EOSETTE OF PECAN TEEES 15 
The data shown for orchard No. 1 are interesting. The entire 
orchard was fertilized with chemical fertilizer. One section of the 
orchard, on which asparagus was grown, was cultivated in the 
spring and no further attention given the soil during the year. In 
the other section corn was grown on strips 15 or 20 feet wide between 
the tree rows, and the remainder of the ground was seeded to cow- 
peas annually. A stunted tree growth resulted where asparagus 
was grown; these trees came into bearing late, and the yield was 
small; and the soil was found to contain much less nitrogen and 
organic matter. Results similar to these are frequently seen where 
nursery stock is grown in a portion of a pecan orchard, a practice 
which frequently has a detrimental effect on growth and produc- 
tiveness. 
The results of improving the soil and putting it in a high state of 
fertility before planting the orchard are shown in orchard No. 2. 
Previous to setting this land to pecan trees, one section had been 
well cultivated and its fertility carefully maintained. The other sec- 
tion was poorly farmed for years, and as a result it was in an im- 
poverished condition. The growth of the pecan trees during the first 
seven years after the orchard was planted was considerably better on 
the good farm than on the poor one, even though the trees on 
"both farms received the same cultural treatment. The general ap- 
pearance of the trees on the farm which was well tilled previous to 
planting is shown in Plate V and that of those on the farm poorly 
tilled previous to planting in Plate VI. The nitrogen and organic 
matter of the soil at the time the sample was taken in 1921 were 
much higher in the soil from the good farm than from the poor one. 
The results of growing cover crops for green manuring as compared 
with no cover crops and no cultivation are shown in orchard No. 3. 
The trees in the cultivated sections during their first four years of 
growth had developed a great deal more rapidly than the others. 
The soil was found to contain 1.11 per cent of organic matter (C) 
as compared with 0.77 per cent for the uncultivated section. The 
nitrogen content was also higher. 
It is frequently observed that pecan trees growing beside a fence 
or a ditch bordering an orchard develop more rapidly and yield 
better than do trees in the orchard adjoining, even though the latter 
may be well tilled. Illustrations of this were afforded by orchards 
Nos. 4 and 5. In both cases the two were thrifty and good yielders, 
but trees adjacent to the fence and ditch were much larger and 
yielded nearly twice as many nuts. Ordinarily considerable debris 
accumulates near a fence or ditch and appears to be the cause of 
improved tree growth. The organic matter and nitrogen were 
found to be more than twice as great in the soil near the fence and 
ditch as in adjoining fields. It is also frequently observed that 
pecan trees in or near barnyards or dwellings do much better than 
trees in adjoining orchards. Illustrations of this are given in orchards 
Nos. 6, 7, and 8. The trees in orchard No. 7 are shown in Plate 
VII, A being a large tree near a chicken house and B a typical tree 
in a field adjacent to the yard. A great difference is shown in the 
size of the two trees. The trees in orchard No. 8 are shown in Plate 
VIII, in which A is typical of the trees in the field and B shows the 
tree near the dwelling, photographed at the same distance. The 
latter was a much larger tree and a heavier yieider. The organic 
