OPPORTUNITIES IN PECAN CULTURE. 



which the producer will realize in the future will depend more largely 

 than in the past upon the prices of wild nuts, with which the culti- 

 vated product must soon enter into competition. The present pre- 

 vailing retail price for pecans from native trees is from 20 to 30 cents 

 per pound, uncracked, and from 60 to 90 cents for half kernels. 



Estimates of yields that may be expected must be based upon 

 records of orchards of the same varieties and age when under sub- 

 stantially the same conditions of climate, soil fertility, moisture sup- 

 ply, and cultivation. The difficulty in obtaining records upon which 

 to base such estimates has already been shown. The figures pre- 

 sented in Table I will serve for general guidance until more and better 

 records are available. 



1 In southern Mississippi two Stuart trees planted in the winter of 1889-90 bore 250 pounds each in 1911; 

 in 1912 the crop from these two trees fell materially. 



2 This orchard was reported as having 300 young trees set in the spring seasons of 1902 and 1903 and about 

 7 old trees top-worked in 1902 and 1904. The old trees annually bear about three times as much as the 

 same number of young trees. In order to get an average per tree of the trees of one age, the top-worked 

 trees are counted as being equivalent to three times as many, or 21. young trees. The date of planting 

 the 300 trees is taken as having been 1903. 



' Owing to a very hard storm in the fall of 1906 there was no crop in 1907 or 1908, the fifth and sixth 

 seasons from planting. 

 * A few nuts. 



5 Schley and Stuart not included, 

 s Schley, Stuart, and Van Deman not included. 

 » Mature trees 25 to 30 years old; averaged 38. 49 pounds in 1911 and 9.57 pounds in 1912. 



[Cir. 112] 



