﻿K)8 
  

  

  at 
  the 
  hands 
  of 
  the 
  consumers. 
  As 
  these 
  two 
  forms 
  are 
  exhibited 
  to- 
  

   gether, 
  the 
  observer 
  may 
  note 
  the 
  essential 
  good 
  qualities 
  of 
  each, 
  and 
  

   he 
  may 
  make 
  a 
  mental 
  picture 
  of 
  the 
  possibilities 
  of 
  a 
  union 
  which 
  would 
  

   eliminate 
  the 
  undesirable 
  features 
  and 
  combine 
  the 
  desirable. 
  The 
  lack 
  

   of 
  hardiness 
  of 
  the 
  pecan 
  would 
  be 
  strengthened 
  by 
  the 
  hardy 
  northern 
  

   form, 
  while 
  the 
  breeder 
  would 
  aim 
  to 
  retain 
  the 
  excellent 
  tlavors 
  of 
  

   each, 
  the 
  good 
  qualities 
  of 
  meat, 
  but 
  enclosed 
  by 
  a 
  covering 
  of 
  paper 
  

   shell 
  texture. 
  We 
  want 
  the 
  hardiness 
  and 
  adaptability 
  of 
  the 
  shellbark, 
  

   combined 
  with 
  the 
  thin 
  shell, 
  the 
  excellent 
  cracking 
  qualities, 
  and 
  the 
  

   pleasant 
  flavors 
  of 
  the 
  pecan. 
  Here 
  is 
  a 
  truly 
  attractive 
  field. 
  The 
  

   fact 
  that 
  returns 
  may 
  be 
  rather 
  slow 
  in 
  maturing 
  should 
  not 
  deter 
  the 
  

   plant 
  breeder, 
  for 
  sometimes 
  prizes 
  come 
  quickly. 
  Of 
  course 
  the 
  field 
  

   is 
  one 
  which 
  appeals 
  more 
  strongly 
  to 
  the 
  institution 
  of 
  indefinite 
  life 
  

   tenure 
  than 
  to 
  the 
  individual 
  whose 
  years 
  of 
  activity 
  are 
  relatively 
  

   brief. 
  

  

  What 
  nature 
  has 
  done 
  in 
  the 
  way 
  of 
  extending 
  the 
  range 
  of 
  the 
  

   pecan 
  northward 
  has 
  been 
  clearly 
  set 
  forth 
  in 
  the 
  excellent 
  paper 
  pre- 
  

   sented 
  by 
  Mr. 
  Littlepage. 
  This 
  indigenous 
  movement 
  from 
  the 
  natural 
  

   zone 
  of 
  the 
  pecan 
  towards 
  the 
  North 
  and 
  East 
  has 
  undoubtedly 
  been 
  

   infinitely 
  slow. 
  The 
  important 
  fact 
  has 
  been 
  established, 
  however, 
  that 
  

   not 
  only 
  has 
  nature 
  extended 
  the 
  natural 
  range 
  in 
  the 
  directions 
  indi- 
  

   cated, 
  but 
  Mr. 
  Littlepage 
  has 
  shown 
  that 
  here 
  and 
  there 
  a 
  variety 
  of 
  

   exceptional 
  merit 
  has 
  appeared, 
  fortuitously 
  and 
  without 
  assistance 
  or 
  

   guidance 
  from 
  man. 
  These 
  superior 
  varieties 
  are 
  being 
  placed 
  under 
  

   observation 
  by 
  interested 
  nut 
  enthusiasts 
  like 
  Messrs. 
  Littlepage, 
  

   Niblack, 
  and 
  McCoy, 
  and 
  others, 
  who 
  are 
  not 
  only 
  studying 
  the 
  nut 
  in 
  

   its 
  native 
  haunts, 
  but 
  are 
  experimenting 
  with 
  methods 
  of 
  propagation 
  

   so 
  that 
  we 
  may 
  confidently 
  look 
  forward 
  to 
  a 
  stable 
  supply 
  of 
  these 
  

   natural 
  selections 
  in 
  the 
  years 
  near 
  at 
  hand. 
  

  

  Here, 
  then, 
  we 
  have 
  the 
  material 
  for 
  founding 
  new 
  races 
  of 
  

   northern 
  nuts 
  by 
  combining 
  them 
  with 
  our 
  best 
  hardy 
  hickories. 
  Who 
  

   will 
  gainsay 
  the 
  prophecy 
  that 
  not 
  far 
  distant 
  is 
  the 
  day 
  when 
  we 
  may 
  

   expect 
  new 
  hybrid 
  strains 
  of 
  great 
  economical 
  importance 
  arising 
  from 
  

   the 
  union 
  of 
  our 
  northern 
  hickories 
  with 
  the 
  most 
  northerly 
  forms 
  of 
  

   the 
  pecan? 
  Shall 
  we 
  designate 
  these 
  hybrids 
  as 
  "shellcans, 
  " 
  "shag- 
  

   cans," 
  or 
  "hickcans, 
  " 
  after 
  the 
  nomenclatural 
  methods 
  of 
  present 
  day 
  

   plant 
  breeders'? 
  The 
  splendid 
  work 
  of 
  our 
  President 
  in 
  the 
  interbreed- 
  

   ing 
  of 
  northern 
  types 
  of 
  nuts 
  gives 
  us 
  strong 
  hope 
  to 
  expect 
  results 
  of 
  

   this 
  nature. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  matter 
  of 
  propagation 
  we 
  have 
  learned 
  certain 
  essential 
  

   fundamentals. 
  First 
  and 
  most 
  important 
  is 
  the 
  firmly 
  established 
  fact 
  

   that 
  southern 
  pecan 
  stocks 
  are 
  unsafe 
  and 
  generally 
  unreliable 
  in 
  the 
  

   region 
  of 
  the 
  northern 
  hickory. 
  We 
  must 
  grow 
  our 
  own 
  stocks 
  from 
  

  

  