Pecan

an American nut-bearing tree. It is a species of hickory. The pecan grows in river bottoms and on rich, well watered uplands. It is found throughout the valleys of the Mississippi and its tributaries from Davenport, Iowa, southward. Its range follows the cotton belt eastward into the South Atlantic States and westward into Mexico, but the tree does not venture into brackish waters. Under favorable conditions the pecan is a majestic forest tree, attaining a trunk diameter of 2 to 6 feet, a height of 175 feet, and a well rounded top 30 to 70 feet in diameter. The wood is valuable for fuel, but is not equal to that of the genuine hickory for manufactures.

The pecan nut is of an oblong or oval shape. Commercially, it is the most important of American nuts. Northern soldiers returning from the Civil War sang the praises of the pecan. Marketing on a large scale began about 1870. Texas, Mississippi, and Louisiana lead in the production.

The demand for superior nuts has led to careful propagation. Much attention has been given to the selection of trees that bear large nuts having thin shells, thin partitions, and plump, sweet, delicately flavored meats. Seeds from the best trees have been planted; buds and twigs from the best stock have been transferred. One zealous grower, Mr. Risien of San Saba, Texas, offered a premium of five dollars for the best wild nuts. The story runs that one sample pleased him so well that he bought the exhibitor's farm outright to secure control of the trees; but, hastening to see his prize, found to his horror that the former owner had chopped off every limb but one in gathering the nuts. However, Mr. Risien worked on a new top and originated the San Saba pecan, a small but exceedingly sweet species. The original tree, now ten feet in circumference, still stands, and produces 180 pounds of nuts yearly. As in the case of the peach, apple, and other fruits, growers find that the pecan does not come true from seed. A bewildering range of varieties comes from nuts taken from the same tree. Grafting and budding are as necessary as in the case of other fruits.

Another famous pecan is the Century. It is the largest of all, running twenty-five to the pound. Ordinarily large nuts go forty-five to the pound. Wild nuts run usually seventy to eighty to the pound. The original tree was washed away by the Mississippi River in 1890.

There are now large orchards in the pecan district: Possibly a tenth of the nuts of commerce are from cultivated trees. One difficulty arises from the size of the trees. They require to be planted so far apart that few can be set to the acre. Efforts are being made to breed a dwarf tree more the size of an apple tree. Tin flounces are fastened about the trunks of the trees to prevent squirrels from running up to steal nuts.

In harvesting, the nuts are gathered as they fall. The operation may be hastened by whipping the tree gently with long cane fishing poles. The nuts spoil quickly if allowed to lie on the moist ground. Pecans are bought by the bushel. Wild nuts, like blueberries in northern localities, are a source of considerable income to the natives. The dealers polish the nuts usually by friction in revolving barrels. Local prices vary from three to five cents for small wild pecans up to seventy-five cents a pound for choice cultivated strains. Twelve and onehalf cents is a good average price in New Orleans. As high as two or three dollars a pound are paid for pedigreed pecans desired for planting. There are large nutcracking establishments in San Antonio, Texas, and in New York City. Texas alone is thought to ship 1,500,000 pounds of shelled pecans yearly. One New York confectioner uses 100,000 pounds a year.