We do, however, have congenial grafts and good
living specimens of the Norton and the Burton, which are no doubt some
form of hybrid.[9] Hicans that graft well on local bitternut stocks are
the Rockville, first in hardiness and for bearing nuts of the usual size
for Rockville. They do not mature yet, but it is expected that favorable
years will mature these nuts.
Next in hardiness is the Green Bay, and next are Burlington, Des Moines,
Bixby, and McCallister. Although making good growth, these have seemed
to be too tender for our climate, although we have good living specimens
of them and believe that some have begun to bear, particularly the
Bixby, unless names of grafts have been mixed up. These latter trees are
mostly in the deep woods, and it is hard to get close data on their
behavior and bearing.
A Marquardt (which is supposed to be a lost variety of hican) I believe
exists on my place, and I have taken it out of the deep woods, where it
was grafted nearly thirty years ago from scions direct from J. F. Jones,
and have placed scions on stocks in the vicinity of the nursery, where
they can be watched. The differences between the scions freshly grafted
last spring and the known varieties of Rockville, Green Bay, and
Burlington are distinctive. Also the Marquardt (if it is a true
Marquardt) last winter indicated much greater hardiness than did grafts
made at the same time with Rockville and Burlington varieties. However,
it is too early to say for sure whether the Marquardt is represented
among my varieties of hicans. The Marquardt grafted on local stocks used
by Jones and purchased as individual trees, did not survive. It is
assumed in this paper that this discussion would naturally lead to pecan
hybrids, rather than staying with the pure blooded pecan this far north,
for some of the varieties come very close to being pure pecans, but
still, like Norton and Burton, probably are distinct hybrids.
When some of the original seedlings from Iowa were transplanted from the
nursery row they were already quite large trees and we did not get all
the roots. The portions that were cut off were left in the soil. One of
these roots sprouted three trees; one was subsequently moved into the
orchard and marked because of its vegetative nature, and a variety of
hickory known as the Weschcke was grafted on it. It makes a very good
growth, but in most instances our native bitternut stock produces an
equally good growth in unions wi
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