The Bulletin. 13 



siderable ground water. As the pecan tree in its natural distribution 

 follows the alluvial river land, it is evident that it is a lover of water. 

 While this is true, it is also true that the tree cannot be considered in 

 any sense of the word an aquatic. It will not grow on marshy lands 

 nor on sour, water-logged soils. If one tries to plant pecan trees on 

 low, ill-drained lands he is sure to be utterly disappointed. The river 

 lands on which pecans are found naturally are not the low, sobby 

 land, but rather the second bottoms where the drainage is good, with 

 the permanent water table somewhere in the region of ten feet below 

 the surface. In times of flood these lands may be deeply but tem- 

 porarily inundated. When in a few days or weeks the water assumes 

 its normal level, these lands will be above watermark and be naturally 

 well drained. Willow soils would be death to pecan trees. 



While the pecan is native to alluvial soils, it is found by trial 

 that it will do well on loam soils, on light sandy soils, also on clay 

 soils. It seems to be much more particular about its subsoil require- 

 ments than it is of the surface soil. This is doubtless on account of 

 its enormous development of taproot. On one or two year old 

 seedlings the taproot is longer than the entire top of the tree. If the 

 subsoil is hard and impervious it is impossible for the taproot to get 

 down to water, and without this it seems impossible to grow pecan 

 trees. On the loosest sandy soils pecan trees can be made to do well 

 if the subsoil conditions are right, while on rich, fertile loams the 

 tree will not do well if there is a hardpan close to the surface. Some 

 of the most precocious and productive pecan trees are found on light, 

 sandy land where subsoil and drainage conditions are suitable. Many 

 large and productive pecan trees are found on red clay soil. It is 

 evident from this that more depends on subsoil and drainage con- 

 ditions than on the nature of the surface soil. 



COST OF PECAN TREES. 



Prospective planters of nut orchards are often shocked by the 

 high prices asked for pecan trees. They are quoted in nursery 

 catalogues at from 50 cents to $2 per tree, according to size. This 

 is so much in excess of the prices of peaches, apples and other 

 nursery trees that it would appear to the uninitiated that pecan 

 nurseries charge exorbitant prices. These prices for budded and 

 grafted pecan trees are only commensurate with the high cost and 

 trouble of producing the trees. There is scarcely any other kind of 

 nursery stock that is more difficult or expensive to produce. In the 

 first place, pecan nuts cost much more per pound than peach, pear 

 or apple seeds, and produce many less trees per pound of seed planted. 

 After planting pecan nuts they are much preyed upon by field rodents 

 and it is difficult to get a full stand. The seedlings sprout and grow 

 slowly and cannot be budded or grafted at all the first year. The 



