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Subtropical Fruits
A Department of Tropical and Subtropical Horticulture
BY F. W. POPEONE
Notes on the propagation and culture of plants and trees coming within the scope of this department will be welcomed, and inquiries are invited.
AVOCATE OR AVOCADO?
Dr. Franciscus of Santa Barbara, well-known introducer of new plants and tropical fruits, has a good reputation, sending the following interesting contribution regarding the correct name for the fruit which he has introduced. At least three names that have been in common use have been mentioned, as pointed out in this article, there is only one that is correct and desirable, and that is "Avocado." It is a name that will appeal to all intelligent people. "Avocado," while not quite so objectionable as "Ahuacate," is still a mispronunciation of the correct name, and since it is in common use, it is taking on prominence and holds promise for a great future importance. It behooves us to give this fruit the greatest subject with the greatest care and see that its name becomes established under anything but the incorrect form.
Subtropical Editor of the Western Empire: What's in a name? A great deal, as Shakespeare once took first glance. A wealthy Frenchman once wrote a story of a country where it had been decreed that every child should receive, instead of a name, a surname. While through the ages additions in progress of life of appropriate alphabetical symbols would plainly show the physical, moral and social qualities of each individual, since it was to be worn in plain sight. Moreover, there was the idea of extending the ingenuity to all other living or inanimate things, so that every one of them should be represented by a name in four figures in different combinations. In addition, there was the solution of the problem of universal language, leaving "Esperanto" far in the background.
There is no record that this institution ever worked, at least it is not in vogue in any of the most progressive countries at the present time. However, some thing similar was adopted in penitentiaries for the purpose, viz.: to conceal the personality of each individual. Leaving aside the question and concerning which the most bewildering opinions are expressed above all other countries, let us have a look at the names "things" in plain American English, of which they originate. The greatest bulk of them come from the old English, which had taken them from one of its many parent languages; also a great number originated from other modern languages, and in more recent times, from the French, cre- established by Napoleon 200 years ago still holds good. New names for new things." There is no place in any self-respecting language for new names for old things, least of all for names which have a historical and etymological foundation. What can be said of names which were born of ignorance and were created by ignorant people?
This is the especial case with the "Ahuacate," PERSEA GRATISSIMA, one of the coming fruits for California. The first two thousand seedlings were planted recently in our State, far and away the largest quantity in the world. Where does this name "Ahuacate" come from? Four hundred years ago, when it was found in Mexico, this fruit was well known and highly esteemed by the native Aztecs, who had called it "Ahuacahull" for centuries. "Ahuacate" and "Ahuacahull" pronounced "Ah-wah-chah-tle, accenting third syllable) were both derived from the Nahuatl, the ancient language, which soon became prevalent all over Mexico and in Central America. They were soon transplanted to the islands of the so-called West Indies, and there many queer transformations took place. In the Spanish islands "Ahuacahull" was changed into "Ahuacate," the Spanish name for lawyer or attorney. In the French islands "Abac- tier" and to "Poire d'Avocet," meaning "Avocado pear." In the English islands the nonsensical combination of "Alligator Pear" came into existence. It is a real pity that this unfortunate nigger, who had been given the name of an unimportant berry, they call "sharks" in our times. It has never been explained, that more prominent names.
Now from the East we are told that the Chinese call the fruit "Shark" and the rubbish heap our musical and immemorially old "Ahuacate" and adopt the name "Avocado" and why? Principally because the Chinese have printed on the East in the East have printed that name on their bills of fare. Is this serious? It is not. It is a fact that the Chinese are an old saying, but the sun shines and the rain falls, and the Chinese are accustomed to know good things when we see them. The name "Ahuacate" is a name which carries with it the individuality of its own; it carries us back to the days of the Conquistadores, the continent and to the harmonious Castilian language. Must we sacrifice all this to the whimsical blunders of the past?
POLEMO SEED-BED STOCK.
As a side proposition--a by-product of the pomelo grove, as it were--seed-bed stock is a by-product of the orange and lemon bids fair to have a great future.
The fibrous root is more thrifty, has a larger and stronger top root and a greater wealth of fibrous roots than either the orange or lemon stock or the California sweet stock. The fibrous root of the pomelo takes up and assimilates more water and more foodstuffs than the orange stock and is altogether a better foundation.
Under the same conditions mulled on the pomelo produce at least one-third more fruit per tree than the orange row in a season than on any other foundation. The union is more perfect and the pomelo is more readily in growing a three-fourths-inch tree. An ocular demonstration of this is shown in the Malone citrus five-year-old nursery at Santa Paula. The pomelo seed was planted in May, 1895, transplanted in April, 1896, to the Valencia oranges and Eureka lemon in November, 1910, cut off to 25 inches in height, and the pomelo is now 53 trees, vigorous and rapidly producing wood. This nursery stock is already so large that it is used as a nucleus with either sweet or sour roots, and still more vigorous stock is used as a foundation for the orange and lemon.
Looking forward to the future of the pomelo in California. Western growers are making a great progress for this valued fruit, but the growers will have to overcome the greener faults in growing, naming and marketing the crop and educate the masses to its use and value.
SPROUTING AHUACATES.
PUEBLO VIEJO (Vera Cruz, Mex.) Jan. 30, 1912.--(Editor Western Em- pire): Will you kindly mail some Ahuacate seeds. You will place them on a dish with some nice damp sand, cover them with a piece of glass and keep one-half inch of water on them all the time. They will grow roots in about six weeks and will be a novelty as well. Tie up with a nice ribbon as they grow, that will help them to stand upright. When about one inch high transplant in pots or cans, and as soon as established plant them in the ground. They will bloom and they should be in fruit in four years. If you know of anybody wanting any sprouted Ahuacates next season would be pleased to hear from them.
Yours truly,
H. C. COLEMAN.
METHODS OF USING TROPICAL FRUITS.
An article in the February issue of the Pacific Garden brings to notice a most important matter in connection with the culture of newly acquired fruits. This article is on the subject of the Granadilla, or edible Passion fruit (Passiflora edulis) and quotes from a letter received from Giendale: "This fruit is considered, in the Australian colonies, a luxury. Passion fruit and cream is all the vogue for ladies when shopping. As passed on to me by the writer of this letter also states that she has a vine growing 40 feet far from Los Angeles, a vine which bore delicious fruit. The editor of the Pacific Garden says that out of all the plans of this species he has seen, this is the only one which could be considered of any value.
This incident illustrates most admirably the reason why many of our tropical fruits are not known to the people in this State. It is because they do not know how to prepare them for consumption. Here is the lady who has lived in New South Wales, taken a passion fruit vine, and she considers it delicious as produced by her vine at Giendale. But doubtless the fruit was not prepared out of hand, as has been done by the editor of the Pacific Garden, who knows how to prepare it to bring out its fine qualities and make it a really delicious fruit.
The same condition obtains with many of our tropical fruits. For the avocado, many recipes have been published for its use in this State, yet few people have learned how to prepare it to bring out its delicious qualities. The result is the conse- quence that they cannot see much in the avocado. Nor do we prepare the chayote here, nor do we see the delicious forms in which it is served, in fact, it is frequently allowed to go to waste in Southern California, yet, when prepared, a jelly that is famous throughout the tropics and commands a high price in this country.
The chayote, a vegetable which comes from Mexico, is superior to asparagus when properly prepared.
In fact, this instance of the Passion fruit is a very good example of similar instances that might be named. The moral is plain. We should consider tropical fruit as being of little value until it has been served to the public in a form in which it should be served, for few fruits are used only in the tropical countries, and, as Californians have seemed to consider all tropical fruits should be used.
