Average Monthly Average Monthly Temp.
1914 Temperatures in Excess of 50 deg.
January 39.6
February 29.9
March 42.0
April 55.4 5.4
May 67.9 17.9
June 80.0 30.0
July 82.2 32.2
August 78.0 28.0
September 69.6 19.6
October 60.8 10.8
November 49.2
December 31.0 _____
Total 143.9
The pecan growing heat units, pecan units they may be called for short,
for Evansville, Ind., in 1914 were 143.9. From this we might conclude
that a place where the pecan units for 1914 would figure out 143.9 would
be likely (as far as climatic conditions are concerned) to grow pecans
as well as Evansville, that is, of course if other years should show
similar figures.
With the idea of seeing if the experience of those who were growing
pecans would be anything like what might be calculated from the Weather
Bureau Records, letters were written to all members of the National Nut
Growers' Association to find out if pecans grew and bore well in their
sections and if so which varieties. From the replies received it has
been in a number of instances difficult to judge just how well pecans
grow in some sections. For this reason I have interpreted the replies
somewhat on the basis of my own knowledge and on certain facts told me
by Mr. C. A. Reed. Apparently at least 175 pecan units are to be found
in most places where the southern pecan is successful commercially. This
corresponds to a line through Augusta, Milledgeville, Macon and
Columbus, Georgia and Montgomery, Alabama. There seems little question
but that pecans can be grown north of this line but until I get more
positive information than I now have I shall doubt if the planting of
southern varieties of pecans much north of this line is nearly as
advisable as it is south of it.
When we come to compare this figure with the pecan units for Ocean
Springs and Pascagoula, Miss., where a number of the fine southern
pecans originated which are now being propagated we find an average of
about 222 pecan units. To reduce this to a percentage we find that many
of the standard southern pecans grow and bear well when the pecan units
are as low as 79% of those of the place of their origin. In other words
the adaptability of the southern p
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