Mary Anne wrote"
>    I have noticed that, since irradiation, avocadoes last hardly any time
> at all, and they are picked too early to have any decent flavor.

Avocadoes do not fully ripen until they fall off or are otherwise picked
from the tree. They are an unusual fruit in that respect (the other of
course being their extremely high fat content). If I were you, I'd find
another source of avocadoes, I have never heard of any being irradiated and
they are always picked when they are still hard as that is how they come off
of the tree.

I speak from experience as I used to have several avocado trees in
California.

--Richard