HICKORY NUTS. 179 



changed this inclination to destroy into one of preserva- 

 tion. The old pecan trees are not only appreciated as a 

 source of income, but thousands and tens of thousands 

 of seedlings are now annually raised and planted, to 

 insure larger returns in the near or distant future. In 

 fact, pecan culture has already become an important 

 industry in several of the Southern States, although in 

 point. of age it is little more than a fledgling. We have 

 no statistics to show what the annual crop averages in 

 pounds or bushels, but it must be something enormous 

 if we make our estimate from the quantities received 

 and distributed in the Northern States. But with all 

 the efforts put forth to secure a supply of these nuts, 

 and the high prices they command at both wholesale 

 and retail, the demand seems to keep well in advance of 

 the supply, and this will, in all probability, continue as 

 our population increases. In the way of demand, the 

 same is true with our northern species of the shellbark 

 hickories, which were formerly very abundant, but of 

 late years have become rather scarce, for reasons too 

 obvious to call for any explanation at this time. 



In selecting a location for planting and cultivating 

 the hickories, including the pecan, a moist, deep soil is 

 certainly preferable to any other, especially for the three 

 species and their varieties most promising for this pur- 

 pose, because we find them growing wild in such situa- 

 tions and soils. But while these naturally deep, rich 

 and moist soils are to be preferred, no one need hesitate 

 to plant hickories on light, dry, and even poor soils, if 

 they are properly enriched, or a few shovelfuls of fine 

 old stable manure is thoroughly mixed with the earth in 

 which the roots are set, and then a mulch applied to 

 the surface to keep the soil moist. Almost any old 

 waste fibrous material, such as leaves, straw, hay, weeds 

 or coarse manure, will answer for mulching newly planted 

 trees, and it should be applied to a depth of three or 



