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Pomona College Journal of Economic Botany 



will occur after that from eyes dropping off^ and from fungus attacking young 

 sprouts. This trouble may not be so bad with you. Very likely the beginning 

 of your dry season will be the best time for budding on this account. Our rainy 

 season is in summer^ and then we suffer most from fungus. 



"Budding is most simple. Use well developed eyes on young wood^ the big- 

 ger the shoot the better provided it is of last growth^ otherwise you will have 

 trouble with buds failing to start, and eyes dropping. We start the seeds in six 

 inch pots, budding and removing at the same time into 6x6x1 2-inch shingle boxes, 

 at five to seven months from the seed. Allow six months in these boxes for the 

 buds to grow, then plant out." 



California Plantings 



The production of varieties suitable for commercial purposes here has so far 

 been dependent upon chance seedlings, no systematic attempt to breed superior 

 varieties having been made. The variation always exhibited by seedlings has re- 

 sulted in the existence of numerous forms and types, a few superior to the average, 

 but by far the greatest number inferior to or no better than the average. Realiz- 

 ing, however, the possibility of obtaining choice varieties by chance in this way, 

 and varieties which would be especially well adapted to this climate, several ex- 

 perimental plantings have been made. 



One of the largest of these is that of Mr. William A. Spinks, of Monrovia, 

 who has obtained selected seeds from every available source and set out 150 seed- 

 ling trees in orchard form. (See also the reference made below to his orchard 

 planting of budded trees). Mr. Spinks' location is one of the most favorable in 

 Southern California, and with this number of selected seedlings the possibility of 

 obtaining something choice is certainly good. 



Mr. Joseph Sexton, of Goleta, near Santa Barbara, has planted 140 seedlings, 

 100 of which were grown from selected Hawaiian seed and the balance from se- 

 lected seeds from Mexico, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Porto Rico. In addition 

 to this plantation of his own, Mr. Sexton is planting for other parties in his vicin- 

 ity over 600 Hawaiian seedlings, of his own raising, all of which will be allowed 

 to grow as seedlings until they have had time to fruit. This extensive plantation 

 of Hawaiian seedlings will form an admirable test of this type of avocado, and as 

 the climate of Santa Barbara is notably mild, the possibilities of success are good. 



These plantations have only recently been made and will require some time 

 before the results will be known. Older than either of the foregoing is that of 

 Mr. C. P. Taft, the well known horticulturist at Orange^ whose work along vari- 

 ous lines of experimental horticulture has been of great value to the state. Mr. 

 Taft began planting avocados in a very small way seven or eight years ago. His 

 orchard now consists of several acres of seedlings, may of which are producing 

 fruit. So far Mr. Taft feels that he has not produced the ideal avocado, and is 

 continuing his experimental work by selection of his most desirable seedlings 

 rather than by securing buds from other countries. 



Mr. E. S. Thacher of Nordhoff, another of the well informed and experi- 

 enced horticulturists of Southern California, has been interested in the avocado for 



