238 AGRICULTURE 



The English walnut. The English walnut is one of 

 the largest and finest nut trees of the South and Southwest. 

 It will bear profitably at the age of six years and will con- 

 tinue to bear for thirty years. The walnut industry has 

 not developed in this country nearly so far as is possible. 

 It is conceded by the authorities that this nut will grow 

 profitably in eight or ten states, yet at the present time it 

 is confined largely to the southern half of California and 

 southern Texas. It is found growing fairly well in states 

 as far north as Illinois, Indiana, Delaware, Virginia, Mary- 

 land, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. 



The pecan. One of the most profitable nut indus- 

 tries of America is that of the pecan. The tree grows 

 wild in a number of our states and is cultivated in prac- 

 tically all of the southern region, and particularly by some of 

 the largest commercial orchardists in southern California, 

 Texas, Louisiana, southern Mississippi and Georgia. The 

 pecan industry has only fairly begun, and it is probable 

 that the area and output will be greatly increased. The 

 trees are produced in practically the same way as the citrus 

 fruit trees, by budding and grafting. They are set about 

 forty feet apart and will begin to bear at from five to eight 

 years of age, and continue to bear from twenty-five to 

 forty years. There are a large number of varieties of pe- 

 cans. The best commercial variety is the one known as 

 the Louisiana and Texas paper shell. The tree is valued 

 not only for its food qualities, but as an ornamental and 

 shade tree. 



Other varieties of nuts. The United States was at 

 one time well covered with nut trees in the forests from 

 the" east to the west and as far north as the Canadian line. 

 The deforestation which is constantly going on has, how- 

 ever, greatly reduced the number of wild nut trees. The 

 black walnut, butternut, hickory nut, chinquapin, chestnut, 



