Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-11-22
OUR WILD PECANS.

pecans, we this week decided to make a
from anything yet attempted by any one,
so far as we know. We went the rounds of
our fruit stores and nut stands handling
wild pecans brought in from our own for
ests, and from each bought one dozen OF
the finest appearing nuts that we could Sc
lcct from the stock in hands. OF course we
saw many very inferior nuts-the average
went largely to that side, but in our selec-
tions we got not a few that were really
fine, comparing favorably in size and out
line with the very best described or illus
trated by dealers in seed nuts, OR other
persons writing on the pecan question.
In our selections we made an effort to get
no two nuts presenting exactly the same ex-
ternal appearance, our object being to have
specimens from as many different trees as
possible. The various lots overhauled by
us appeared to pretty clearly indicate that
each tree bore exactly the same character
of fruit, or, in other words, that no single
tree had produced fine nuts and inferior
nuts in the same crop. We think each wild
tree holds quite true as to quality.
Each dozen nuts selected by US was held
to itself and the nuts carefully opened and
examined. We found them running on an
average at about four thin-shell nuts to the
dozen-a much better average than we were
expecting. A few of the nuts had shells
extremely thin, while many that we classed
as thick-shells were not above medium !;
that is, you might have taken two of them
in the hand and crushed them by merely
pressing them together. A comparative
few had shells so thick that it called for a
considerable blow with the hammer to
break them.
There was great variation as TO shape in
our eight dozen selections. The majority
of them tended more or less to an oval,
though some were long and slender, having
about the same size from end to end.
Where there was difference in size of the
ends the largest end was usually next the
stem-we found no specimens with the
beak end the largest like the specimens
Sent Us by correspondent last week, and
which, on account of its extreme peculiar
tiles, we named the Ambrose pecan.
The most remarkable specimen we found
was obtained at fruit-stand on Main
street, between Second and Third. 1t was
very large, and about the shape of an Or
binary nutmeg. The shell was compare
lively thick, but entirely full of kernel
with really no divisions in the kernel save
the one middle division, which separated it
into two sections. Kernel firm and eX-
tremely delicate in favor. 1t was a regular
mouthful, as we say-as large as the kernel
found in an ordinary English walnut. The
variety had considerable representation in
the stock from which cur selection was
made, but the dealer could give Us no clew
as to whence it came, owing to the fact that
he had bought his supplies from country
people bringing in pecans for sale, and that
was all he knew about it. No doubt it is
Tarrant county pecan, and if the tree could
be located the variety ought to be propa-
gated.
An examination of the interior of our Sc
lected specimens proved very interesting.
We found great variation rs to fitness and
frmness of kernel as well as
10 richness and deIicacy of fla
vor. OF course we have 10 desire to
fly into the face of public opinion as to what
constitutes the best pecans, yet a desire for
being entirely accurate in this report COM
pels US to say that VIC found, on an average,
the firmest, the highest-flavored and
least-divided kernels in the thick-shell va
rieties, and when you come to think the
matter over, you will discover good rea-
son for why it should be so, especially in
the case of less division in the kernel. The
thick shell is able to protect the kernel
against considerable outside pressure-the
thin shell is not, and so nature builds
framework down through the kernel to
the center to brace the shell.
The present taste seems to run entirely
to thin-shell pecans, and it is possible that
the thin-shell varieties will for long time
be the most popular varieties on the mar
ket, either for planting or consumption,
yet we are by no means sure that the thin
shell will always remain the most popular
pecan of the future. When it becomes
fully known that the thick-sheu
pecan - IIIc ocbleI pecan, dIl lued W WHICH
this test has pretty well converted US, taste
may take a tumble. But there will never
be tumble as to the size of the nuts-peo-
pie will always want large pecans-and it
is, therefore, not 1T all impossible that by
the time the pecan trees we are now plant
ing are in full bearing, the
finest pecans-so considered-wlil
be the largest pecans, without regard to
thickness of shell OF course, in starting
grove, we would plant large thin-shell
pecans if we could get them TO plant, but
in the event that we could not get them
easily we would not hesitate to plant large
thick-shell pecans.
When we have settled down to large and
fine pecans whose kernel will come out in
two clear pieces without any subdivisions
of bitter matter TO pick at, the pecan will
take the place of the almond as the most
popular table nut in the world. We have
what they call paper-shell almonds, but no
one ever sees them on the fashionable table
without nut-cracker Ut the place OF every
guest. In our opinion, the big, delicious
ana undivided kernels must come from the
thick-shell pecans. If so, that variety
must become the table nut, and no pecan
ever has i shell SO thick that we cannot get
into it, with a pair of nut crackers, with
very little if any more exertion than would
be necessary TO open the pecan with thin