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The Bulletin. 21 



fertilizers for pecan trees. 



For growiiio,' i)e('aii trees I have found the following fertilizers to 

 give very good results : 



Phosphoric acid 8% ^ 



Nitrogen 5% > 2 to 10 pounds per tree. 



Potash 3%) 



Por the nitrogenous part of the fertilizer, blood, tankage, cotton- 

 seed meal, or some slow form of ammonia should be used. Nitrate 

 of soda is too quick in its action for pecan trees. The fertilizer 

 should all be put on early in the season in one application and 

 worked in with the early cultivation. Late applications, especially 

 of nitrogenous fertilizers, keep the wood growing too late and hinder 

 the ripening of the terminals. We had experimental evidence of 

 this last season with a tree of the variety. Alley. This was set in a 

 highly manured rose bed. It grew very rank right up to the time 

 of killing frost, w^hile the other trees of the same variety prepared for 

 winter. In the winter this one tree had all its branches badly killed 

 back, while the other trees, though somewhat soft, came through in 

 fairlv o-ood condition. 



OVERFLOW LANDS FOR PECAN PLANTING. 



As an attractive horticultural investment, I know of nothing more 

 promising than the planting of pecan orchards on the rich overflow 

 lands in Eastern Carolina lying along the Cape Fear, Neuse, Tar, 

 and Eoanoke rivers. These lands have for centuries been enriched 

 by deposits of alluvial soil brought down by the rivers in times of 

 overflow. These deposits have stratified year after year until they 

 have built up in these places some of the richest soil deposits to be 

 found anyw^here in the country. Many of these lands are cleared 

 and produce the most magnificent crops, but so many crops are lost 

 by overflow that most of these lands are abandoned and are conse- 

 quently of little value. If these lands be diked above the line of 

 highest overflow, as has been done by the State on its penal farm at 

 Tillery, N. C, they become of great value for farming purposes. 

 The expense of such diking is so great, however, that it can scarcely 

 be undertaken except by the State or National Government, or by 

 large corporations. But while these extremely rich lands are, under 

 the circumstances, useless for ordinary crops, they are ideal for pecan 

 trees. In such soils the trees grow rapidly and there is no expense 

 at all for irrigation or fertilizers, as these the river supplies, almost 

 when necessary. The overflow is a benefit rather than otherwise to 

 the pecan trees, for it supj^lies them with a new dressing of fertilizer. 

 As pecan nuts ripen over a considerable period and many varieties 



