303 HORTICTJLTURAL MANUAl. 



of the varieties propagated and named by propagators 

 belong to the little shellbark or shagbark species. 



The pecan seems to be confined to the bottom lands of 

 the Western States in the valley of the Mississippi and its 

 tributaries. Although generally found on bottom lands 

 subject to overflow of streams, yet it often is found in 

 Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky, and other Southwestern 

 States, on upland where moistened by springs or percola- 

 tion from higher levels. Under cultivation it is found to 

 do as well on upland as the big shellbark of the South. 

 As gathered from the stream-bottoms and from planted 

 orchards, the annual output is very large. The large 

 thin-shelled varieties have retailed at the North at higher 

 prices than has been obtained for other nuts home-grown 

 or imported. The smaller sizes with thicker shells have 

 been mainly used in candy-making. A single firm, we are 

 told by Mr. William A. Taylor, in New York " has pre- 

 pared and marketed 100,000 pounds of these in a year." 



As yet the home demand is not supplied. As to foreign 

 demand Mr. Taylor says: " From the favor which exhibits 

 of this nut in the American station were received, it seems 

 probable that a considerable export trade can be developed 

 whenever the supply of choice nuts exceeds the demand 

 for home consumption." 



The present outlook favors the belief that the propaga- 

 tion and planting of the finest dessert varieties now obtain- 

 able on a largo scale on suitable land from Kentucky and 

 Missouri south to southern Texas would prove far more 

 profitable than orange-growing in California. 



290. Pecan Propagation. — This valuable nut has been 

 thus far mainly grown from the nuts. But it has been 

 found that the nuts from a given tree bearing nuts that 

 will bring forty cents per pound will not reproduce the 

 variety. The experience in budding and grafting has as 



