Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-11-19
T.RRaSr COUNTY PECsSs.

/ read with much interest an article in
last Sundays GAZETTE and the WEEKLY
GAZETTE Of last Thursday, an article On
paper-shell pecans. That article set me
to thinking of the Importance of looking
after fine varieties among our native pc
cans and as result send you small box
of samples gathered by me near the Fort
Worth stove foundry, You will see at q
glance that they possess, at least, some
superiority over the average wild pecanS,
generally speaking, l think, and there is
something decidedly peculiar about the fla
vor of some Of them.
The long-shaped specimens, and those of
light reddish color, have shell much
thinner than any wild pecans | have yet
found. while the large, brownish specimens
are the prettieSt that |, or any of the boys.
have been able to find. If you think any of
the specimens sent are worthy OF your at
teution, | would be glad to read your opin-
ion OF them in The GAZETTE. Who can now
say that as fine varieties OF pecanS might
not be found in Tarrant county as any
where else? How shall we know that we
have them unless we look for them,
CLARENCE AMBROSE.
Fort Worth, Tex.
The long-shaped pecans sent are entirely
unlike anything else in the pecan line that
we have yet seen. They average about one
and tiree-fourth inches in length, and at
the widest point, which appears in an
abrupt shoulder half an inch back from the
beak, they average Il little over three
fourths of an inch in thickness. From this
shoulder they taper back with entire
regularity to near the the stem end, where
they round of abrubptly from width of a
little less than half an inch. The shell is
al II he OH
we have yet seen on any pecan, and the
kernel has really no divisions save the
division running between the two halves, as
appearing in all pecans. 1t may be said
that the very thin shell of the variety is
literally filled with a kernel whose flavor,
as we have found on test, is extremely rich
and delicate.
OF all the pecans yet seen by US in Texas,
this one is the most strongly marked as
variety. So far as we know, nothing has
been found at all like it in any respect.
There are larger pecans land not much
larger, either), but none more fine, and none
so distinctive as variety. 1t should be
propagated, by all means, and doubtless it
will be- No pecan would take better upon
the market, and be better known by some
distinctive name. When it gets upon the
market it will need a distinctive name,
therefore we take the liberty, which is our
privilege as first describer, of calling it the
Ambrose pecan.
The reddish pecan mentioned is also very
peculiar. 1t is of goodly size, with rough
surface and unbroken color, the latter be-
ing about that of sole-leather. Shell about
cans, but not near so thin as that of our
Ambrose, neither is the kernel so closely
packed or so delicate of flavor as that of the
Ambrose. Taken all in all it would be u
very good variety TO propagate. Its pc
culiar red color would make it quite dis
tinct as variety. Average length, one and
a half inches; average width, three-fourths
of an inch.
The third variety sent is very beautiful
pecan, with polished and snuff-colored sur
face. Size, about the same as that of the
red variety mentioned. Its peculiarly pol
ished appearance would make it very at
tractive on the market. While readily
CHASING as among the thin-sheled pecans,
its shell is not so thin as either of the other
varieties described, neither is the kernel
quite so closely packed in the shell as that
Of the leather-colored variety.
After writing 1.-THE above we made the
rounds of our city to learn something of the
character Of the pecans on sale at our fruit
stands, What We saw really surprised US.
Those three samples sent by our CORE
spondent would average fully 800 per cent
above the average of any pecans we found
on sale. OF course we have no fight to
make against the native pecans of Texas,
yet it does seem to US that We ought to
make an effort to use the best of every
thing that we have. The way to bring into
general use the best that we have in the
way of pecans is to look for them, and when
found, propagate from the find proving of
superior quality.