142 Pecan-Growing 



the cost varying in different sections. Some crackeries pay 

 a higher rate for the unbroken halves of kernels than for 

 the pieces so as to induce the workers to take more care in 

 getting out the unbroken halves. The price paid a pound 

 for picking out the kernels ranges in most of the crackeries 

 from four to eight cents. The higher sums are paid for 

 picking a pound from the ordinary seedling nuts, while the 

 lower are for the standard varieties. 



STORING PECANS 



The pecan, unlike a great many fruits, does not deteriorate 

 rapidly after harvesting. However, if held indefinitely under 

 ordinary conditions, it will eventually become inedible on 

 account of the rancidity of its fat or oil-content. When large 

 quantities of pecans are to be held for the greater part of 

 the year, as at some of the shelling plants, adequate pro- 

 vision should be made for storing before the nuts are cracked 

 and also for storing the kernels as long as they are held 

 exposed to the air before being marketed. 



Little information is available to show just the best tem- 

 perature for keeping pecan nuts and kernels. The nut is, 

 however, tolerant of rather wide variations in temperature 

 and may be expected to remain in good condition for several 

 weeks or even months when the storage-room is kept reason- 

 ably cool. Both the nuts and the separated kernels would 

 probably remain in good condition for the greatest length of 

 time if maintained at a temperature just above the freezing 

 point. However, experienced pecan men say that this is 

 neither practical nor necessary. They claim that pecan nuts 

 and especially the separated kernels when taken from ex- 

 tremely low temperatures and placed on the market where 



