I have read several stories about the Avocado business around the world since being here in Thailand. The Haas Avocado makes up 80 percent of all Avocados grown in the world. I will try to retell what I know about the propagation of the first Haas trees. All commercial, fruit-bearing Hass avocado trees have been grown from grafted seedlings propagated from a single tree which was grown from a seed bought by Rudolph Hass in 1926 in Whittier, California.
In 1926, at his 1.5-acre grove in California, Hass planted three seeds he had bought from an Avocado grower which yielded one strong seedling. After trying and failing at least twice to graft the seedling with branches from another avocado trees (the leading commercial Avocado tree at the time), Hass thought of cutting it down, but a professional grafter told him the young tree was sound and strong, so he let it be.
When I was at the University of New Hampshire, one of my courses was in fruit propagation. An apple or avocado seed will grow a tree, but it will not produce fruit without grafting(taking a branch from another tree, cutting back the bark and inserting the twig into the stalk or trunk of the tree to grow and mature).
You can buy apple trees today with four or five varieties of apples on each tree. This was accomplished through grafting.
Haas's tree began bearing odd, bumpy fruit, his children liked the taste. As the tree's yields grew bigger, Hass easily sold what his family didn't eat to co-workers at the post office. The Hass avocado had one of its first commercial successes at a Grocery Store in Pasadena, California, where chefs working for some of the town's wealthy residents bought the fruit for $1 each,(more than US $15.00 of inflation).
Hass patented the tree in 1935 (the first US patent on a tree) and made a contract with a nurseryman to grow and sell grafted seedlings propagated from its cuttings Hass made a profit of less than US$5,000 through the patent because cuttings from single trees sold were then propagated to graft whole orchards.
Rudolph Hass carried on as a postman throughout his life and died of a heart attack in California in 1952, the same year his patent expired and not long after he had established a new 80-acre
By the early 21st century the US avocado industry took in over $1 billion a year from the heavy-bearing, high quality Hass cultivar, which accounted for around 80% of all avocados grown worldwide.
_Sprout_08May2010.JPG)
It was a sad ending for Hass, who carried on as a postman throughout his life and died of a heart attack in 1952, the same year his patent expired and not long after he had established a new 80-acre orchard.
I checked into the recent stats for the Avocado business and in 2013, the US avocado industry took in over $1 billion that year from the heavy-bearing, high quality Hass cultivar, which accounted for around 80% of all avocados grown worldwide. This entire story of the avocado
A tribute to the mother of all Haas Avocado Trees.
The mother tree stood for many years in front of a residence in California. The tree died when it was 76 years old and was cut down on 11 September 2002 after a ten-year fight with root rot, which often kills avocado trees. Two plaques by the private residence mark the spot where it grew. The wood was stored in a tree nursery and from this stock, a nephew of Rudolph Hass,jewelry and other gifts. I am not sure if all the wood has been used up or not. I searched for that question with no luck. I was fascinated by this story, especially since I LOVE avocados! There are many avocado trees on Ponsak's property. His yard is a tropical jungle and it seems the trees are too crowded but what do I know?
The two avocados that I borrowed from the golf course were hard as a rock two days ago. I can already feel the softness and expect to eat them in a couple days.
In 1926, at his 1.5-acre grove in California, Hass planted three seeds he had bought from an Avocado grower which yielded one strong seedling. After trying and failing at least twice to graft the seedling with branches from another avocado trees (the leading commercial Avocado tree at the time), Hass thought of cutting it down, but a professional grafter told him the young tree was sound and strong, so he let it be.
When I was at the University of New Hampshire, one of my courses was in fruit propagation. An apple or avocado seed will grow a tree, but it will not produce fruit without grafting(taking a branch from another tree, cutting back the bark and inserting the twig into the stalk or trunk of the tree to grow and mature).
You can buy apple trees today with four or five varieties of apples on each tree. This was accomplished through grafting. 
Haas's tree began bearing odd, bumpy fruit, his children liked the taste. As the tree's yields grew bigger, Hass easily sold what his family didn't eat to co-workers at the post office. The Hass avocado had one of its first commercial successes at a Grocery Store in Pasadena, California, where chefs working for some of the town's wealthy residents bought the fruit for $1 each,(more than US $15.00 of inflation).
Hass patented the tree in 1935 (the first US patent on a tree) and made a contract with a nurseryman to grow and sell grafted seedlings propagated from its cuttings Hass made a profit of less than US$5,000 through the patent because cuttings from single trees sold were then propagated to graft whole orchards.
Rudolph Hass carried on as a postman throughout his life and died of a heart attack in California in 1952, the same year his patent expired and not long after he had established a new 80-acre
By the early 21st century the US avocado industry took in over $1 billion a year from the heavy-bearing, high quality Hass cultivar, which accounted for around 80% of all avocados grown worldwide.
_Sprout_08May2010.JPG)
It was a sad ending for Hass, who carried on as a postman throughout his life and died of a heart attack in 1952, the same year his patent expired and not long after he had established a new 80-acre orchard.
I checked into the recent stats for the Avocado business and in 2013, the US avocado industry took in over $1 billion that year from the heavy-bearing, high quality Hass cultivar, which accounted for around 80% of all avocados grown worldwide. This entire story of the avocado
A tribute to the mother of all Haas Avocado Trees.
The mother tree stood for many years in front of a residence in California. The tree died when it was 76 years old and was cut down on 11 September 2002 after a ten-year fight with root rot, which often kills avocado trees. Two plaques by the private residence mark the spot where it grew. The wood was stored in a tree nursery and from this stock, a nephew of Rudolph Hass,jewelry and other gifts. I am not sure if all the wood has been used up or not. I searched for that question with no luck. I was fascinated by this story, especially since I LOVE avocados! There are many avocado trees on Ponsak's property. His yard is a tropical jungle and it seems the trees are too crowded but what do I know?
The two avocados that I borrowed from the golf course were hard as a rock two days ago. I can already feel the softness and expect to eat them in a couple days.
No comments:
Post a Comment