Shipping and Marketing the Avocado 
Hamilton Michelson, Miami 
Before proceeding with my subject I 
wish to state my pleasure in being asso¬ 
ciated with the Florida State Horticul¬ 
tural Society. Last evening was my first 
opportunity of attending such a meeting 
and I wish to state that the discussions 
presented, represented to my mind no lit¬ 
tle food for thought. This formation of 
thought will produce but one result, and 
that is a crystalization of the thought 
formed, and the Horticultural Society de¬ 
serves the strongest support from every 
community in the State. The subject 
which has been assigned me—The Ship¬ 
ping and Marketing of Avocados—is of 
interest to the entire State and especially 
to Dade county, where the fruit grows 
to perfection in size and flavor. 
The value of the Avocado as a food is 
equal to that of meat or milk, as the bet¬ 
ter varieties contain about 20% of vege¬ 
table fat; and the most delicate person 
can partake of them with relish. How¬ 
ever, in the North, the Avocado is eaten 
mostly by the well-to-do classes as its 
scarcity puts it in the class with luxuries. 
Owing to the peculiar nutty flavor the 
average person does not take to it readily. 
The taste must be acquired. This ac¬ 
counts to a large degree for the difficulty 
in marketing large quantities of the fruit. 
At the present time a hundred carloads 
of grapefruit and oranges can be sold 
where one single crate of Avocados can 
be disposed of. 
We who know the value of the Avo¬ 
cado, feel that it is but a matter of time 
when the fruit will be as popular, and in 
as great demand, as the citrus fruit. Sys¬ 
tematic advertising is all that is required. 
This systematic advertising has long since 
been acknowledged as the making of any 
article of value. Take the concerted ad¬ 
vertising of the California raisins/ A 
few years ago it was impossible to find a 
market for the small quantities produced; 
now, after a few years of advertising, all 
the wine grape vineyards are being con¬ 
verted into vineyards of raisin grapes. 
Hammer it home, as it were, and your 
task is accomplished. This same condi¬ 
tion existed with the California walnuts. 
The Avocado is just as nourishing and 
very much easier digested than either the 
raisin or nut and is extremely appetizing. 
Speaking of appetizing brings to mind 
an experience which I had some years 
ago when a brother visited me from Cal¬ 
ifornia. After giving him a sample of 
the fruit he replied to my inquiry as to 
how he liked it: “Well, to be perfectly 
frank with you, I never tasted anything 
that resembled Octagon soap more than 
does this fruit.” He further remarked, 
“I would not give you a dollar for all the 
Avocados in Dade county.” Now he has 
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