January 1, 2010

Early Fruit & Vegetable Seed Catalogs of Southern California: Avocados

If there is one crop that is still heavily associated with southern California, it is the the avocado. Interest in the avocado started growing around the turn of the 19th century, and by the 1920s, orchards were springing up all over southern California.

“Learn to Love the Avocado”
by Thomas Sheddon for the California Avocado Association. (1928)

Avocado Planters' Chart
(n.d.)

Many varieties of avocado were offered in these early catalogs as can be seen in these pages from Pioneer Nursery, Armstrong Nurseries, and Theodore Payne:

Pioneer Nursery, 1924
Armstrong Nurseries, 1921
Theodore Payne, 1918

Below are photos from Newbery Sherlock's 1917 catalog. The avocado nurseries were located in Altadena.

They even provided avocado recipes.
Avocado ice cream, anyone?

View more photos:

 
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