Pecan Diseases , and Spraying Outfits 187 



an abundant supply of humus-forming materials and liberal 

 supplies of plant-food to the soil, coupled with certain im- 

 provements in the texture of the soil so as to increase greatly 

 its water-holding capacity, would probably reclaim or pro- 

 duce healthy trees in practically all of the rosetted orchards 

 at the present time. In many instances, however, it would 

 not be a profitable expenditure of effort. 



Pecans are not suited to infertile deep sandy soils or to 

 clay soils underlaid with sand or badly washed and depleted 

 hillside soils. The advisability of trying to increase and 

 maintain the fertilit^^ of such soils is doubtful, especially 

 since good pecan soil can be secured at reasonable prices. On 

 the other hand, rosetted pecan trees growing on soils capable 

 of permanent improvement may be reclaimed profitably. 



The most economical method of soil improvement to over- 

 come pecan rosette is a practical problem for the individual 

 grower. Heavy applications of stable manure supplemented 

 by a complete commercial fertilizer, containing its nitrogen 

 in an organic form, worked into the soil beneath the trees and 

 extending well out beyond the natural spread of the limbs, 

 may be expected to give good results. Whether this method 

 is preferable to or more economical than the growing and 

 turning under of leguminous cover-crops supplemented by 

 commercial fertilizers must be determined by the facilities 

 of the individual grower and local conditions. 



The application of lime to the soil has given poor results 

 so far as the control of rosette is concerned. 



A common mistake of growers who set out pecan trees on 

 improved soils is that they plant the orchards too heavily with 

 intercultural crops and do not supply sufficient plant-food for 

 the first four or five years. It is much less difficult to prevent 



