THE PECAN. 17 



increasing quantity of walnuts and almonds, 10,668,065 pounds of 

 the former and 7,142,710 pounds of the latter in 1899, according to 

 the Census Reports ; and this entire product finds a ready market at 

 good prices in spite of the rapidly growing imports, as shown above. 



But the pecan States of the South, where less capital and energy 

 than have been expended by California on her nut groves would 

 yield far better returns, with the added satisfaction of producing a 

 nut superior in every way to either walnut or almond, have almost 

 wholly failed to take advantage of their opportunities in respect to 

 this most profitable branch of horticulture, which, when fully de- 

 veloped, will go far toward bringing permanent prosperity to the 

 Southern planter. 



Again referring to the Twelfth Census we find that pecan trees 

 were reported from 28 States. The following table gives the total 

 product for United States and the number of pounds of nuts as re- 

 ported from 14 States, in order of production : 



PER CENT. OF 

 STATES. POUNDS. „ , - ^ „„ 



ENTIRE CROP. 



Texas 1,810,670 56.4 



Louisiana 637,470 19.9 



Mississippi 242,300 7.5 



Arkansas 86,050 



Missouri 7S,i70 



Kentucky 63,390 



Alabama 60,670 



Kansas 47.530 



Florida 46,800 



Illinois 41,380 



Georgia 27,440 



Indiana 16,650 



Indian Territory 14,680 



South Carolina 13,020 



3,183,220 99.2 



From 14 other States 23,630 .8 



Total, United States 3,206,850 



From the foregoing it will be seen that 14 States produced 99.2 

 per cent, of the total and that 14 other States produced 8 per cent. ; 

 Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi, the States of greatest production, 

 yielded 83.8 per cent, of the whole; Texas gave more than one-half 

 of the entire crop, and Louisiana nearly one-fifth. 



Texas has been long considered the "Pecan State," but does 

 not that honor really belong to Louisiana which, with an area one-sixth 

 that of the former, yields nearly one-third the quantity of nuts, a 

 production per square mile more than double that of the larger 

 State? Comparative production of the two States is as follows: 



POUNDS. 

 STATE. SQ. MILES. POUNDS. ^^^ ^^ ^^^^ 



Texas 262,290 1,810,670 6.9 



Louisiana 45.420 637,470 14.0 



