Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1895-04-10
"0ne Year Borrows Another Years Fool" You Didn't Use
SA Pol 10
Last Year. Perhaps You VIII Not This Year.
WHERE PECANS GROW.
Preparation of the Meats Becoming an
Important Industry.

Preparation of the Meats Becoming an
Important Industry.
Perhaps the best Of all nuts Is that
species of hickory known as the pecan.
1t is a native of the United States,
and in Texas. The largest and finest
nuts come from Louisiana, some speci-
mems attaining a length of two inches
and q diameter of three-quarters of
an inch. Comparatively few from that
State reach the North, however. In
Bee County, Texas. pecans are grown
with very thin shells, that may be
crushed in the fingers.
In Texas the pecan industry has OBJ
tanned great Importance. Thousands
of people, white and black, make a
living by gathering the wild nuts,
while many plantations Of the trees
have been set out and are already in
| bearing. So long ago as 1880 1885,
coo pounds of the nuts We're marketed
in San Antonio. OF all the hickory
family the pecan seems most suscepti-
BILE of Improvement in the size and
quality of the fruit, and much has
been accomplished in this direction by
planters exercising judgment In the
selection of varieties. l.. A. Swinden.
of Brownwood, Texas, has 400 acres
of pecans. comprising 11,OO0 trees.
The usual method of harvesting pc.
cans is to shake the trees when the
hulls begin to open in the autumn, or
to thresh them with long, light poles
I'll G-I,; f,1I
are picked up in baskets. Wild pecans
used to be gathered quite commonly
in the forest by cutting down the trees
"a practical application of the princi-
pie of killing the goose that lays the
golden eggs.
The freshly gathered nuts are placed
In revolving churns. by which they are
cleaned and frightened. A factory in
New York City gives employment to
fifty men and women engaged in the
business of polishing or FURNISHING"
pecans for market. Eventually clean
ing establishments will be set up in the
neighborhood of orchards.
The finest nuts grown from selected
stocks are kept for planting. pecans for
seed being In great demand at present.
Such seed brings as much as S1.oO
pound; the trade Is carried on mainly
by orders through the mails. Small
nuts could be used for making oil. Be-
fore many years the big pecans, an
inch and half to two inches In length,
with paper shells will be on the market
in plenty.
The industry of preparing the meats
of pecans for market, free from shells,
has already assumed considerable pro-
portions. In 1890 one manufacturer
sold 100000 pounds Of the kernels.
Being relieved of the trouble Of crack
Ing the nuts and picking out the meats
these processes are now performed
by machinery-confectio are be-
ginning to use pecans quite generally.
Three pounds of nuts contain one
pound of meats. The meats sell for 80
cents pound. Pecan oil is excellent
for table use. 1t makes a fine illumin-
ant A kernel, when lighted, will burn
for some time brilliantly.
1t is believed that much might be
accomplished by cultivatins choice
varieties Of shellbarks, Of large size,
with thin shells-Rene Bache, Wash.
'ugton correspondent