Harvesting and Yields of Pecans 131 



seedlings and some of the older grafted varieties give evidences 

 of very heavy yields even in old age if the trees have been 

 properly treated. 



The time of coming into bearing and the yield of pecan 

 trees for the first eight or ten years depend very largely on 

 the variety and soil. Such varieties as the ^Moneymaker, 

 Moore, Mobile, Success, Bnrkett, AYaukeenah, Halbert and 

 Texas Prolific come into bearing early and fruit heavily while 

 comparatively young. The other extreme is represented by 

 the Pabst, Delmas and Stuart, which make a strong vigorous 

 wood growth during the first few years after being set, but 

 usually become hea^y and satisfactory bearers by the time 

 they are ten years old. 



Pecans, as a rule, are very variable in their habits of 

 bearing. Yery hea^y crops are likely to be followed by very 

 light yields. Some varieties, however, are more regular 

 bearers than others. A phenomenally hea^w yield of nuts 

 by a tree for one year is frequently quoted by nursery and 

 realty men as an index of the value of the variety while, 

 in fact, the figures may mean little or nothing, as the va]'iety 

 may be an alternate year bearer and so produce fewer nuts 

 over a period of several years than one which bears smaller 

 crops annually. Fair crops practically every year are to be 

 preferred. 



The infiuences of soil and climate on varieties vary so 

 greatly from one locality to another that records from any 

 one place will not apply to yields of pecans in general. The 

 yield records of several varieties of pecans grown at the 

 Georgia Experiment Station, which is located in the lower 

 piedmont section of the state, illustrate the point under con- 

 sideration : 



