OPPORTUNITIES IN PECAN CULTURE. 9 



other similar industries. Ordinarily, commercial returns are not to 

 be expected until the trees are 10 to 12 years old. The length of time 

 trees will continue to bear is a matter of conjecture. Commonly, old 

 seedling trees are moderate bearers, the heavy bearers being fairly 

 young or of middle age. The indications are that the most produc- 

 tive trees of the forest are not long lived, and as the varieties selected 

 and propagated for planting in orchards are usually heavy bearers it 

 is not improbable that the shorter lived varieties are unconsciously 

 selected at the same time. It is therefore not unlikely that the life 

 of bearing pecan trees in orchard form will be much shorter than that 

 of the average pecan tree of the forest. 

 76060°— Cir. 112—13 2 



