The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-12-09
PECAN CULTURE.
Some Practical Hints on an Impor.
tant Industry.

Some Practical Hints on an ImpOr
tant Industry.
In an earticle' published in the
Southern States, the writer suggests
pecan sulture in the South as 8
profitable industry, involving but little
trouble or care. I have had some
little experience in small way, and 6
pretty general observation of the re.
suits of the pecan "industry," (if in
deed that may be called an industry
which does but little to aid nature,
and 1 don't know anything in which
money might be invested with greater
certainty Of large and continuous re.
turns. No surer foundation for for
tune can be laid than in the planting
and nurture of pecan orchard.
In Taxes there are fine pecan groves
growing wild and along the river
courses and bottom lands, and many
farmers make more clear money from
the wild pecan groves that grow along
the rivers and creeks that border
their farms than they do by the
cultivation of their arabic lands
Many of these native groves, without
care or culture or one dime of expense
save in the picking of the nuts, yield
to the owners net profit of $500 ano
more year.
The wild nuts sell in this market at
from three to seven cents per pound
according to quality and the extent OF
the crop. A fair average estimate o.
the yield of these forest trees is about
200 pounds each. Of course 8
wellnurtured orchard would produce q
much finer nut and much more
abundant yield.
would suggest the following plan
to any entering into the business ol
pecan growing: ..
Prepare the ground thoroughly as il
for planting grain, and then check il
off in squares of say 40x4O feet and
plant several nuts six or eight inches
apart in each hill. This will give
twenty-five trees to the acre. When
the scions are two yeas old, 1 would
graft in February or March, from tree:
bearing the best soft-shell nut, in two
or three of the scions, leaving one OIL
two in each hill to be bedded in, say ir
May or June, if the gratis should fai
to live. In that way one, two, OF
three trees or scions could be relied
upon in each bill. At three years ole
remove all but one from each hill BY
digging carefully around the root anG
removing the tree by means of a sof
rope and pry in as gentle and careful 6
manner as possible, 80 as not to bruist
or tear, the skin from the tap root, anC
plant them in other ground prepared
as above. in this way an orchard
could be had in bearing condition iI
five years from the planting of the
nuts. In the fifth year from planting
we might safely calculate on twenty
pounds Of nuts to the trees, giving
with twenty-five trees on the acre, eI
aggregate yield of 500 pounds. At
say, five cents per pound (which is (
very low figure for good nuts), we have
a net income of S25 per acre. This
yield will increase every year, and a
ten years old we might safely calculate
on yield of $3.50 per acre, and a
Twenty years old double that amount
Now this is the yield from the pecar
alone, but the land should not, by any
means, be left idle to.produce no othe
crop in the meantime. When plant
ing the pecans a row of peach trees ol
other fruit suited to the soil and climat,
might be planted between every row
of pecans. These will not interfere
with or retard the growth of the pc
cans, if peach trees were planted the,
would, in three years and until ter
years old, yield avery handsome profit
At that age they would either die on
or become improbable and could b.
cut down, leaving the, pecan to yielt
its revenues. Nor is this al! the lanC
should every year be cultivated in cot
ton, Irish potatoes, peas, onions, or il
fine any crop that would not obstrucI
the growth of the young trees, anC
this cultivation would not only be {
source of revenue, but would be o
great advantage to the growing tree
and greatly aid in making fine
growth and better fruit. This cultiva
ton might be kept up until the tree
attained great age for the lateral root
do and ordinarily rise near the surface
The conditions of soil necessary ART
such as the hickory requires. Wher
the hickory tlourishes the pecan will
do we'll.
There is great difference in the siz
and quality of the nut; some ar
small with hard shells, while other
are large and have shells so soft tina
they can be easily crushed in the land
l have on my home lot here in Sar
Antonio one large tree that produce
little hard nuts that are not worth tht
gathering, and I allow the little boy
to pick them up at their pleasure
while other trees bear large and richly
favored fruit. Of course the size ant
quality of the fruit would be great,
enhanced by cultivation, and the pric
would be proportionately higher. Th'
Ilarge-shell nut would probably brin!
in this market ten cents per pound