LUTHER BURBANK 



Such a root system prepares the tree for the 

 strong growth that characterizes it later; but a 

 seedling that makes only a few inches of growth 

 in the first season is a rather discouraging plant 

 from the standpoint of the cultivator. Doubtless 

 the pecan may be induced to change its habit in 

 this regard by hybridizing. The example of the 

 hybrid walnuts may be cited as showing that a 

 tree that is ordinarily slow of growth may be made 

 to take on the habit of very rapid growth without 

 relinquishing any of its other characteristics of 

 hardiness and the production of valuable timber. 



The case of the Royal walnut shows also that 

 the tree that thus becomes a rapid grower may 

 also have the habit of enormous productivity. 



If the pecan could similarly be stimulated to 

 increased rapidity of growth, and to a proportion- 

 ate capacity for nut bearing, this tree would be a 

 fortune-maker for the orchardist. And there is no 

 obvious reason why the pecan should not have the 

 same possibilities of development that have been 

 demonstrated to be part of the endowment of its 

 not very distant relative, the walnut. 

 FILBERTS AND HAZELNUTS 



There is yet another native American nut as 

 hardy and as widespread as the hickory, that has 

 been even more persistently neglected. This is the 

 familiar hazelnut. 



[146] 



