The Savannah morning news., 1900-08-27

There are found in the pecan shells
grown upon trees whose annual earnings
for years past has ranged from 5000 to
$500 each here in Texas.
There are isolated cultivated trees,
whose only cultivation Is from the crops
grown upon the same ground. Such nuts
are very uniform in size and range from
thirty-flVe to forty-five nuts to the pound
and reproduce themselves accurately.
Much has been learned during the last
few years about the great value of the
pecan which is entirely at variance with
former belief, because so many believed
them as only a forest tree. needing no
more care or attention than any other.
Cultivation has shown a wonderful
change, changing them from a forest tree
to one of the most productive of fruit
trees In fact it has been found that
they can be treated absolutely as a fruit
tree from seed to harvest
No American tree has been found that,
like the olive, is of such long life, pro-
ducing nuts for hundreds of years and
giving under cultivation such larse in
comes upon a very small outlay for the
planting of groves.
Growers OF olives in California will
neither sell their productive groves, nor
are they willing to tell of their earnings,
because the facts are almost beyond be-
lief Such Is so true of pecan painting
that we will not tell the whole facts of
their wonderful value. Simply because 9TH
ers having had no experience with cultivat-
ed groves are not willing to believe beyond
their personal knowledge. The factt.are
such in regard to them that no exagRera-
ton IS needed. The fol owing are among
the advanced methods in growing the pc
cans: Cultivation, low heading of the
trees, permitting close planting, by which
more perfect fertilZing by the air cur
rents among the trees Of same size, same
age. same distance apart, consequently
much larger crops on the same acreage.
For years past # has been thought the
proper thing to do was to plant the trees
forty fifty or sixty feet apart, taking tho
forest growth as a guide. Forty plus frrty
gives only twenty-seven trees to the acre
whereas we now adopt the Caiforn
method of tree planting, by which by the
equilateral triangle method they get Is
trees to the acre without crowding This
is sixteen more to the acre than by the
square method so universally used here
tofore. The gain is seen when the trees
earn 81 each when planted twenty by
twenty feet apart, of nearly $4,000 per acre
over the forty by forty plan of twenty
seven trees to the acre. Says one expert
enced grower here:
mo more costly mistakes have l made
ing pecan trees Every agricultural sue
cess has been achieved by overcoming
natufe's efforts 10 defeat IT, The nm
est and most productive pecan trees
| have seen are grown upon
well drained lands where cultivated. l
would plant c,ose together or at only a
medium distance apart. because pecan
trees can be set cgose together as they
produce their fruit only upon new woods.
Such experiments as ! have been able 20
make show that the pecan tree can he
pruned or trimmed 70 any desired shape,
whether low spreading pollard or even nnt
espaiier."
Next 10 the cultivation Of pecan trees
comes the beuent OF low heading Of the
trees. which has many advantages The
roots become deeper seated, less danger Of
OF sun scald OF the tree trunk less dan
ger from high winds and easier gathering
OF their fruit Heading Ia causes the
inner curvins Of tho limbs. preventing con-
! tact with other trees or shading the