The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-05-16
TIE PECAN INDUSTRY.
It's Value to Individuals-To a Com
mupttY for Health and Waalth

oaAy as tue planting or the Texas thin she'll
pecan.
From the fact that comparatively few
residents Of the south have had their atteu-
ton called especially to the profits Of nut
and fruit culture, and Investigated the same
with a view to their bringing them into
general use. little is known Of their value.
The profits of pecan culture are large.
and many who read of it disprove the
statements, because they seem so much
greater than anything they have person.
ally known.
They are equally astonished when they
hear OF orange, prune, English walnut or
almond profits. which are so far beyond
what the southern farmer has ever earned
that they cannot believe it.
Yet there is abundant proof in both
Florida and California, where this industry
Is best known, where the earnings reach
$1,000 per acre, sometimes mora
Iaklng into consideration the first cost of
planting the pecan, its freedom from insect
depredations. its rapid growth under favor
able circumstances. the surety of germina-
ton, OF all sound nuts, the little care re-
CURED, either before or after coming into
bearing, their value as windbrakes for
orchards, around barns and dwellings, the
long time of bearing of the nuts, their
Keeping qualities, their being universal ia
VorlteS wherever known make them a min Q
OF wealth to the owner.
Being Of the same family as the hickory,
white and black walnut, the pecan is very
hardy, comes into blossom late in the
spring after the early frosts have past, and
retaining the foliage late in the fall makes
1t tree well worth growing for shade, even
if it never bore a nut.
w lille the low, moist lands are preferable
because of their richness, moisture and
GOODNESS, the pecan will grow well where
ever the hickory or any hardy tree will
grow, If there is no ledge of rock to OBJ.
struct the descent of the tap root.
The tap root will 60 to moisture, however
deep, and retain It's green foliage during
the hottest summers when every other tree
may be suffering for want of rain. Drought
seems to have no effect upon them, and
they have been the sources Of money supply
during the long droughts which have pre-
vailed in this state.
During the eighteen months drought of
1885 the usual crops we're a failure, and
1t Wero question how to 60 through with
out outside help in the western part of the
state. The pecan crop was large. and the
people near one town received upward of
$50, 900 for pecans, which went to northern
and eastern markets.
The distribution of this amount of money
for crop, which the people had looked
upon as hardly worth their notice, was a
Godsend to that community.
A tree that costs little or nothing to
plant, that brings in an income of s. to SO
per annum, is not 10 despised.
We have the wild tree here which earns
from $50 to $50 per snnum. VIII not the
cultivated tree bear as much, if not more,
than the wild tree which never received an
hour's attention7
Where the pecan has room for its
branches to spread without being crowded &,
say 35x35 feet apart, it grows into SYM
etrical shape, rapid grower in good soil, has
light green foliage which it retains late in
the fall rendering it very conspicuous and
attractive shade tree, and will grow to di-
ameter Of feet, 3 feet from the ground,
when it attains great age, and will bear
nuts during their lifetime.
To grow a profitable pecan orchard is
within the reach of any farmer who can
raise $500, which will plant 100 acres
One hundred acres in oranges would cost
from $1,000 to $4,000 to plant. After
they come into bearing then cost of 81, 500
to $4,000 per acre for their care, annually.
The pecans require but little care, and
begin to bear in five or six years. To be
very conservative we will say at six years
they bear but one-fourth busheI of pecans
to the tree. At 1871 cents per pounds is
you Fave $500 trees giving you 300 bushels,
or $47 25 per acre.
At ten years, with four bushels to the
tree, you have IA 400 bushels, or S756 per
acre.
At fifteen years, with only six bushels to
the tree, or 81 1874 per acre.
Let US take off 20 per cent. for failures.
and then see if it is not good earnings on
first cost of $500.
estimates
we have many wild tress that bear from six
to sixteen bushels of pecans, earning $50 to
the tree II did not know these were
facts l would not make the above state
ments.
have seen it stated that the pecan bears
ten to fifteen bushels to the tree In Georgia,
the nuts selling at "a to IS per bushel at
wholesale.
With yield of six bushels per tree, and
only cent per pound for the pecans, the
earnings 800 70 per acre, which is a little
better than growing cotton at cents per
pound.
Add to these figures the value of same
ground for other crops, and you can easily
see the value Of a pecan orchard.
Now take the least Of the above figures
and see the value of every acre you have
in pecans which earns 10 per cent. on the
valuation.
When YOU want to sell your farm do not
fail to add good round sum for every acre
which has added value because Of your Pc
can grove.
This letter will answer many questions
which our correspondents in Georgia,
Florida, North and South Carolina have
asked us.
With two years. special study of the pecan
l am free to say that the possibilities of pc
can culture are very great, while the draw
backs are hardly worth mentioning. making
a very safe and profitable investment.