Pomona College Journal of Economic Botany 



145 



The Commercial Avocado 



At the present moment the question of greatest importance to prospective 

 avocado growers is "What are the best varieties for commercial purposes?" 



We have as yet no standard varieties^ and it will be well, therefore, before 

 the industry becomes established, to consider the characteristics required in an 

 avocado for commercial purposes, and to obtain only those that come nearest to 

 the ideal in every respect. It would be dangerous, to say the least, to rush into 

 such an extensive industry as this promises to become, without having thoroughly 

 considered this question and having obtained the very best to be had for our plant- 

 ings. Eventually the better varieties would come to the front anyway, and loss 

 of time and disappointment will be avoided by giving careful thought to this matter 

 in the beginning. 



1. Season 



It is the hope of those interested in the development of the avocado industry 

 in California that it will be possible to obtain for this climate a set of varieties that 

 will provide fruit of good quality continuously throughout the twelve months of 

 the year. And it seems as though this desire is to be realized in the near future, 

 for already we have mature fruit from September to June inclusive, which leaves 

 only a small gap to be filled in. But these varieties we already have do not come 

 up to our requirements in most respects, so that they are only of value to dem- 

 onstrate what can be done in the way of extending the season. It will be a notable 

 thing to have avocados in the market every month of the year, and will tend to 

 greatly increase the consumption of the fruit. And when the avocado comes to 

 be known and valued as a food product, there will be a steady demand for it 

 throughout the twelve months of the year. At present, however, there is the 

 greatest demand during the winter months, when other fruits are scarce. The 

 Florida growers have almost ceased to plant anything but winter bearing varieties, 

 not because there is no demand for the fruit in summer, but because at that season 

 many small avocados are thrown on the markets of the east from the West Indies, 

 and this fruit sells at such a low price that it is not profitable to compete with it. 

 However, the greatest demand has always been during the winter months, when 

 the markets of the country are not filled with other fruits, and it will doubtless be 

 advisable for California planters to follow the precedent of the Florida growers 

 to a great extent and plant mainly of winter and early spring bearing sorts. 



2. Hardiness 



While there are doubtless limited areas in Southern California where avocados 

 from the West Indies and Hawaii will thrive, our limited experience leads to the 

 belief that for general culture in California we must have hardier varieties than 

 those localities ordinarily produce. Avocados from the Mexican highlands have 

 proved to be hardy almost anywhere in Southern California, and suited to as large 

 an area as the orange. There are many locations in Mexico where avocados are 

 produced in quantity, where fully as low temperatures are experienced as are ever 

 felt here. Indeed, it is stated by G. N. Collins, a well known authority, that he 

 found in one locality in Mexico avocados growing and thriving where snow fell 



