f, is the "Schley," yet the tree is reputed to be of very
medium bearing quality. The nut is so very fine, however, that no
southern grove of pecans is complete without a fair percentage of
"Schley" trees. On the other hand, the "Stuart," another southern
variety, has not ranked nearly so high as the "Schley," considering only
the nut; and yet there are probably twice as many "Stuarts" being put
out in the South today as any other variety, for the simple reason that
it is a good-sized nut and the tree has a very fine bearing record. All
these things have to be taken into consideration by those of us who are
undertaking to propagate northern varieties.

There is unquestionably a large area of country extending approximately
from the latitude of Atlanta, Ga., to that of Terre Haute, Ind., in
which there is a great field for experimenting with the northern
varieties of pecans. It is a great mistake to undertake to bring the
southern varieties too far north. A majority of the finest of the
southern varieties originated on the Gulf Coast, and it is true that
they can be brought a considerable distance north of there, but I have
always doubted their successful growth with any degree of certainty of
crops north of Atlanta, Ga.; for I think it is pretty well conceded that
if one undertakes to crowd the northern limits with the southern
varieties of pecans, they become uncertain in their bearing habits and
the pecans are much smaller and not as well filled. On the other hand,
it is my opinion that the northern pecan can be taken south of its
origin with complete safety. The longer growing season will probably add
to the certainty of the crops and the size of the nuts. It is also very
important for the grower of these northern varieties of pecans to
recognize the fact that they cannot be taken too far north of the
location of the parent tree. The limits, however, both of the northern
and southern varieties are not arbitrary, as they depend very much upon
proximity to the ocean and other moderating influences. For example, it
is very probable that pecans can be cultivated much farther north close
to either the Atlantic or Pacific Coast than they can in the Middle
West. All of these things remain yet to be determined, but it is
important to distinguish between the setting of orchards for commercial
purposes and the setting of trees for purely experimental purposes.

There is unquestionably a great section of the country comprising