50 Pecan-Growing 



ning to rows that will allow cultivation. When the sprouts 

 have made a rapid growth, as they "asnally do on rich soil, 

 and are from two to three inches in diameter and six to eight 

 feet tall, they make ideal stock for top-working. In using 

 stock of this kind, however, care should be taken to select 

 those that have established their own root system and not 

 those coming from the sides of old decayed stumps. 



It usually requires considerable experience to be able to 

 place a bud or cion in the proper location on the tree. The 

 tendency is to use too many buds or cions. No exact number 

 can be given that will suit all situations, but under average 

 conditions it is safe to say that the following number of buds 

 or cions should be employed : For young seedlings and sprouts 

 one and one-half to two inches in diameter and from three 

 to eight feet in height, one to two buds ; trees two to three 

 inches in diameter, three to five buds ; trees four to six inches 

 in diameter, six to eight buds; trees eight to twelve inches 

 in diameter, twelve to twenty buds. 



The mistake is often made of placing the buds or cions 

 too far from the ground, and especially too far from the main 

 body of the tree. This reduces the bearing surface of the 

 tree and has a tendency to make it top-heavy, at least for 

 the first few years, often resulting in the twisting and break- 

 ing off of the budded part by strong winds. 



There has been a great improvement in the methods of 

 working-over trees, especially during the past fifteen or twenty 

 years. The cleft-graft was first employed because it had given 

 good results when used on the apple, European plum and 

 pear in the northern states. Results from the cleft-graft were 

 not entirely satisfactory, so the ring-bud was introduced, being 

 tried first by E. E. Risien of San Saba, Texas. The ring-bud, 



