The Bulletin. 



35 



scarcely do so in fifteen. What is true with apples is also true 

 with pecans. Many varieties of both will begin bearing at four to 

 six years, but paying results from either are not to be looked for 

 under ten years. With this in view, experienced fruit men know that 

 under proper conditions it pays to plant apple trees, and it pays 

 to plant pecans. The unfortunate reputation of the pecan for tardy 

 bearing, as has been said before, is due to the seedling tree. What 

 fruit grower now would think of planting seedling apple trees ? Fig. 

 17 shows the large clusters of nuts of heavy-yielding varieties of 

 pecans. 



For commercial pecan orcharding the day of the seedling tree 

 has forever passed. In the whole history of pecan culture in America 

 I have never yet seen nor heard of a successful seedling orchard. 



Fig. 17. — Typical Clusters of Nuts of Heavy-yielding Varieties. 

 {Photo by S. B. Shaw.) 



The only profitable use for seedling trees is for stocks on which 

 to work standard varieties or for the plant breeder in originating 

 new sorts. It may be set down as a business maxim in commercial 

 pecan growing, Never plant seedling trees. 



VARIETIES. 



What varieties to plant in any locality is a very easy question 

 to ask, but a difficult one to answer, because there are so many fac- 

 tors in the problem and so many conditions to be considered that 

 unless one is thoroughly conversant with local conditions he can at 

 best but make only a good guess. With our older domesticated fruits 

 experience and actual tests have given us so much data on the subject 



