42 



Pecan-Growing 



TOP-WORKING PECAN TREES 



The importance of top-working as a means of changing 

 seedling pecan trees into more desirable varieties can scarcely 

 be over-estimated. Some of the objects accomplished by this 

 process are : The changing of non-productive and unprofitable 

 seedling trees, both native and planted, of the desired size 

 and age, into desirable varieties ; the transforming of unsatis- 

 factory varieties, those not suited to the region or susceptible 

 to diseases or insect pests, into valuable trees of more suit- 

 able kinds; the hastening into bearing of new or untried 

 varieties. 



It should be remembered that in top-working pecan trees, 



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Figure 4. — J, Showing sprouts before thinning out undesir- 

 able ones ; //, sho^Ying sprouts after thinning, o. Place where 

 bud should be inserted. 



