Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1909-08-27
Undoubtedly II viii Grow Here.

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avocado, fruit much used In tropic-
al countries and to some extent IN
Mexico. There is no doubt that II
will grow in this part of Oregon, and
| II so 1t will become as popular here
as in the countries where 1t is best
known. Our fruit growers should
look up avocado and experiment with
1t here. A department bulletin says:
1.-The avocado, known by many
names in the various tropical coun-
tries Of America, Is a salad fruit, oc-
cupying a place more nearly compar-
able with the olive than any other.
In the markets of the United States
it is sometimes called avocado pear
and alligator pear" but the name
avocado" is now more generally
used than either of the others. There
is no good reason for continuing such
barbarism of language as alligator
pear" since the term avocado is
sufficiently distinctive, and the word
pear" is altogether a misnomer G.
~ Collins, in his paper on this fruit,
shows that no less than forty-three
common names are applied to it,
though it is almost unknown outside
of the American tropics. This speaks
volumes for its popularity,
Chemical analysis brings out the
fact that the ripe fruit contains
from 10 to 10 per cent of fat, clear
ly indicating its value as a food As
breakfast food it IS Of superior eX-
celence Adding pepper and salt
as condiments and a teaspoonful Of
lime juice makes it a dish to please
Ian epicure. However IT may fail to
please on first trial, one is almost
certain to become eYtravagantly fond
of it if he continues to live in the
tropics. 1t is, indeed, the rare eX-
oeption to find a person living IN the
section where good ripe fruit may be
obtained in quantity who is not eX-
tremely fond of the avocado. Fruits
picked green and ripened in crate
are as far from the real thing as are
green tomatoes from ripe ones. Then,
too, there are as great varietal varia-
T. tions as in other cultivated fruits.
The tree is easily budded and readily
, transplanted, so there Is no need of
/ planting and growing seeding or
chards A variety lately imported
from Mexico by the Bureau Of Plant
Industry has passed through 1916 de-
grees Fahrenheit with loss of only
the smaller limbs This hardness
greatly increases the possibilities OF
extending the range of this fruit
=, The most primitive way of using
; the avocado is to cut 1t into halves
, remove the seed and dip out the
, meat with a teaspoon: 1t should cut
, readily, and yet should come out
| neither oily or mushy. A rancit
avocado is simply nauseating and &
green one not edible. The addition
: OF salt and pepper in no wise de-
tracts from Its flavor and the novice
may prefer to add a teaspoonful OF
lime juice, lemon Juice, or vinegar
to give 1t plquancy. A very small
quantity Of sugar my be used TO re-
duce the sharpness OF the acid
Mayonnaise, or even Oil, is some
times added, but this would seen en-
tirely superflous, since the fruit al
! ready contains so large a percentage
OF fatty matter. People accustomed
to the use Of sugar and cream with
fruits sometimes add these. In hotels
and restaurants the avocado is otter
cut into small cubes or thin slices
and served in small dishes This Is
done to economize the fruit, as q
single avocado will fiji six such
dishes, while If served in the hall
she'll II would suffice for only two
people, The dressing or condiments
f. used when sliced are the same as
when served in the half shell. The
ripe fruit, cut into cubes half or O
third of an inch in size, is frequently
mixed with minced salads At times
II is added to lobster and shellfish
salad to which It imparts pleasing
nutty flavor In Mexico and Other
Central American countries small
cubes of avocado are added to sour
as 1t is served This imparts to the
soup an agreeable nutty flavor that
Is pleasing to the novice
"A mixed sweet pickle made NJ
largely of avocado cubes has been
prepared. Thoroughly ripened fruit
was chosen and prepared before II
had sottened as otherwise II would
have become mushy In cooking"
Write the department at Washing.
ton and you will find out how to se-
cure some OF this fruit for expert
mental work