] 16 Pecan-Growing 



except when trees are planted on lawns. It probably requires a 

 longer time for the pecan to reach maturity than any other 

 orchard tree. It will generally be from eight to tAvelve years 

 before the trees begin to bear in commercial quantities, and 

 fifteen to twenty years before they occupy all the space al- 

 lowed. It is, therefore, good economy to plant some crop 

 between the rows, especially as it will insure better working of 

 the orchard, and will often more than pay for the cost of culti- 

 vating the land until the trees begin to produce paying crops 

 of nuts. There are often abuses arising from cropping the 

 orchard. There should be a thorough understanding between 

 all parties concerned that the young pecan trees are to be 

 given the right-of-way over all other crops grown on the 

 same land. 



In cropping the orchard, certain precautions should be ob- 

 served. Plenty of space should be alloAved on either side of 

 the tree row, so as to permit thorough cultivation to be con- 

 tinued after the crop matures or has been harvested. In the 

 western section of the pecan belt the tree row should be 

 cultivated every ten days or two weeks until at least the first 

 of September in order to conserve soil-moisture and provide 

 favorable growing conditions. In the southeastern section 

 where summer rains are more abundant, most pecan-growers 

 cease orchard tillage about the first of August, at which time 

 the cultivated strips of land along the tree rows are sown to a 

 summer leguminous cover-crop, as soybeans, cowpeas or bush 

 velvet beans. 



The space allowed on either side of the row should be from 

 five to six feet to start, and should be increased gradually as 

 the trees develop. Corn and sorghum or any other rank grow- 

 ing crop should not be planted. The best results are secured 



