October. 1911.] 



315 



Edible Products. 



warm situation, the direct rays of the 

 sun should be avoided. If the seeds have 

 not been buried iu moist sand before 

 planting they will often be slow in 

 germinating, especially if not grown 

 under glass. Many of the seeds planted 

 in the fall in a lath house do not come 

 up until the following spring. After the 

 young trees have made a growth of 

 eight to twelve inches, they should be 

 shifted into larger pots or cans, if it is 

 desired to carry them on this way, or 

 set out in the nursery to be grown until 

 of suitable size to bud. 



By Budding. It is only during the 

 past season or two that much attention 

 has been given to budding the avocado 

 in California, although previously a few 

 nursery-men most interested in this fruit 

 had tried it. Having no experience of 

 their own in the budding of this parti- 

 cular tree, most of those who have budded 

 during the past year or two have simply 

 applied the methods they would use for 

 citrus fruits, while a few others have 

 followed the instruction given in various 

 publications by those who have experi- 

 mented in Florida. In all cases the 

 results have proved the budding of this 

 fruit to be no more difficult than that 

 of the citrus fruits, and when a little 

 more experience has been acquired the 

 operation will be performed with as 

 much assurance of success as with the 

 orange. 



For commercial purposes plants are 

 grown in pots until about twelve inches 

 high, when they are set out in nursery 

 rows three and one-half to four feet 

 apart, and fourteen inches apart in the 

 rows- Here they are grown and budded 

 and allowed to remain until of saleable 

 size, when the trees are balled, or trans- 

 planted into pots, and allowed to become 

 established before being sold. 



The method of budding is practically 

 the same as used for the orange. In 

 regard to such points as the best size of 

 stock and bud and season for carrying 

 on the work, there has, however, been 

 some uncertainty. 



Experiments have been carried out 

 locally on stocks ranging in diameter 

 from about one-fourth of an inch to over 

 one inch, with bud wood of all sizes, from 

 the young and tender tops to well- 

 matured wood of the previous season's 

 growth. Results led to the conclusion 

 that for small stocks, such as will be 

 obtained during the first summer's 

 growth of the seedling tree, bud3 from 

 young wood of the current season's 

 growth are the only ones which will 

 give good results. On older trees, 

 mainly two-year-olds, the buds from 

 older wood seem to take better, but are 

 liable to drop after leaving a blind bud, 



The experience of P. J. Wester, in 

 charge of the avocado investigations of 

 the Bureau of Plant Industry, is un- 

 questionably the most valuable to be 

 had on this subiect. Under date of 

 January 4, 1911, he writes me as follows : 

 " In 1906 I published an article in the 

 Florida Agriculturist that has been re- 

 produced in many papers, but which 

 does not now wholly represent my views 

 on the subject. The stock should be the 

 size of a lead pencil, in vigorous grow- 

 ing condition with sap flowing freely, 

 and young budwood, i.e., that from 

 the current year's growth, with well 

 developed buds, used. Do not use old 

 and hard budwood, as such buds after 

 taking frequently drop. Cut the buds 

 large, and cover entirely with waxed 

 tape. The last point may not be so im- 

 portant in California's dry climate. 

 Continued experimentation since I wrote 

 the above mentioned paper shows that 

 budding may be practised any month of 

 the year, provided the stock is in 

 condition, though for nursery practice I 

 would not bud in August, September, 

 October or November." 



Regarding the best season to bud, it 

 seems to be the consensus of opinion 

 here that October and November, which 

 are mentioned by Mr. Wester as undesir- 

 able months, are as good a season as 

 any, if not the best of the whole year. 

 This is probably owing to the climatic 

 conditions of Southern California being 

 different from those of Florida. 



Three weeks after insertion the buds 

 will have taken and the trees should be 

 lopped back to several inches above the 

 bud. The buds will then start into 

 growth, and when a growth of eight to 

 twelve inches has been made the stock 

 may be trimmed back to the bud. 



Edgar Harman, of Sherman, has done 

 considerable experimental budding, and 

 what he says will be of value to those 

 contemplating doing this work. The 

 seeds are started under glass, and as soon 

 as the plants are two inches high they 

 are set in pots and placed in a protected 

 place in the open. When they have 

 grown to the diameter of three-eighths 

 to one-half of an inch they are budded. 

 Mr. Harman considers that this oper- 

 ation can be performed successfully any 

 month of the year except July and 

 August. Young and tender budwood is 

 used, and the buds cut from three-fourths 

 to one inch long. Waxed cloth is used 

 for wrapping, and the buds are not 

 wrapped very tightly, As soon as the 

 buds swell, which should be iu about 

 three weeks, the top of the stock is 

 lopped over at about the fourth leaf 

 above the bud, and a little later on it is 



