are a number of pecans planted
from ten to fifteen years ago. Part of these trees are on bottom land
and part on high land. This high land is heavy clay underlaid with
considerable hardpan. The writer visited these trees two weeks ago and
has photographs showing four trees in a group that were planted fifteen
years ago that have borne for the past six years, each crop getting
better. At the present time I would judge they are bearing at least one
bushel to the tree. A single tree in the barnyard has not made the
growth owing to the compact soil around it. However, it has borne quite
heavily, commenced bearing at nine years of age from seed. The trees on
the bottom land are not as large and have not borne half as many nuts as
the ones planted on high land. This is Mr. Coan's report and he says
that were he planting again he would plant entirely on high ground. The
trees shown in these photographs are located on perhaps the highest
elevation in Knox County, Ind. There are a number of other trees near
the writer's home planted on high land 150 feet above the river, back
from three to six miles, that are large trees, measuring 18 to 24 inches
in diameter and bearing regular crops. Heavy clay land seems to push a
stronger and more vigorous growth than does the more loamy, darker soil.
I submit here a number of photographs taken August 10 of pecan trees in
the nursery row, budded one year ago, showing a growth of from 4 to 6
feet, many of them 5 to 7 feet and some 8 feet high and still growing
rapidly. These were budded on four-year-old pecans.
_Propagation_
We have tried all known methods of propagating the pecan with varied
results; one of the methods you do not want to try is the Edwards
method. While it may be a success in Texas, where it originated, it is a
miserable failure in the North. Grafting above ground is done after the
sap is well up, and gives fair results. However, best results have been
obtained by the patch bud method on seedlings three to four years old.
Good strong seedlings, well-ripened buds cut from the scion orchard or
from trees two years old in the nursery have given best results--in some
cases, as high as 85 per cent stand the past season.
* * * * *
MR. JONES: Mr. Rush had a Stuart bearing last year in
south-eastern Pennsylvania. The nuts were not very large but they
matured fairly well. I am more encouraged than ever that the Indiana
variety will be safe for
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