DESCEIPTIOK OF TREES SUITABLE FOR PLANTING. 



49 



Pecan, a native of the lower Mississippi valley and Gulf States, has 

 been extensiveh' planted throughout eastern and middle Carolina. A 

 large tree, attaining a height of from 50 to 70 feet, it makes rapid growth 

 in youth and possesses a prolonged and healthy old age. The long, slen- 

 der trunk, covered with more or less scaly dark gray bark, divides when 

 middle-aged into many spreading and ascending branches forming a 

 broadly oval crown. 



The pecan has large dark green, compound leaves formed of numerous 

 small leaflets, which appear late in spring and fall late in autumn, acquir- 

 ing tones of yellow and brown. The greenish-yellow flowers which appear 

 considerably before the leaves in slender catkins are not very conspicuous. 

 The slender, slightly curved gray-brown twigs are flexuous and bear long 

 but inconspicuous gray buds, and often during winter the empty husk 

 which contained the nut. 



A tap-root and numerous long surface roots are developed. In subjects 

 raised in the nursery the tap-root must either be tiirned by placing a hard 

 substance beneath the nuts, or cut several times in re-transplanting. The 

 leader should not be cut back further than the twig of the year if young 

 trees are expected to form a shapely crown. The crown of young trees is 

 oval, becoming broader ■wnth age. The wood is not quite so tough as that 

 of the shagbark, but it withstands both sleet and wind storms very w^ell. 

 For its best development, it is exacting as to soil, requiring a fertile, moist 

 situation ; but does moderately well on uplands of good quality. ISTuts are 

 borne in abundance on seedlings after the fifteenth year, but several years 

 earlier on grafted stock. Young trees are easily raised from seed which 

 require the same care and are subject to the same diseases as the other 

 hickories. Trees grown from seed cannot be expected to always produce 

 nuts equal to those that were planted, since most of the commercial nuts 

 are from grafted stock. Grafted trees can be secured from commercial 

 nurserymen. There is no nut tree more suitable for extensive planting 

 in the middle and eastern part of Carolina than the pecan. It will do 

 well in nearly all portions of the State except the mountains, for either 

 roadside planting, large parks or private grounds. For planting above an 

 elevation of 1200 feet, both seed and grafted stock should be secured 

 only from Mississippi Eiver points north of St. Louis, to insure hardiness. 



Black Walnut (Juglans nigra) is found growing throughout the 

 State. A large tree attaining as a shade tree a height of 50 to TO feet, it 

 makes rapid growth for several decades, maintaining a long and healthy 

 old age. The straight cylindrical trunk, covered with nearly black, deeply 

 furrowed bark, is exeurrent in young trees which have a conical crown but 

 at middle age divides and the crown becomes broadly oval. 



