The Pecan. Ill 



mense size, aud the very tough and heavy wood, which 

 resembles that of the coramou hickory, is much used for 

 purposes requiring great strength and elasticity. Like the 

 walnut, the tree has a strong tap-root while young, which 

 renders it difficult to transplant successfully. The tap-root 

 is often cut off by digging down on one side of the tree 

 the year before the transplanting is contemplated. 



150. Fruiting habit. The pecan, in common with all of 

 the hickories, bears its male and female flowers separately 

 upon the growing shoots; the male flowers in slender cat- 

 kins at the base of the shoot, and the female flowers near its 

 apex, the fruit becoming lateral b}^ the continued growth 

 of the shoot. The fruit is therefore borne near the base of 

 the young wood. 



The trees may yield paying crops of nuts at 10 years old, 

 and the crops increase for many years. A tree of full 

 bearing age may yield from 1 to 20 bushels annually. 



151. Cultural range. The pecan is indigenous through- 

 out most of the valleys of the Mississippi and its larger 

 tributaries, and eastern and central Texas, extending south- 

 ward into Mexico, but nowhere reaching the Gulf coast. 

 Commercial plantations have been made over much of this 

 region and also in the southern Atlantic states, New Mex- 

 ico, California and Oregon. The trees are not productive 

 in the east far north of the Potomac and Ohio rivers. 



152. Soil reqairements and propagation. The moist 

 clayey and sandy loams of river bottoms, subject to occa- 

 sional overflow, are peculiarly adapted to the pecan tree. 

 It also thrives on sufiSciently moist and rich uplands. The 

 soil should be well drained. Grafting of the pecan is less 

 successful than of most fruit trees. Crown-grafting on 

 pecan seedlings an inch or two in diameter, in early spring, 



