The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1908-10-16
ANOTHER FLORIDA cONTRI5U
TON

The New York correspondent Of the
+ Chicago Packer says:
The Avocado, or alligator pear. by
the way Of a comparatively new pro
duct OF Florida so far as the average
American citizen knows, has begun TO
show up On this market in surprising
/ ly large quantities. Here and there
along the street now you see q sign
+ reading. Alligator Pears. A Iaast
. - per cent. of the stay-ar-home trade
/ did not know what al alligator pear
looked Ike two years ago.
Only LAST week the Packer man
heard q real intelligent looking East
side fruit jotber asking a Washington
street receiver if they were not @ neT
variety OF green pepper.
. Eue il look a though the alligator
par has cone 10 stay. if the recon-
we-d1-.oZ of those Who know all
. 1bou- it counts for anything. How
---r -,- -ec-- INST re INTRODUCED -
3 lie pce.c 81 j Icy be Thar the me~
who make the iaJl l.aion viii like
/ wise make q fortune a. was done in
. Rocky Ford castalo1nes and even
/ grapefruit About twelve Or fifteen
. years ago the peddlars sold the first
! grapefruit that came here for big
( oranges" and the following day the
housewives Of New. York were out
looking for them with broom sticks
and hatcheJs. Now the grapefruit. in
season is an Indispensable adjunct TO
millions Of breakfast tables.
Hickson Bros, Of Miami, Fla. ex-
tensive growers of alligator pears. in
writing the Packer say of the pro
duct:
This is one Of the best, If nor the
best, Of all tropical fruits. Il is the
most easily digested, the most whole
some and the most nOurishing. Ac-
cording to government statistics II
contains over 10 per cent. Of fat and
in a form that the most delicate per-
sons can partake of it with a relish
when they cannot partake Of fat from
the animal source. Il is an upbmldar
Of the syStem-nerve as well as mus
Gle. It requires but little coaxing Of
The palate for one TO become ex-.
tremeIy fond OF it.
The Avocado is a salad fruit and
is prepared or served with any and
all kinds of condiments. accor ling to
ones taste. II welcomes olive oil
lemon or lime juice. the ordinary salad
dressing or with pepper. salt and vim
egar. The favOrite way is to halve'
the fruit. remove the seed and skin,
then cut the meat into cubes of about
half-inch size and add the desired
dressing.
Another favorite way to serve the
smaller varieties is to haIve the fruit
and after removing the seed and in
ner lining 20 serve each half in a sau-
/ Ger to each person. the fruit TO be eat
en-, with a slight sprinkling of salt
pepper and vinegar if desired-out of
the skin with teaspoon. We quote
the following from the Tampa Times:
The Avocado makes the basis Of
q score Of the finest salads that ever
5ickled the palate Of an epicure. and
it has the great merit that it cannot
be spoiled
It welcomes olive oil and lemon
juice alike. extending a friendly wei
come 70 mustard and pepper sauce.
But the best way to enjoy an Avocado
| is TO secure q fine specimen. just ripe
enough TO yield gently TO a pressure
CT the thumb. which # applied 20 = ba-
! by's ear would make IT look up az YOU
wonderiugiv. ST. on the kitchen steps.
split the pear II halves. lay aside the
beautifully ugly seed. renderly scrape
our the inside lining. arm yourself
/ with q teaspoon. Q lemon and a Jrife
o. finely ground salt.
/ Squeeze a modicum Of lemon
juice into the gIobuIar cavity. spar
ingIy Of salt. gouge out gently a leap
! ing teaspoonful Of the meat. place in
the mouth and let it dissolve under
/ pressure Of the tongue against the
/ teeth. swallow the resulting paste
Enormously AMI with rtankfume5s.
Then. when the delicious impress
! sion mon the Savorv nerves has ha-