THE HICKORIES PECAN. 53 



POMOLOGICAL IMPORTANCE OF THE PECAN. 



This is scarcely less than that of the Persian walnut or almond at the present 

 time. With an area of special adaptation in the United States considerably larger 

 than is found for either of the others, and with a susceptibility to improvement by 

 selection, in size of nut, thinness of shell, and delicacy of flavor that are very 

 encouraging to those who have attempted this work, the pecan is probably destined 

 to become the leading nut of the American market. If its culture is pushed with 

 the usual skill and energy of American enterprise, there is reason to believe that it 

 will not be many years before the pecan will become not only an abundant nut in 

 our markets, but also an important article of export. 



CHANGING PECAN FORESTS TO PECAN ORCHARDS. 



Numerous efforts have been made to clear up native groves by cutting out trees 

 of inferior pecans and other timber, leaving good pecan trees as thick as they ought 

 to stand for good crops. A trustworthy opinion of the results of these efforts can 

 hardly be formed yet. On the Guadalupe Kiver in Texas, a grove of this sort, com- 

 prising 480 acres of well-drained land, produced in 1885 about $2,000 worth of nuts 

 and in 1880 did equally well. This is reported as one of the most profitable groves 

 of this character. There are many thousand acres of pecan trees along Texas river 

 bottoms which have been offered for sale at from $3 to $10 per acre, and in occasional 

 years the profit per acre from the nuts has been greater than could have been made 

 from raising the usual half bale of cotton ; but frequently there have been two or three 

 successive failures in the nut crops, and owners prefer the more certain and more con- 

 stant returns of a cultivated crop, so the trees are sold for fuel and the land is put 

 under the plow. 



The Gazette, of Fort Worth, Tex., says: "The cost of converting laud liable to 

 overflow, into a pecan grove would be so small as to scarcely deserve a name. 

 There is no need of clearing it up. Line out rows among the wild growth of the 

 bottom, and at each point where the pecan tree should stand, clear off a space 8 to 

 10 feet around, and in the center dig a hole, say, 18 inches deep. Scrape into this 

 hole surface soil till filled, then plant three or four nuts 3 inches deep and tread on 

 the hill to pack the covering a little. This completes the job. It is well to notice 

 the lean of adjacent trees. If when cut away they would unavoidably fall upon 

 the young tree, it might be best to cut them away at once. No other trees need to 

 be disturbed, as their shade will be more advantageous than otherwise. The after 

 culture of the new grove will be extremely simple. Make a run of the rows once or 

 twice during the season, and destroy the encroaching weeds. When the young trees 

 springing from the nuts seem to be established, cut away the weaker specimens, 

 leaving only the best specimen in the hill. Nothing additional will be needed. A 

 few years later, when the young pecans are getting well up, you can commence 

 cutting out the crowding growths for firewood. This operation can be continued 

 from year to year until the pecan trees are large enough to occupy the ground 

 alone there will be nothing left in the way. No other clearing is at all necessary, 

 not even the removal of the brush left by the cutaway growths it remaining on 

 the ground to rot and mingle with the soil will prove a decided advantage to pecan 

 groves." 



PROPAGATION. 



Until very recently the propagation of pecan trees has been entirely confined to 

 the growing of seedlings from selected nuts. Where this method is pursued it is best 

 to select nuts of good size, having thin shells and plump kernels, from trees known to 

 be vigorous and productive. Some growers have claimed that the improved varieties 

 come true from the seed and have deprecated other modes of propagation as likely to 

 lessen the vigor of the tree. The evidence thus far presented, however, indicates that 



