452 SYSTEMATIC POMOLOGY 



Woodbourne. — Lara;e, sinuotli, ovate; quality best. Shell quite 

 thick. Penn.sylvania. 



In most cases the descriptions given above are from the valuable 

 report of Mr. S. B. Hojo-es.of tlie Division of Pomolog}-, on native and 

 introduced nuts. V>\\i tlie varieties selected are actually offered at 

 this time by some of the nurseries of the States mentioned in con- 

 nection \\ith each variety. Up to the jjresent the largest and most 

 perfect nuts in all respects jiavc originated west of the Mississippi, in 

 Missouri and .Vrkansas, but as j'et thej' have not been propagated so 

 far as is known. 



THE PECAN. 



Several selected varieties of the Pecan have become commercial, 

 and others of special value will soon be planted extensively. As 

 stated in Section 289 a single firm in New York has prepared and 

 marketed for confectionery uses 100,000 pounds in a single season. 

 In a relatively fresh condition it is without doubt the most healthful 

 nut known to commerce. At San Antonio, Texas, invalids with 

 weak stomachs eat the freshly gathered nuts in such quantity' as to 

 surprise new-comers, without discomfort and with rapid increase in 

 weight of body. The projiagation of the best varieties is outlined in 

 Section 290. The most decided present drawback to commercial 

 culture of the Southern varieties is that the trees are slow in coming 

 into bearing, as it is a tree of immense size. The -^-iTiter measured 

 many trees the past winter in Texas, and other parts of the South, 

 that were seven fc'ct in diameter of stem tlircc feet above the ground, 

 with innnense s}iread of top, which bore many bushels of nuts in a 

 season. At their noi'th limit of growth the mature trees are relativelj^ 

 small in size, and the)- come into bearing as soon as the shellbark 

 hickory imt. Hy crossing tliese with the very large thin-shelled 

 varieties of Texas it may be jiossiljle to secure as valuable nuts growing 

 on smaller hardier trees. In Iowa tlie |iecau is found on the Mississippi 

 Kiver Ijottom land up to near tlie forty-second parallel. Trees 

 grown from nuts of tliesc Xortlrerti varieties have made thrifty growth 

 on dry upland consid(>ral)ly north of the forty-second parallel, and 

 these are the. varieties tliat should lie used for crossing with the 

 pollen of such varieties as tlie San Saba of Texas. 



