TROPICAL AND SUBTROPICAL FRUITS IN CALIFORNIA. 332 



practised to a limited extent. Seedling stocks are ready for budding 

 at the age of six or seven months, when grown under favourable 

 conditions, and are worked in spring or summer. 



Avocados command fancy prices in the markets, single fruits 

 fetching as high as S1.25 in the winter season, although the average 

 price for a good specimen, about a pound in weight, is 50 or 60 cents. 

 The two types bear at different times of the year, and this, with tho 

 variation in season of the different varieties, permits the fruit to be 

 in market for about ten out of the twelve months. 



The Cherimoya [Anona Cherimolia Mill.). 



Although introduced at about the same time as the Avocado, the 

 Cherimoya (figs. 132, 135) has not yet become commercially popular. 

 This can only be attributed to the fact that propagation by seed has 

 resulted in a large majority of the trees being inferior or worthless 

 Several small seedHng orchards have been planted and later grubbed 

 out because the trees did not produce enough fruit to make their 

 culture profitable. Budding is now being practised, and prolific and 

 otherwise desirable varieties are being planted. The cool climate of 

 the coastal regions of southern California seems to be especially suited 

 to this fruit. 



As yet only two named varieties are known ; of one, the ' Golden 

 Russet,' a small plantation of budded trees is now in bearing. There 

 is no disputing the fact that the Cherimoya, in its finer varieties, is 

 one of the most dehcious of all fruits, consequently the future of 

 Cherimoya culture, now that propagation by budding has placed it on 

 a sound basis, looks very bright. 



The Date [Phoenix dactylifera Linn.). 



Experiments carried out by the Department of Agriculture and b}^ 

 various private growers have demonstrated that the date palm is 

 admirably adapted to the Imperial and Coachella valleys, in the 

 southern end of the State, where climatic conditions are practically 

 those of the Sahara. Palms have been in bearing for some years, and 

 through the importation of offshoots and planting of seedlings an 

 industry is being rapidly developed. Nearly 25,000 offshoots have 

 been imported, about 9000 having come from the Persian Gulf region 

 and the remainder from North Africa. Varieties from practically all 

 the principal date-growing regions of the world have been planted 

 experimentally, and an accurate idea gained as to their adaptability. 

 The ' Manakhir ' from Tunis, ' Deglet Nur ' from Algeria (fi.g. 136), 

 and ' Maktum,' ' Khustawi,' and ' Khadrawi ' from Mesopotamia have 

 proved to be among the best. 



The Mango [Mangifera indica Linn.). 



The progress of the Mango (fig. 137) in this State has been retarded 

 by the planting of worthless seedlings, and by neglect of many of the 

 trees. In a few locedities fruits of good size and flavour have been 



