St. Landry democrat., 1890-09-27
Horticultural Notes.

The walnut wants fertile soil, the richer
the better, so that its cultivation on a
large scale necessitates the use of good
land, and the question Of comparisons of
profits comes in.
In planting nut trees the same rule
should be followed that the best orchard
lists follow, of planting several trees OF
the same species near enough for the
proper action of the pollen.
The time in fall or spring to plant nuts
or trees, of course depends upon the sea
son and the location. No iron bound rule
can bs laid down on this point. March or
April for spring, and September, October
hit most seasons.
The hickory and pecan will flourish on
land too wet for corn, wheat and other CO.
reals, but must not be planted wuere lands
are too frequently overtiowed or where
water stands too long, but they will stand
a good deal of water. They are mostly
found in the wild state along streams in
rich alluvial bottoms.
The oftener young trees are trans
planted the more fibrous roots they have.
The pecan tree transplants about as read
ily and safely. when one or two years old,
as any other tree, and older trees when
root pruned or transplanted every two
|. years will live and do we'll with little
care in transplanting."
One great bug bear In the way of nut
| tree planting has been the idea that they
could not be trapsplanted without great
lab ,r and risk. If men 60 to the woods
and dig up trees several years old, with
long tap roots, which must necessarily be
cut off, the tree will die unless 1t has extra
care. Nat trees from The nursery, whero
they have been properly handled, are no
more difficult to grow than the peach,
apple or pear.
The after cultivation of nut trees Is sub
| stancaliy the same as for any orchard
trees The distance apart to plant depends
upon the kind, the location, the soil and
the pur poses for which they are grown.
For nuts, the walnut, hickory, chestnut
and pecan should be given about the same
space as the apple, 38 to 45 feet. Some
ad, .se planting peach and nut trees alter,
Eately, as the peach trees will be beyond
there prime before the NUS will need the
room, Almonds and 6lberts should be
planted from L to Is feet apart.
The cheapest and probably the best
way for the farmer to grow nut trees lS te
gather or buy nuts In the fall being care
full to gst the best obtainable of each va
rietv. put them in a rich bed of earth,
three to six inches apart in rows II to le
inches apart cover them about twice the
deDth of the diameter of the seed, and
when the weather turns cold cover them
two or three inches deeper with leaves
straw, rotted manure or other good mulch
fnp material
o. the value of walnut timber all are
aware. Timber men figue that 1t would
be good investment to buy lands suit
able for walnut trees at anything under
$25 per acre, and raise nothing else on il
but walnut timber. But tie NUS will
outsell apples, and when properly man
aged produce abundantiy. The age a.
bearing depends largely on the kind ane
treatment. OF course trees grown clos'
for timber will not produce like those
planted for orchards, and the grower
must elect whether he will grow for nuts
or trees, or combine the two.
All chestnuts. by transplanlng ard cul
tivat;on, come into bearing early. Prof
S.tt. rlee says he has young trees growlpt
that are grandchildren of nuts planted y
years ago. Prof Bndd tells of row o
; chestnut trees in Benton county, Il.
started from nuts planted II years prio
to 1885, the trees at that date being 3 to
, inches in diameter, 25 to 35 feet high
| some of them bore at seven years at min
| thsy bore fair crops, and that in size o
: tree they compared we'll with ash, elm an
, butternut planted at the same time
Chestnuts, as heretofore said, make beau
i, tiful lawn, roadside snd orchard trees.