CHAXGES IX COMPOSITION OF CALIFORNIA AVOCADOS. 
Fat was. extracted from the moisture-free samples with anhydrous 
ether in a Soxhlet apparatus. 
Sugar was determined after inversion in the cold, by the usual 
reduction methods, the cuprous oxid being determined by the 
optional official method, using ferrous sulphate and permanganate 
solution. 
Nitrogen was determined by the Gunning method, the result 
obtained being multiplied hy 6.25 for protein. 
Crude fiber was determined by the usual method. 
RESULTS OF INVESTIGATION. 
The results of this investigation are given in Tables 1 to 6. Table 
1 shows the rank of each variety in the matter of weight, percentage 
of edible portion, seed, and skin, and the percentage of pro- 
tien, fat, and crude fiber in the edible portion. The data obtained 
from the analyses of the fruit from the selected trees are presented 
in Table 2, and, in order to facilitate comparisons, the same data, 
calculated to a water-free basis, are given in Table 3. Table 4 
shows the number of days elapsing between the time the fruits 
were picked and the time they became soft enough to eat. 
Table 5 gives the results obtained from the analyses of miscellaneous 
samples of avocados grown in California. Table 6 gives the results 
obtained from the analyses of samples of fruit of the varieties intro- 
duced from Guatemala and South America by the Office of Seed and 
Plant Introduction, Bureau of Plant Industry, United States Depart- 
ment of Agriculture. Figure 1 shows the increase in the fat content 
of the edible portion of the standard varieties of avocados during 
growth. 
Table 1. — Comparison of varieties of the avocado. 
Rank. 
Weight. 
Seed. 
Skin. 
Variety 
Sharpless . 
Spinks 
Blakeman. 
Lyon 
Taft 
Fuerte 
Dickinson. 
Puebla. . . . 
Ounces. 
Variety, 
23.4 
19.3 
18.2 
16.7 
1.5. 3 
14.7 
13.4 
8.3 
Fuerte 
Sharpless . 
Dickinson 
Lyon 
Taft 
Blakeman 
Spinks — 
Puebla. . . 
Per cent. 
Variety 
8.5 
8.6 
9.5 
9.7 
11.8 
14.1 
17.7 
19.4 
Puebla — 
Fuerte 
Blakeman 
Spinks 
Sharpless. 
Taft 
Lyon .... 
Dickinson 
Per cent. 
5.6 
6.7 
7.0 
7. 5 
S.6 
9.5 
IS. 9 
Edible portion. 
Rank. 
Protein in edible por- 
tion . 
Fat in edible portion. 
Crude fiber in edible 
portion. 
Variety. 
Fuerte 
Sharpless 
Lyon 
Blakeman ; 
Puebla 
Spinks 
Taft 
Dickinson 
Percent.! Variety. Percent 
s.5.0 j Lvon J 4.37 
84.0 Spinks i 2.70 
78. 9 ! Fuerte | 2. 32 
76.4 Puebla 2.30 
74.0 Blakeman.-.J 2.25 
73.0 Sharpless I 1.92 
72.0 ! Dickinson 1.66 
68.5 Taft 1.36 
Variety. 
Fuerte — 
Lvon 
Puebla... 
Blakeman 
Taft 
Spinks... 
Sharpless. 
Dickinson 
Percent. 
Variety. Percent. 
29. 93 
26. 89 
26. 45 
21. 55 
18. 89 
18.53 
18.41 
14. 4o 
Taft 
Sharpless.. 
Spinks 
Puebla 
Lyon 
Dickinson. 
Blakeman. 
Fuerte 
0.73 
1.09 
1.09 
1.12 
1.15 
1.19 
1.24 
1.35 
