12 
J. F. JONES NURSERIES, LANCASTER, PA. 
THE NORTHERN PECAN 
The northern pecans are 
as hardy as the other 
hickories and in this re¬ 
gard should not be con¬ 
fused with the southern 
pecan. The pecan grows 
naturally from Terra 
Haute, Ind., and Clinton, 
Iowa on the north to the 
Gulf Coast on the south. 
The trees grow naturally 
in river over-flow lands, 
but during the growing 
season have good soil 
drainage. They adapt 
themselves to a wide range 
of soils, and grow well sev¬ 
eral hundred miles north 
of latitudes at which nut 
crops are significant. It 
is well worth planting as 
an interesting ornamental 
wherever conditions are at 
all favorable. Crops of 
nuts are largely dependent 
upon the length of the 
growing period and the 
amount of heat that occurs 
during that period. For 
the northern pecan this 
is roughly about 170 days, 
beginning about May first 
and continuing until the 
middle of October. The 
Fruiting Branch of the Pecan heat units of Evansville 
and Vincennes, Indiana, 
two points within the heart of the native pecan belt of the North are 135.7 and 
180.8 respectively. These units are calculated by a method evolved by the 
late W. G. Bixby of Long Island by adding together the average number of 
degrees above 50 for each month as shown by weather records. For example, :f 
the average for April is 55 degrees, by this system there would be 5 heat 
units to be credited to the period for the locality. If the average for May 
should be 67 degrees, the credit for the month would be 17 units or a total of 
22 for the two months. Continuing through to the end of October, the total 
should not be less than 105 degrees if pecan nuts are to be expected to mature 
in any given locality where northern varieties are contemplated. One of our 
pecan trees is growing beautifully at Fair Haven, Vermont. The owner is 
proud of the tree because of its singular beauty. The tree is about twenty 
years old. 
