46 The Bulletin. 



ENEMIES OF THE PECAN. 



It must not be assumed from the foregoing that the pecan tree 

 is without its enemies. If it were, it would differ from all other 

 plants. Like every other thing worth growing, it also has its pests, 

 but it appears to have less of them than most other trees. Its nuts 

 are very attractive, and it is therefore to be expected that squirrels 

 and small boys would make their attacks on the fruit of the tree. 

 In common with most other trees, its leaves are sometimes attacked 

 in summer by tent caterpillars, webworms and other general leaf- 

 eating insects. With mature trees these insects are scarcely a con- 

 sequence, but on newly set or young trees they need looking after in 

 the latter part of the summer. There is also a little bud worm that 

 sometimes bothers young trees by working in the buds before they 

 leaf out. This sometimes retards the growth of newly set trees, but 

 gives little or no trouble on established ones. The worst enemy of the 

 pecan tree that has yet come to my notice is the beetle that is found 

 in the woods girdling the twigs of young hickories. It does the same 

 injury to pecan trees and is quite troublesome on small trees, espe- 

 cially if they are isolated. They do not seem to be sufficiently numer- 

 ous to give much trouble in orchard plantings and are not very in- 

 jurious to large trees. The method of combating this insect is the 

 raking up and burning of all the twigs that fall from the trees. This 

 destroys the little rascals before they get the opportunity of leaving 

 the twigs and going into the soil. There are also some fungous 

 troubles that affect the pecan and kindred trees, but these give very 

 little trouble where trees are well cultivated and fed. 



THE PECAN AS A SHADE TREE. 



As a shade tree the pecan is unique. Its clean, strong, stalwart 

 form proclaims it an aristocrat among the trees. The tree grows 

 to be of large size and has a beautifully symmetrical form. The 

 trunk is straight, clean and upright, carrying its lace-like foliage 

 high out of reach and leaving the ground beneath it free and un- 

 obstructed. The pecan tree seldom throws up suckers from the collar 

 or roots. It is thus a fine, clean tree for growing on a lawn, as 

 its roots are deep in the soil and a lawn mower can run anywhere 

 beneath its shade without the slightest fear of root, snag or sucker. 

 From its natural habit, the pecan tree carries its growth up with a 

 single leader till well out of reach, then it forks out into a beautiful 

 spreading head, which covers a wide extent of space. The branches 

 are strong and do not trail or droop to the ground, but retain their 

 erect position, even when drenched with rain. The bark of the 

 tree is light in color and comparatively smooth, and does not shed nor 



