Gbe IRatfonal IRurserymait 
FOR GROWERS AND DEALERS IN NURSERY STOCK 
Copyrighted 1908 by the National Nurseryman Publishing Co., Incorporated. 
Vol. XVI. ROCHESTER, N. Y., FEBRUARY, 1908 No. 2 
NUT GROWING WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE 
TO PECANS 
NOTES FROM PROMINENT GROWERS 
T HE pecan, says U. S. Pomologist Wm. A. Taylor, con¬ 
tinues to engage the attention of nut growers in the 
South Atlantic and Gulf States almost to the ex¬ 
clusion of other nut-bearing trees. The increasing popu¬ 
larity of the nut, doubtless due in part to the development of 
systematic methods of grading and 
cracking by machinery operated by 
steam or electric power, which 
render possible the marketing of 
the meats ready for use, have com¬ 
bined to produce a market demand 
considerably in excess of the present 
supply. Under this stimulus and 
the production of considerable num¬ 
bers of budded and grafted trees of 
choice varieties in southern nur¬ 
series the planting of pecan orchards 
is proceeding rapidly in many por¬ 
tions of the South. Much of this 
planting up to the present time has 
of necessity been done rather blind¬ 
ly as regards the adaptability of 
varieties to soil and climatic con¬ 
ditions, Very few varieties having 
yet been fruited sufficiently outside 
of the localities of their origin to 
determine their probable behavior •. 
elsewhere. As the earlier plantings 
of budded and grafted trees come 
into bearing, it is unfortunately 
becoming apparent that in the 
infancy of the industry the stock of several of the leading 
varieties was considerably mixed with other sorts. In 
some cases closely related seedling's inferior to the sort 
whose name they bore appear to have been propagated 
from. This confusion of identity is now giving rise to di¬ 
verse reports as to the behavior of particular varieties in 
different sections, and will doubtless require some years of 
careful work by nurserymen and orchardists to rectify. 
PECANS IN THE WIRE GRASS SECTION OF 
GEORGIA AND FLORIDA. 
C. M. Griffin. 
Secretary of Griffing Bros. Company.Macclenny, Fla. 
Interest in pecan growing on a commercial scale in the 
Wire Grass section of Georgia and Florida continues to in¬ 
Van Deman Pecan in Grove 
Griffing’s Nursery, 
crease. Few new. large plantings are reported for this 
season, but many of the large groves commenced one and 
two years ago are being extended. The principal increase 
is in the large number of small plantings throughout this 
section. It seems that everybody is interested and plant¬ 
ing as much as the present hard 
times will permit. 
VARIETIES. 
Last winter’s planting was as 
a whole somewhat unsatisfactory, 
with more than a normal loss of 
trees. This was owing to the long 
drouth and very unfavorable sea¬ 
son. Young trees planted two and 
three years ago made a fair growth 
and are usually looking well. The 
past unfavorable year for all fruit 
and nuts has demonstrated more 
clearly than ever before the value 
of prolific, regular bearing varieties, 
producing the best quality of nuts, 
even though not quite so large, 
over the extremely large size and 
shy bearing sorts, which under the 
most favorable conditions produce 
so large a percentage of poorly 
filled nuts. This year such varieties 
as Bradley, President and Van 
Deman produced nearly a normal 
crop, while such sorts as Frotchers’ 
Stuart, Centennial, Columbia, etc., 
were almost a total failure. More attention is being given 
to the selection of varieties than heretofore. Those of the 
finer quality, such as Bradley, President, etc., which pro¬ 
duce annual crops are being selected to the exclusion of 
the extremely large, shy bearing kinds with poor cracking 
qualities. 
The Bradley and President varieties originated in North 
East Florida, the former from seeds of the Frotcher, 
and some very fine nuts secured from extreme West 
Florida in case of President. The Bradley excels the 
parent nut in every point except size and thickness of shell, 
it is slightly smaller than the Frotcher with about the same 
thickness of shell. It is a regular and heavy bearer, nuts 
well filled, and exceptionally fine quality. The President 
excels the parent in every point. Large in size, perfect 
20 months from planting. 
Macclenny, Fla. 
