176 NUT GROWING 



belong to southern Europe, Asia, and northern 

 Africa. The range of these was gradually extended 

 northward until the limits of successful cultivation 

 were reached. The reason that northern fruits had 

 not been developed simultaneously to meet northern 

 conditions was that people who first cultivated plants 

 and domestic animals gave attention to the ones liv- 

 ing where man was first developing a high degree of 

 civilization. As man went farther north he took 

 warm country plants and animals with him. 



Elaborately specialized work in pecan growing is 

 of recent origin. It seems to indicate what we may 

 anticipate in the history of other kinds of nut trees. 

 Cattle raisers now have their Holstein Societies, 

 Guernsey Societies, Devon Societies, et cetera. The 

 time is doubtless coming when Shagbark Societies, 

 Shellbark Societies, and Scalybud Societies will hold 

 their annual meetings. Each will elect a chairman 

 to correct overstatement on the part of enthusiasts, 

 appoint committees, and complain of the complica- 

 tions relating to the proper understanding of so large 

 a subject. 



Interesting experimental work is to be done in 

 finding the extent to which different species and va- 

 rieties of hickories may be grown out of their indi- 

 genous range. At Stamford, Connecticut, the bitter 

 pecan hickory, Carya texana, from Texas, appears 

 to be perfectly hardy but it makes very slow growth, 

 sometimes not more than an inch in a year. The 

 Buckley hickory, Carya Buckleyi, on the other hand, 



