repudiation of all known
laws of natural science to conclude that trees budded and grafted from
these desirable parents would not grow and bear the same as they do.
Therefore, we are perfectly safe in concluding that if there are
successful nut trees growing, others also will grow. Let us proceed to
consider some of the requirements.

First, there is the soil requirement. But before considering the soil
requirement, I might add that we must keep within reasonable latitude of
the homes of the native trees. This subject has been fully covered in
previous reports of our association, and I do not care to go into a
detailed discussion of it, except to say that prospective planters of
commercial orchards should read the previous reports of the association
on this subject, and keep in mind that somewhere north of the home of
the parent trees, is a line north of which these trees will not bear.
This line is dependent upon several things, altitude, topography and
other elements. As an example, I merely mention that orange orchards
flourish in California at the Philadelphia latitude.

Going on with the question of soil, upon this subject alone might be
written a whole volume. But a few points are essential. Most nut trees
require a deep, well-drained soil that is not swampy or seepy, and over
which there are no overflows during the summer season. Pecans grow along
the river bottoms where there are heavy overflows in the winter, but
such an overflow in the summer would probably kill the trees. Nut trees
seem to flourish well on land that is underlaid with clay as a subsoil.
In fact, almost any kind of good farm land is suitable for some of the
different kinds of nut trees, provided it does not come within the
restrictions above mentioned. The better the land, however, the more
successful will be the growth of the trees, and I very much doubt
whether it pays to put any kind of desirable tree on undesirable land. I
have heard it said of pedigreed stock that about ninety percent of the
pedigree is in the corn crib, five percent in the man that does the
feeding, and five percent in the blood. Perhaps these percentages might
be subject to some variations. I shouldn't reduce the corn crib
requirement, and I think about ninety percent of the success of our nut
trees will depend upon the land.

The next point to be considered is the question of varieties and, in
this connection, it is essential to remember that nuts are produced to
be