Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-06-04
noEs LIKE PRopUCE LIKE.

If YOU can consistently do so please tell
me through THE GAZETTE if like is sure to
produce like. For instance, if large paper
shell pecan nut be planted can 1t be relied
on as certain to produce nuts OF the same
kind when the resulting tree comes into
hearingl If not would AZ not be best to
plant nuts where the trees are to stand, and
then graft on the young growths such
sclons as you know TO be of entirely good
quality Would the grated tree grow as
readily as the tree from the nut. Any in
formation you may give me on this subject
viii be much appreciated, and will prove
beneficial TO me and possibly to many
Others W. a. SELLERS.
Starkville, Miss.
There is no such thing as like producing
like 10 entire perfection. There are no
two things i'll nature precisely alike We
say ''as much alike as two peas yot if we
critically examine all the peas of a pod we
will be able to detect such variations as will
show that no two of them are exactly alike.
Just so with the grains on an ear of corn.
no two can be found that will fail u show
a variation in some way d. other
In most cases, however a species or 4 va
riety, held entirely within itself as 20 fer
tilization, will produce a like species or
like variety. So far like produces like, but
no further.
The pecan is rather skittisF in that direc
ton. If there WIS Jut one pecan tree in
the state of Mississippi, and it occupied
central position far away from all other
pecan trees, its nuts would be very apt to
produce trees that would yield nuts much
like those OF the parent. for all chances OF
crossing upon some other variety would be
cut OFF It is this crossing that plays the
mischief with the pecan. \ tree yielding
the finest paper-shell nuts known may have
some of its flowers fortified by an inferior
variety, even though that inferior variety
should be growing a mile or so away. In
sects might bring the pollen dust from the
flowers Of the one variety to those Of the
other The nut resulting from that fertil
iZation would be Il cross, though the nut it
self would not show it. The tree springing
from that nut would be sure TO bear y,
differing in some way from the nut panls
OF course YOU will understand that all
paper-ehell pecans are not crosses. The
pecan bears both male and female flowers
on the same tree. hence the chances are
that large per cent Of the nuts would be
true 10 variety; that is, no cross. On this
account il would ne best to plant all paper
shells, if you want all paper-shells. and the
chances are that most of the trees coming
from them will bear paper-shclls, though.
as you must see. there exists n possibility
that some of them will turn out otherwise.
The grating on the plan suggested would
make sure thing OF it, but it must he re-
membered that the pecan is a pretty hard
tree to graft. No members of the hickory
family graft well, though all of them may
be grated by an expert. But the most
skilled CRATER will lose large per cent of
his trees. therefore it would De safest to
graft at least half dozen stalks at each
hill. If all happen 20 take the surplus can
be cut away after perfect establishment.
1t is our opinion that grated pecan
tree would grow all right when once estab-
lished, but owing to the very little grating
of the pecan that has ever been done, we
have no good authority for saying so.