Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-11-08

lated rules in publishing a letter not in
tended for publication, but there was in the
letter and its accompaniment so much of
special interest to the general public of
Texas that we could not well help pursuing
this course. We have endeavored to make
amends. however, by Withholding both the
name and address Of our correspondent,
and by leaving nothing in his letter that
would enable anyone to locate him, and
thus annoy him with correspondence, some
thing upon which he seems Vbase his OBJ
iections to being made known through the
paper.
The pecans sent are really the finest we
have yet seen in Texas. While large, it
may be stated that we have seen larger
pecans, but taking all their qualities into
consideration we must pronounce upon
these as the best seen by US, so far. The
shells are extremely thin and packed as full
of kernel as an egg is full of meat. The
usual Subdivisions in the kernel are almost
wholly wanting. And there is in the kernel
flavor peculiarly rich and agreeable-the
finest, we must conclude, that we have yet
tasted in any nut.
AS we understand it, the tree referred to
by our correspondent is one of natural
growth. 1t is simply favorable freak in
the pecans, like the scufernong
grape is favorable freak in the
Wits vulpina or muscadine grape. We
have often thought of such freaks in the
pecan as entirely possible-why not in
nut tree of the forest as well as in grape
vine of the forest2 And now that such freak
has been found the matter is Of special in
terest to the public as a stimulus to others
to look for other pecan freaks.
We think the pecan abounds in such
freaks. The natural pecan is doubtless a
tree-bearing thick-shell nut, for the pecan
is simply hickory. All the thin-shell nut
bearers are probably freaks. 1t would
seem so from the fact that there are no
thin-shel species, and the tendency of
the thin-shell varieties whose nuts are
planted, seems strongly inclined to run to
thicker-shen varieties. One naturally con-
cludes that this is the result of crossing on
the thick-shell varieties, but after consider
ing the matter from every standpoint, we
can no longer contend that the result is in
variably due 10 this cause.
Scour the woods, then, in search of the
very fine pecans A single freak showing
extraordinary excellence might prove as
good as gold mine to its finder and owner.
In his letter our correspondent opens up
an idea that well backs us up in an existing
possibility of valuable results to result
from valuable find among the wild pc
cans. He speaks of his young grated
trees. If It is possible to graft the pecan
easily and with entire success the find may
be perpetuated and extended to any degree
required.
We know that the pecan can be grated,
but heretofore it has been considered that,
as in case of all the hickories, the thing is
not easy of accomplishment. If this last
has been found to be otherwise, and the
grated trees unite to the stocks and estab-
lish themselves as well as do the seedlings,
then a new era in pecan culture is just
breaking in upon us. No man putting out a
pecan grove will longer have any risk to
run with reference to the character of nuts
every tree will bear. 1t win bring pecan
culture up to a high level and supply the
world, eventually, with not only the best
pecans ever met with, but also with the
very best nuts known to man.
If our correspondent is not entirely too
modest to risk such thing, he could do US
and the readers Of The GAZETTE a great
favor by telling how he gratis the pecan,
and all there is about it.
We might state in conclusion that it is
not our opinion that the different colors of
the soil, mentioned by our correspondent,
had any influence whatever on the peculiar
colorings appearing on the nuts sent.
Those colorings are simply popularity of
his variety, and will ever appear where his
variety comes true, without regard to char
acter of the soil in which the trees are
grown.