of moisture if on well
drained land and having good cultivation. We failed to take in
consideration that the best bearing pecan trees were growing on low land
that was usually overflowed one or more times each season, leaving
plenty of moisture and a deposit of plant food. Many articles have been
written by nut tree enthusiasts in which the planting of nut trees on
unproductive or waste land has been advised. In this the writers were
sincere in their statements. This advice has been taken by many, causing
more or less disappointment to the planter and no encouragement to his
neighbor. No successful fruit grower would plant an orchard of peach or
apple trees on poor or waste land, forget about them for a few years and
expect to go back and harvest a crop of fruit, and neither need the nut
grower expect to.

Since many trees of the named varieties have been in bearing for a
number of years it gives a broad field for studying them, and their
habits are very similar to the native trees, I do not know of a single
tree that is not a testimonial to the care and attention it has been
given.

In my first nursery planting trees were left growing to supply bud and
graftwood for future use. These were left entirely too close together to
remain until large trees, but I have never yet had nerve enough to
remove all that should be taken out, with the result that they are now
crowding and robbing each other of food and moisture retarding both
growth and bearing. These are now from 15 to 19 years old and not
producing as many nuts as they did several years ago, or as many as
trees several years younger that have more space. My observations
convince me that plenty of space, food and moisture are most essential
for best results.

The past four years has been a splendid time to study this as our
weather conditions have been unusual in that we have in this section had
both wet and dry seasons. I am firmly convinced that weather conditions
have a great deal to do with the nut crop not only with the quantity of
nuts but quality as well. Moisture conditions in spring and early summer
determine the size of the nut, and later in the season the quality of
the kernel. Plenty of moisture in spring and early summer will make a
large size nut. After the shell once forms the growth of nut is done.
Then the plumpness of the kernel depends on the amount of moisture after
the shell is formed. Lack of moisture the entire season spells a small,
poorly