Propagation of the Pecan 39 



the nuts may fail to germinate the first season, and tlie 

 seedlings from those which do spront will not reach nor- 

 mal size that year. Late November and all of December and 

 January are suitable for planting pecans. It is very im- 

 portant that the nuts should not become dry before this 

 time. 



The rows are laid out from four to six feet apart, the nuts 

 dropped from six to eight inches apart in the row, and covered 

 from one and one-half to two and one-half inches deep. Some 

 nurserymen recommend that the rows be put six feet apart 

 and the nuts dropped every five or six inches in the row. 

 This method of spacing allows the nurseryman to dig out 

 and destroy the weak and stunted seedlings soon after growth 

 begins the second season, leaving only the strong and vigorous 

 ones to be budded or grafted. Just why there is almost 

 invariably a large percentage of small stunted seedlings in a 

 pecan nursery is not fully understood. The practice, how- 

 ever, of discarding the poorly filled and defective nuts will 

 probably eliminate many of those seedlings low in vitality 

 and bring about considerable improvement in the general 

 vigor of the nursery stock. 



Well graded nuts may be planted by means of a machine 

 which spaces them properly. Most nurserymen, however, 

 follow the practice of dropping the nuts by hand. 



Eows should be laid out as straight as possible. After 

 applying the fertilizer in the drill, a broad flat ridge should 

 be made by listing on the furrow. "When the nuts are to be 

 planted, these ridges should be opened, just ahead of the 

 person dropping the nuts, by means of a scooter or bull- 

 tongue plow with a heel-pin slide or some other attachment 

 for leaving the furrow open. A very good practice is to drop 



