488 YEARBOOK OF THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Form oblong, obovate, compressed, tapering to a very prominent 

 point at base, with a square-shouldered, quadrangular, sharp-pointed 

 apex; surface rather Itimpy and somewhat irregular; size variable, 

 ranging from 60 to 100 per pound; color dull grayish brown, with 

 numerous broad and long black stripes from apex to middle of nut : 

 shell quite thick and hard but brittle, with thin and brittle parti- 

 tions, cracking fairly well; kernel oblong, tapering, rather deeply 

 grooved, but releasing the shell rather easily; color rather bright 

 yellowish brown; texture moderately fine grained; flavor sweet, 

 nutty; quality good. 



This variety, which has not been previously published, is the 

 largest one of northern origin yet brought to notice and is considered 

 worthy of testing by those who desire to grow pecans near or above 

 the northern limit of natural distribution of this species. 



The specimens illustrated on Plate XLIX were from the original 

 tree owned by Mr. H. G. Hodge, York, 111. 



BOLTON PECAN. 



The original Bolton pecan tree appears to have been grown about 

 1888 from nuts obtained from an unnamed old tree on the Bolton 

 plantation, about 7 miles a south of Monticello, Fla. The old planta- 

 tion tree bore nuts of superior quality, which were largely planted 

 throughout that section during the period which antedated the era 

 of pecan budding and grafting. Out of the many seedlings thus 

 grown from it in the vicinity of Monticello, one of six & in the garden 

 of Judge T. M. Puleston, of that place, which he had secured from 

 Mrs. E. Footman, of Monticello, began bearing at the age of 8 

 years. This soon thereafter attracted the attention of the late J. H. 

 Girardeau, who named it " Bolton " and began propagating from it 

 about 1899, in which year it was catalogued by him. Mr. Girardeau 

 propagated from the old plantation tree and one or two other 

 varieties largely for several years, having sold 10,000 grafted trees 

 prior to 1904. c He exhibited the Bolton with others at the Charleston 

 Exposition in 1902, and was awarded a gold medal thereon. 



As scions taken from the old unnamed seedling tree on the Bolton 

 plantation and young trees propagated therefrom appear to have been 

 disseminated under the name " Bolton " during the earlier years of dis- 

 semination of the variety, it is strongly probable that two different 



Letter of Judge T. M. Puleston, January 26, 1909. 



6 Hume, in Florida Agricultural Experiment Station Bulletin 85, March, 1906, 

 p.. 496. 



c Letters of J. H. Girardeau, sr., January 9, 1904, and J. H. Girardeau, jr., 

 April 3 and 5, 1909. 



