The Pecan and its Culture Part 10

VIRGINIA, NORTH CAROLINA, SOUTH CAROLINA.--In these States the different named varieties have not been grown and fruited long enough to warrant any very strong recommendations, Pabst, Stuart and Jewett have been planted in southeastern North Carolina and have succeeded, but on the whole, for the entire region of these three States, the most satisfactory and staple progress in pecan culture will probably come from the introduction of local varieties of merit.

GEORGIA.--Dr. J. F. Wilson, Secretary National Nut Growers'

a.s.sociation, Poulan, Ga., has selected his varieties for that section as follows: Stuart, Schley, Van Deman, Georgia and Frotscher.

Herbert C. White, horticulturist, G. M. Bacon Pecan Co., DeWitt, Ga., says that Georgia and Stuart are the best of the varieties thus far tested.

J. B. Wight, Cairo, Ga., believes in planting Frotscher princ.i.p.ally in his section.

FLORIDA.--Prof. H. K. Miller, Monticello, Fla., believes in planting Schley, Dewey, Louisiana, Frotscher, Stuart, Russell, Pabst, Van Deman and Sweetmeat.

James A. Bear, Palatka, Fla., reports that Frotscher, Stuart, Van Deman, Curtis and Money-maker are doing well for young trees, while Rome and Centennial have not proved satisfactory.

Dr. J. B. Curtis, Orange Heights, Fla., recommends Curtis, Frotscher and Van Deman, these having proved most fruitful in his orchard.

J. H. Girardeau, Monticello, Fla., regards Van Deman, Frotscher, Pabst, Clarke and Schley as good varieties.

S. H. Graves, Gainesville, Fla., says: "Curtis, Stuart, Van Deman, Dalzell, Louisiana, Bolton and Frotscher are adapted here, and have proven good fruiters. From study and observation I would supplement this list with James, Money-maker, Success, Russell, Robson and Schley."

J. F. Jones, Monticello, Fla., recommends Stuart, Van Deman, Frotscher and Schley, emphasizing the first as a commercial variety, and the last-named as an excellent variety for the "Fancy" trade.

ALABAMA.--Prof. R. S. McIntosh, Auburn, Ala., believes Stuart, Van Deman, Pabst, Centennial and Schley to be good varieties for Alabama.

MISSISSIPPI.--Theo. Bechtel, Ocean Springs, Miss., says: "My selection at present for this section would be in the order named--Success, Stuart, Pabst, Frotscher, Russell and Van Deman."

Chas. E. Pabst, Ocean Springs, Miss., recommends Stuart, Pabst, Russell, Success, Van Deman and Rome.

Stuart Pecan Co., Ocean Springs, Miss., recommends Stuart, Van Deman and Russell.

Prof. H. E. Van Deman recommends Stuart, Van Deman, Money-maker and Pabst for the Lower Mississippi Valley.

LOUISIANA.--S. H. James, Mound, La., has found Money-maker, Stuart, Van Deman and Pabst, in the order named, best for his section. He says that Money-maker is extremely hardy, having withstood 20 below zero in Illinois, without injury.

Wm. Nelson, New Orleans, La., strongly recommends Frotscher and Centennial for his section.

B. M. Young, Morgan City, La., is planting Stuart, Russell and Young for commercial orchard.

TEXAS.--E. E. Risien, San Saba, Tex., says that San Saba is more in demand than any other variety he has. It succeeds well in his section. He recommends as well, Texas Prolific, Colorado, Kincaid, At.w.a.ter, Concho and others.

E. W. Kirkpatrick, McKinney, Tex., President National Nurserymen's a.s.sociation, regards Stuart, Russell, Pabst and Money-maker as valuable for his section. Good results have been secured with Hollis and Wolford.

GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS.

From careful observations, we believe that a list of varieties comprising Stuart, Georgia, Money-maker, Pabst, Success, Frotscher, Van Deman and Russell of the larger sorts will be found to contain varieties which will prove satisfactory in most locations. To these we must add Schley, San Saba, Curtis and a number of other medium-sized or small varieties of unsurpa.s.sed quality.

When about to plant in a given region, study the local conditions, visit the local trees or orchards, and upon these a conclusion may be based which is not likely to lead the prospective planter into very great error.

CHAPTER X.

PURCHASING AND PLANTING PECANS.

Since, in most cases, the trees are to be set in late autumn and early winter, the trees should be purchased in late summer and early autumn.

Do not leave the purchasing of the trees until the last week, or the last minute, before planting, but buy in good season, i. e., several months before planting time. Too many forget about the trees until the time for setting them out has come, and not infrequently the matter is forgotten until after the season for planting is long since past.

