GROWTH AND WATER RELATIONS OF THE AVOCADO FRUIT

Some of the heaviest losses of thin skinned avocado fruit are due to endspots, a name applied by COIT (1) to the type of spoilage that affects mature fruits on the tree. In end-spotted fruit the larger end gradually withers and dries and in some cases the cracking may proceed until the seed is exposed. In another type of end-spot called "speckles," small, dark spots occur as dry, depressed areas in the skin. Among the factors involved (6) are an overmaturity of the skin in the affected portion of the fruit and a desiccation of the fruit surfaces as a result of an extreme water deficit in the tree. End-spots may become of greater importance in the near future because of the popularity of thin skinned fruit and the need for additional varieties with maturity dates covering the entire season. The present paper' conisiders certain phases of the growth anid water relations of the avocado fruit. Chemical studies to be reported later furnish data that may aid in gaining an understanding of these physiological diseases. No conclusions are drawn regarding the horticultural application of the results obtained. Investigation