Smyrna times., 1891-01-07
WHOLE NO. 1866.
The Pecan Propagation.
Mr.. STUART, OCEAN sPRIRGs, MISS.
about His Success in Groving this
Fruit-Pecans as Big as WaInuts.

A sample of paper shell pecan nuts
from the Pecan Groves of Mr.. w. r.
Stuart, pecan grower and propagator
at Ocean Springs, Miss, may be seen
at the Ledger Office. They are the Tin
est we, or any one else, have ever
seen, unless it be nuts from the same
place.
Mr.. Stuart is an Eastern Shoremau,
by birth, being native of Worcester
county. He has kinsman and family
connections in Cambridge, among
whom are Paymaster Worthington
GoldsbOrough, DR.. Brice Goldsborough
and DR.. Williams He has passed his
10th birthday anniversary. For some
years he has been paying attention to
the development of the pecan tpro-
nounced pe-cawn J ard has succeeded
so we'll that he grows now pecan nuts
as big as English walnuts, and of a
most delicious flavor.
The pecan belongs to the hickory
family, and grows wild from Mexico to
Canada. The largest trees are found in
the alluvial bottoms of the Wabash,
Missouri and Mississippi rivers, where
some of them are four feet in diameter.
with top-spread of seventy feet.
The best soil is a rich deep one, but
not wet or holding surface water,
though the pecan will grow on an or
binary land that does not have too
compact clay sub-soil. The cultiva-
tion of the young trees should be as
thorough as that of corn crop. 81
know trees he" Mr.. Stuart says, that
are thirteen years old, bearing from
one barrel to one barrel and q half of
nuts, and are one foot in diameter:
and others of the same age not four
inches in diameter" Care and cult
walton tell here, as every where else.
The trees are planted not less than
forty feet apart. They begin to bear
at six years old, and at ten years the
tree will yield a paying crop, increas-
ing annually until the tree is 80 or 40
years old,-its mature bearing age.
There is plenty of soil on this penin-
sula adapted to the growth of the
pecan, plenty indeed in Talbot. It
would be well to give the tree a thor
Ough trial wherever in the county
there is soil such as here described.
The hickory grows to great perfection
here. Whoever has a space in town
might try one or two more trees.
Some of our farmers, since they have
had the knowledge of Mr.. Stuart's sue.
cess in pecan culture, DIR. ]. A. John
son, Col. F. c. Goldsborough, and per-
haps Others--have obtained nuts from
him to plant. There are two varieties,
the Mexican Paper-Shell, and Large
Hard-Shell. Mr.. Stuarts price for
either variety is one dollar pound.
These are his prices for trees:
No. Fine Growth Branched ready for
bearing in three or four years $500
" Three years, to 6 feet high $50
Two q" to 5 200
" 2to3 $50
" One " u to Is inches 100
The best tree planting time, in the
fall, is from November lst, to the mid
die of December; spring planting from
February 1st until the buds begin to
swell. The buds can be planted any
time after they ripen, up to February
18th, or later by soaking them in water
24 hours before planting. Mr.. Stuart's
directions are to plant in rows about
four inches apart, covering three
inches deep, cultivate we'll by keeping
land level aud clean, transplant after
the first year either in rows again, or
where they are to remain. They come
into bearing earlier by being removed
once or twice before permanently loca-
ting them.-Easton Ledger.