The number of varieties in the commercial orchard should not be large.

No greater mistake can be made than that of planting a few trees each of a large number of different varieties. Four or five, at most, are sufficient; got fewer varieties, rather than more.

Trees can be purchased in two ways: They can be secured direct from the nurserymen (usually by catalogue), or they can be purchased from agents.

By far most of the pecan trees are bought from the nursery, and by many this method is preferred. If trees are secured from agents, be certain that they are responsible persons, representing responsible firms; be certain that they are properly accredited, i. e., have certificates to show whom they represent, and if they have not these, then send them off down the road, and the dog with them for company, if necessary. This may seem to be harsh advice, but had it been followed by many purchasing pecan trees in recent years, it would have been much to their advantage.

Plenty of seedling trees have been bought and planted in the belief that they were good grafted or budded stock.

But agents, with all sorts of credits, have represented firms which were not honest. Budded and grafted trees of certain well-known varieties of pecans have been sold, which were not those varieties.

There is every reason to believe that scions have been taken from ordinary seedling trees of any kind, inserted in stocks and sold for the best varieties, and that a large number of trees have been subst.i.tuted and sold for what they were not. The prospective planter must depend upon the honesty and integrity of the nurseryman, and should inform himself on this point.

The National Nut Growers' a.s.sociation has done no greater service to the pecan industry than that which they have rendered in protecting the public from fraudulent agents and nurserymen. Happy is the nurseryman whose reputation for square dealing merits the trust and confidence of tree-planters throughout the country.

COST OF NURSERY STOCK.

At present, the prices quoted for one and two year old stock of standard varieties varies from 75 cents to $2.50 per tree, in small numbers, with considerable reduction for trees in lots of one hundred or one thousand.

It is not improbable that these prices may be somewhat reduced within the next decade, as greater efficiency is gained in propagating.

DETECTING BOGUS TREES.

How may budded or grafted trees be distinguished from ordinary seedlings or from "doctored" seedling trees? Many people have purchased seedling trees at a dollar or so per tree, under the supposition that they were budded or grafted stock. It is well to know something of the distinctions between them.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 27. External and Longitudinal Interior View of Bud Union.]

If the trunks are straight and smooth, with bark uniform in appearance throughout, the trees have not been budded or grafted, unless the point of union is at the ground, and the trees having been grafted, and a terminal bud on graft has grown. If the young trees have been budded, the trunks will not be straight; a bend will be seen at the point where the bud was inserted (see Fig. 27), and the scars of the union of the veneer-shield or annular bud and the point at which the stock was cut off will be distinctly noticeable. The bark above the point of union on the grafted or budded stocks will be different from that below. There is something characteristic about the color and appearance and the number, size and shape of the lenticles of each variety of pecan, and while it is impossible to describe this difference in appearance (it can only be learned after a large amount of experience and observation), yet the very striking difference between the seedling stock and the wood of the variety worked upon, will serve as a useful index to the genuineness of the trees in question.

If the trees have been grafted instead of budded, the same statement will be true of the appearance of the bark. But the tree will be more nearly or quite straight, and the marks and scars at the point of union will be different. If the trees have been propagated by whip-grafting, the scar will be shaped like the letter N, the scar on young trees coming nearly or quite the whole distance across the stock. If the trunk of a whip-grafted tree is split through the point of union, the N-shaped mark in the form of a dark line may be distinctly made out, as shown in the ill.u.s.tration. In trees propagated by cleft-grafting, the union scar will be long, slim and V-shaped.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 28. External and Longitudinal Interior View of Whip-graft Union.]

But to make the similarity between the bogus and genuine trees more striking, the practice has been resorted to of scarring the stocks so as to make them resemble the genuine article. This we have known to be done, more particularly in the case of budded trees. Incisions were made in the trunks of seedling trees to resemble those made in inserting a veneer-shield or an annular bud. The incisions were made so as to include a bud, and the top of the seedling tree was then cut off just above the bud. A tree doctored in this way makes a very close imitation of the real article, and the buyer needs to be on his guard. But the appearance of the bark, as already noted, will serve as a guide. If in doubt, it may be well to sacrifice a few trees and cut them carefully open down to the pith just through the point of union. _If the trees have been doctored, the tissues of the wood and the pith will be continuous; but, if the trees are genuinely budded or grafted, the tissues and pith will not be continuous._

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 29. Annular bud growing (left). Split through same union (center). A normal branch union (right). Pith non-continuous (center); continuous (right).]

Finally, if still in doubt, send two or three trees to the botanist or horticulturist of the Experiment Station of your State, and ask his opinion.

PLANTING PECAN TREES.