FLORIDA ,STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
it is not wise policy to rush the product 
into the market, it is best to market it 
without waiting an undue length of time. 
There is such a thing as waiting too long. 
The active demand for the crop, the nut 
market season, begins a little before 
Thanksgiving and covers the period up to 
January first. It will probably be found 
that during this period the best prices can 
be secured. Some believe that the crop 
can be carried through into the following 
summer and marketed then. In the south 
generally, and under ordinary conditions, 
it is unwise to do so. We must not lose 
sight of the fact that the pecan kernel 
contains a very considerable amount of 
fat, sometimes as much as 70 per cent, 
and this fat or oil is likely to become ran¬ 
cid in our warm summer weather. In 
cooler regions it does not deteriorate so 
rapidly, of course, and cold storage would 
keep the nuts in good condition for a 
much longer period. 
Rancidity is brought about by the ac¬ 
tion of the air. In this connection, I 
might call attention to an interesting ex¬ 
periment. February 2, 1905, the Beech¬ 
nut Packing Company, put up pecan nuts 
and kernels in vacuum jars. The vac¬ 
uum was, of course, not entirely absolute, 
the exhaustion being about 28 4-10. The 
last of these cans were opened in April, 
1910, a little over five years after they 
were put up and found to be in good eat¬ 
ing condition still. There was a little de¬ 
terioration, but not much. In this, we 
have demonstrated that pecans and ex¬ 
tracted kernels can be held for long pe¬ 
riods without becoming rancid. 
179! 
MARKETING METHODS. 
At the present time, the bulk of the pe¬ 
can crop of high quality is handled in the 
private trade. It is largely a mail order 
business, built up without resort to much 
publicity. No doubt this trade will con¬ 
tinue to take large amounts from year to 
year. Crops of several thousand pounds 
are now marketed by single individuals 
in this way. This method is a good one. 
Lately, the larger sized nuts are finding 
their way into the fancy grocery trade, in 
considerable quantities. This trade is 
good if properly and carefully handled. 
But while these and similar methods 
answer for the present, the time is not far 
distant when other methods will have to 
be worked out. Those of us who have 
the best interests of the industry at heart 
need to think along these lines. The plans 
as outlined by Mr. Burton, now in opera¬ 
tion in the handling of citrus fruits in our 
State, can, I believe be applied to the han¬ 
dling of the pecan crop. It will have to 
be handled through an exchange or a mar¬ 
keting association. The task will be a 
large one as a territory almost or quite 
as large as the cotton area will have to 
be covered. It stretches from Virginia 10 
Texas. There is no need to enter into de¬ 
tails at this time, but I am convinced that 
some of us here tonight will see the time 
when such an association is actually in 
charge of the pecan crop of the South. 
Some of us may take part in its formation. 
It will mean much to the industry. 
DISCUSSION 
Mr.-: What will the cultured 
product bring in the wholesale market ? 
12 
