THE AVOCADO IN GUATEMALA. 47 
tree is 30 or more years of age. It is about 40 feet high, with a dense, 
dome-shaped crown fully 40 feet broad. The trunk is 18 inches in 
diameter at the base, branching some 10 feet from the ground. At 
present the tree is badly attacked by several insect pests and is not 
in good condition. It appears normally to be reasonably vigorous in 
growth, the young branches being somewhat slender but not very 
brittle. The bud wood furnished by the tree is fairly good, the 
eyes being well developed and showing no tendency to drop at an 
early age. The twigs are at times slender and angular. 
The climate of Coban is mild ; hence, there is nothing to indicate 
that this variety will be any hardier than the average of the Guate- 
malan race. 
The flowering season is February and March. Up to a few years 
ago the tree is said to have borne large crops of fruit, but at present 
it does not seem to be doing so well, perhaps owing to weakened con- 
dition as a result of the attacks of insects and other pests. When 
first examined in December, 1916, there were only a few fruits on 
the tree, perhaps a dozen, and after the flowers which were pro- 
duced in 1917 had fallen only a few fruits were found to be left 
on the tree for the next season; most of them having fallen before 
they attained the size of walnuts. They were malformed, as though 
from the attacks of some parasite. The ripening season is said to be 
February to March, a few fruits being picked in December and Janu- 
ary and some hanging on the tree until April or May. 
This is a fruit of medium size, weighing about 15 ounces. In form 
it is pear shaped, tending to obovoid. The surface is slightly rough, 
deep green in color, while the skin is moderately thick, hard, and 
woody. ~The flesh is of unusually deep yellow color, quite free from 
discoloration of any kind, smooth and oily, and of unusually rich, 
flavor. The seed is rather small in comparison to the size of the fruit 
and is perfectly tight in the seed cavity. 
This variety may be formally described as follows : 
Form obovoid, obovoid-pyriform, or pyriform, slightly oblique; size above 
medium, weight 15 ounces, length 4f inches, greatest breadth 3§ inches; base 
rounded, the stem inserted obliquely without depression ; apex rounded ; surface 
slightly rough, deep green in color, with a few small yellowish dots ; skin moder- 
ately thick, one-eighth of an inch or slightly more, coarsely granular, woody, 
and brittle; flesh deep yellow in color, changing to pale green near the skin, 
of fine, smooth texture and free from discoloration of any sort ; the flavor rich 
and pleasant; quality excellent; seed rather small in comparison to the size 
of the fruit, rounded oblate in form, about If ounces in weight, with both seed 
coats adhering closely and fitting tightly in the seed cavity. 
KASHLAN. (No. 10.) S. P. I. No. 43934. 
In quality the Kashlan variety is one of the finest avocados in the 
series. It has the additional advantages of good size, convenient 
shape for handling, and a seed which is unusually small. Taken all 
