The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-10-02
NUT GROWING INCREASING.
A RAPIDLY MULTIPLYING BUsENBsS
THROUGHOUT TIE COUNTRY.

Many Places The Constant Effort to
Improve the giHo and Quality Of Many
vaEistiss Grating In Some Species.
The local nuttlng season round about New
York begins early In October and continues
well mn to the Christmas holidays, and the
farmers boys and italian residents Of the city
are kept busy gathering the chestnuts. black
Walnuts, butternuts and hickory nuts In the
woods north Of us, ACROSS the river In New Jer-
seq and on Long Island. The commercial nut
ting business 10 assuming greater proportions
every yoar In this country. and the farmers are
planting nut trees for profit along with their
apple. peach. pear and plum trees. A nut
orchard properly attended to frequently yields
AZ much profit as an orchard OF peaches or
apples. and the trees can be made to grow
on the sides OF hills that can be utilized for
little else. In New England the bleak. stony
hillsides OF farms that were considered Of little
real agricultural value are being successfully
planted with walnut trees. chestnuts, butter
nuts. and other authorizing Rrowths. In the
West and Southwest land that is too wet for
corn. wheat and other cereals lie utilized for
raising hickory and pecan nuts. The latter. In
particular. will thrive on land that Is frequently
flooded with water. and in q wild state the trees
are mostly found growing on rich alluvial bot
toms along the streams Of fresh water.
California started into nut culture on q large
scale frst. and the example she set has been
followed by most Of the other States. To-day
she produces moro than two million pounds OF
English walnuts. great quantities Of almonds.
improved chestnuts. English flberts. and
hazel nuts. In the South the pecan trees have
been growing for half . century in o semi-wild
state. but for ten years now groves OF them
have been planted and cultivated bV the
farmers with every promise Of success.
The question Of nut growing for profit was
agitated in this country about ten years ago.
At that time our importations OF nuts were
heavy. amounting to many millions Of pounds.
They CAM from England. Madeira, Spain.
Portugal. Persia. and many other countries OF
Europe and Asia. Our few wild trees were
neglected and their fruit ungathered by the
farmers. except for their own private use. It
was not thought then that the nuts could prove
OF much commercial value. The farmers boys
and the italian vendors gathered o mall crop
every autumn and sold them to the stores in
the city for q nominal price. Our chestnuts
were the most important. and a large crop OF
these always found q market In the local towns
and cities.
But in ten years now a new industry has
sprung up and developed into one of consider
able commercial Importance. Not only has the
market been supplied with homegrown nuts,
but q wider demand for them has been created.
The hyGlenio value Of nuts is better under
stood and appreciated to-day. and the con-
sumption Of them has steadily increased In this
country. They are used in an endless number
Of ways in our modern cooking and confection-
cry. Certain varieties yield a valuable oil. such
as the pecans. which Is used by clockmakers
and Gunsmiths and also for table purposes.
The improvement in nut culture began with
the, introduction Of foreign chestnuts; Our
there. are several other species and varieties
found abroad. The European chestnuts are
i ausIity to shs Che % UqFf, A 6ps itney cb ass inieriq q few IN
species OF Japanese chestnuts are not only
Species R %ss f; ORSd 96 h e'E its d SG bath E TSe
cIous and prolific, but small; the European
species were large and attractive, and the trees
came into bearing ~ about half the time re-
CURED for the American but the nuts were in
large. quick bearing and rich in Juicy meat.
but the trees were dwarf in habit and not per-
IN Ths e question fer ,s the po onqsns .!sa to decide wa,
Obtained by selecting good American Chestnut
f Ssss 5 Saps shs s'G sps;o aea TTHSr s res6 GP IS shs tRa th g
hardy. prolific, early bearing tree has been pro-
equal any imported from abroad. They are
sold in the market as Japanese chestnuts.
s sSss from % 'f the south ous 'a and seSs aiitesnis saR %Rsfs
the R1, dwarf ,TEa trees can and endure E,ro,o the oSealIin9natts Innate;
raised III" in t TIE Middle. Ea sa,1p01 and %sstera
States are nearly all from grated or budded
told Of the Size and qualify Of these improved
japanese ehestnuts; but. after making al
I IefEfto o cause fSP e ene e @aPRsf fh st tbs Is stu suc seGsF q
scientific, nut growing. All chestnuts, come
l Hatio Ssad an& G al tRe q {rs eesns staated Il a GTcS Ssltls
are nursery grown; The Japanese trees come
Frsft esr oh Ga af sS st0c * tf ses a Rsn Sssr hn as e Thsn
The burrs open without the, aid Of frost. and
the nuts are on the market long before frost
English walnuts have been found 70 do well
land ii Imports SH 15o, Zoo ' trees from SrSe t6e coantt heR
annually, and We have heretofore drawn heav-
~ FstS Se1H te aSTSeo and a3t our are SqlERfR slEy 70 enS Sc 'f iaius ssS
first few years OF their growth. After that they
seem to do well in our cold climate. In the
trees yield abundant crops.
raised and used, quite universally In most Of
Srov fsa'S shI 81 'f IN the Se'P States sr south Of ,G New
York thsiE line { Of eultgrs has been EEadqalIy
duce larger crops, however. In the South, In
Illinois z native pecan tree is found which is
Proilae Of ~ nuts { a ast the s. so1 nth aPP tree sna EVEN EVEN IN n
Michigan PECAN trees are now found. In their
come into bearing only after a lapse, Of ten,
fifteen oerncSSndt twenty Irod years; But Bns those cult'Tate ed
the crop increases gradually every year there
after: 30 important has pecan culture become
men make a specially OF raising the trees from
seeds. and a beginner can save time by pur-
chasing two and three year old trees at once
for the orchard.
There are many varieties OF the pecan. and
some are much harder than others: but the
few choice thin;shelled varieties have been
greatly improved through Systematic cultiva-
tion; and they are always found to be the most
that the trees wifi grow wherever the hickories
and oaks flourish; and that they will last from
in productiveness. II. Texas growers fire.
quently average $40 to SIG a tree nfteen years
try become that a few years ago the owners Of
o%rchards on the gulf coast dug up orange trees
to make room for pecan trees. The trees at
tain Immense size and they have tn be planted
as far apart In the orchard as the apple, the av-
eraEe DISTANCE being from thlrty5fopr to forty.