OCR Text |
Show 'Alligator Pears' Now Important Food Crop Avocados were virtually unknown in the markets of the United States 50 years ago. The few people who grew them in Florida and California Califor-nia called them "alligator pears." But down in the tropics of South America, the Indians had been growing grow-ing avocados in their gardens before be-fore the days of Columbus. They often took the place of meat and bread because of their rich nutritive nutri-tive values. Some time in the last century the avocado (Persea Americana) was brought into southern Florida from Cuba and into southern California from Mexico. The Californians sent horticultural explorers to the great avocado-producing centers of Mexico. Mex-ico. They discovered an excellent sort which was named "Puerto" because be-cause it was such a strong grower. The department of agriculture kept a plant explorer traveling from Mexico to Chile for the better part of 10 years hunting for avocados which might extend the ripening season in the United States or otherwise other-wise contribute to the success of the new industry. |