Today, refrigerated carriers have made the shipping of avocados possible to any place in the world. The fruit is allowed to mature on the tree, but it is still firm at this point. It is brought to packing houses, cleaned and graded as to size and quality, and packed in protective excelsior. The fruit is then cooled to 42 ` F., a temperature at which it lapses into a sort of dormant state. This cooling does not change the avocado in any way, it just delays the natural softening of the fruit until a grove like temperature (room temperature) is restored. This happens on the grocer's shelf or in your kitchen.

One of the most attractive things about avocados is that they do not require processing of any kind. There is no dyeing or waxing or gassing needed. If the temperature is controlled properly, the avocado will delay its ripening until needed. And unlike other fruits, one cannot eat the skin of the avocado. It is thick, much like an egg plant's skin, so that poison sprays, if they are used, present no hazard to the consumer.

Good taste and versatility, plus safety from spray poisons would be enough to recommend the frequent use of such a fruit, even if its nutritional values were limited. Avocados, however, are very rich in nutrients. Their main asset is an abundance of unsaturated fatty acids, so necessary for maintaining the good health of the circulatory system. Aside from this, the average portion contains some protein, an appreciable amount of vitamins and C -- about one-tenth of the minimum daily requirement, and about a third of the official vitamin E requirement. The B vitamins are well represented, especially thiamin and riboflavin. Calcium, phosphorus and iron are present in worthwhile amounts, and eleven other minerals also have been found in varying trace amounts. None of these values is destroyed, not significantly altered by refrigeration storage.