PECAN FARMING. 



A PROFITABLE INDUSTRY FOR THE ARID REGION. 

 BY F. A, SWINDEN. 



A FTER careful investigation in 1886 I bought land 

 f\ for pecan culture on Pecan Bayou in Texas 

 where I found the tree growing in its native 

 state. I have now an orchard of 11,000 trees on my 

 400 acres that are one to six years old. As nut cul- 

 ture is attracting attention in the arid region, and the 

 pecan should thrive wherever the English walnut 

 does, my experience may be of interest. 



The pecan tree is valuable for its timber as well as 

 for its nuts. Axe and hoe handles, gun stocks, fur- 

 niture and various other useful articles are made from 

 the wood. The nut, besides being used as a dessert, is 



I have nearly 11,000 trees on my 400 acres, planted 

 forty feet apart each way. As there is no enterprise 

 but has its drawbacks, I must say I had them to begin 

 with the first thing being the wood louse or ant, 

 which attacked the yellow pine stake place by every 

 nut. They then went from the stake to the tree, and 

 thus killed the young stem; but this was obviated by 

 cypress boxes, eighteen inches high, tarred at the 

 bottom, which also served the purpose of protecting 

 the young tree from the depredations of the rabbits 

 and other rodents which did me considerable dam- 

 age. Squirrels will unearth the nuts when planted, 



PECAN TREE OVER 100 YEARS OLD, ON PECAN BAYOU. 



made into cakes and candies, and its oil brings the 

 highest price in the market from clockmakers, gun- 

 smiths, etc. The tree is of slow growth and long- 

 lived; the cut shows one on my place over one 

 hundred years old in its wild state. The tree grows 

 to the height of eighty or more feet, and its home is 

 in the rich alluvial valleys, and will not succeed 

 where the soil is not rich and deep. 



There are two distinct varieties, known as the soft 

 and hard shell. The best among the soft shell var- 

 ieties are known as the Swinden and Stuart. The 

 wild varieties are generally hard shelled. 



Fig. 4, Common Wild Pecan. 

 DIFFERENT VARIETIES OF PECANS. 



and rabbits will gnaw the bark and cut off the tender 

 sprouts. 



The tree will come into bearing in eight to ten 

 years. A tree at that age will produce one bushel or 

 42 Ibs., and sell readily at $5. At fifteen to twenty 

 years the yield will be ten bushels or more to the tree. 

 I have seen trees produce as high as forty bushels, 

 and I have paid $150 for the product of one tree. 

 Thus we can readily draw the conclusion that the 

 profits of the pecan will soon rival that of the famous 

 Florida and California orange groves. The price of 

 pecans varies with quality and size. The small wild 



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