20O THE NEW HORTICULTURE. 



however, the public taste has been gradually educated up to 

 a moderate demand, and possibly in a few years they will be 

 very popular. Some varieties are much more hardy than 

 others. I had one sent to me under the name of Hyakume 

 that was killed by a freeze at Hitchcock, while another longer 

 and more pointed kind has never been hurt. I know trees of 

 this variety in Beaumont that have borne enormously for 

 fifteen years, though I do not know the name. Experience 

 has shown that all persimmon trees, as well as pecans, are 

 peculiarly adapted to close root-pruning, and make enormous, 

 deep, strong roots the first year. If set in early winter and 

 well tramped, both will grow freely, even from the tops of 

 trees cut just at or even a little above where the first or 

 upper roots of the seedling are emitted, and will make an 

 astonishing growth the first season. For propagating both 

 persimmons and pecans on large trees, winter budding, as 

 described elsewhere, will be found to be particularly adapted, 

 and much easier and more certain than grafting. 



NUTS. For Texas the pecan, of course, ranks first in im- 

 portance, and doubtless the exaggerated estimates of the 

 value of a pecan grove as a source of profit have led quite a 

 number of persons to embark in this business, who will be 

 disappointed. While this fine nut generally finds a market 

 at some price, still the vast number of wild bearing trees, the 

 crops of which are free and gathered by cheap labor, at a 

 time when little else can be done, will always depress prices. 

 In some seasons, like the last, values have been so low in 

 many localities, that thousands of pounds have been left for 

 the hogs to eat or to rot on the ground. The common seed- 

 ling pecan cannot possibly pay as an investment, for even 

 from the best seed inferior and male or unproductive kinds 

 spring. But those who will plant the nuts on firm ground, 

 and then, when two years old, graft, or better still, winter- 

 bud, as described elsewhere, using wood or buds from full 

 bearing trees of the largest thin-shelled varieties, will very 

 likely find a good market for a long time. As to enemies, the 

 frost occasionally blights the blossoms, and the tent caterpil- 

 lar very frequently strips the leaves from the trees. But, of 



