparatively few have received distinctive 

 names, and only a very few have found their way into literature. In the 

 " Revue Horticole," 1900, page 546, D. Bois describes nine Mexican varieties as 

 follows :— 



Dulce largo, green, in form of a gourd, with a long neck ; seed large. 



De tecosautla, dark green, with ovoid seed. 



Pagua, large, spherical, purple in colour, with a large seed. 



Morado de Chalco, pear-shaped, purplish. 



Dulce, large, green, oblong, with whitish, ovoid seed. 



Pagua redonda, round, green, with a very large reddish seed. 



Verde de ban Angel, light purplish, pear-shaped. 



Morado de San Angel, light purple; seed ovoid. 



Verde chico, small, green, with an elliptical seed. 



These same varieties appear in slightly different form in Sagot's " Manuel 

 Pratique des Cultures Tropicales," page 157. 



Sagra mentions four forms from Cuba, as follows :— 

 Violet, almost round. 



Thick green, round, with yellowish flesh of a spongy consistency. 

 Long yellow, similar to a large pear. 

 Long green. 



There is little to be gained in attempting to identify these forms, as 

 none of the characteristics of economic importance are mentioned, and from 

 observations made in Mexico it appears probable that these forms merge into 

 one another with many imperceptible gradations. The author has had the 

 opportunity of studying avocados in Porto Rico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, and 

 Mexico ; and from the fruit that has come under observation the avocados of 

 Mexico, while diverse in form and color, seem to be much more closely related 

 to each other than to those of any other of the above-mentioned countries. 

 As much of the fruit was obtained in markets, it was often impossible to 

 determine the character of the tree on which any particular fruit was borne, 

 and in no case could floral and fruit characters be compared. Aside from yield, 

 vigour, and hardiness, the more important characteristics of a variety, from a 

 commercial standpoint, can be determined from the fruit alone. 



In a general way each of the countries visited exhibited distinct types 

 of avocados, although in nearly every case aberrant forms occur which fre- 

 quently seem to be associated with the types ot other countries. In many 

 such cases the resemblance is probably a similarity in formal characters rather 

 than a true relationship. In making the following descriptions, several new 

 characters have been used, such as the nature of the skin, whether it is hard 

 or soft, thick or thin, and the character of the seed coats, believing that these 

 are of more importance than the form and color by which the cidtivated varie- 

 ties have usually been distinguished. Until more complete botanical studies 

 have been made it seems advisable in describing the different forms to take 



