The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-07-08
THE FARM AND THE GARDEN.
MATTERS OF INTEREST TO HOUSE,
WIFE AND AGRICULTURALIsT

Pecan Culture Killing Ground
MOIes-Guinens-Var FOsOd for
FOvvIs-TobaccO Culture-A VigOr-
GUS Orchard-The Delaware Grape.
Good Words for the Berkshire.
IMPROVING the Soil -'Fnrmers
Cheap Fertilizers.
II NJ. T."-There is no reason why
you should not raise your own pecan
seedlings. 1t is easy enough to do IL
you only procure fresh sound nuts In the
fall soon after they have ripened on the
trees. 1t will not do at all to use the
nuts that are sold in the stores. There
are thousands of pounds of nuts saved
in the South now, specially for seed. and
these are readily procured in the fall
and winter while they are fresh.
If you choose to do so you can plant
these nuts right where you want the tree
TO grow and If you decide to graft on
them it can be done the second season
after planting. If you decide to risk the
seedlings they should be planted at a
distance of 40 or As feet apart each way,
and to insure tree in each hill, 3 seeds
should be planted in each place. Have
each nut of these 3 to stand IS or 20
inches apart from each other. Plant
in a triangle and drive small stake in
the center of it. The nuts can thus be
to examine them later on.
Even if all 8 of the nuts terminate. do
not be in hurry to thin out to one,
but let all remain and grow for or s
months or a little longer. Then examine
closely and leave the best one--so far as
can be told by it's appearance then.
In this way an orchard can be had
where every tree has its top root per-
feet To what extent an undisturbed
top root effects the tree afterwards, lit
tie is known we believe. 1t may or may
not have some influence. 1t requires
many years to decide questions of this
character.
BY far the great majority of pecan trees
that are growing now in the South are
such as have been removed and of course,
their tap root was cut off more or less
in the act OF removal. 1t is more than
probable that this pruning of the tap root
is no detriment to the after growth of
the young tree. New growth of root
proceed from the stub of the tap root
that has been cut away and this growth
is perpendicular, though it may be d.
vided, thus forming several roots of a
taplike character.
Anyhow, If one wants tree that there
is no uncertainty about a normal tap
root the way to get IL is to plant as we
have suggested-three fresh nuts in
hill. .
OF course the land should be Guilt
waited after the nuts have been planted.
For the sake of the trees some legumi-
nous crop should be grown on it every
year. The land should be filed with veg
etable matter in the course of five or six
years. 1t Is no use to attempt a profit
able pecan grove on land that has little
or no vegetable matter in IT, Even one
crop of velvet beans or one crop of Won
derful peas or the same of beggar weed
once year for several years following
the starting of the grove will soon put
the soil in good condition for the growth
of the trees, assuming that the land is
fairly good to start with.
Only legumiuous crops should be grown
as a rule, though an occasional crop OF
sweet potatoes may be allowed. crop
of bur or crimson clover may come in
once or twice, sowing these in the fall,
of course.
grove If it is done in any half hearted"
sort of way. The land must be gotten in
condition suitable to mature the trees in
a reasonable time. 1t is fortunate that
one can do this after the trees are start
ed, if the necessary yet reasonable effort
tS made to do so.
1t is easy enough to so manure the "a
or 26 hills to give the trees a start off
and then the rest of the soil can be en-
rched afterwards. While the trees are
young it is not admissible to pasture any
kind of stock in the grove. Later on
however, pasturng will be in order
Where the leguminous crops are used
for this Improvement of the soil 1t is adj
missible to take enough of them from the
land 10 pay all the expenses incurred
This will be taken in the shape of hay
or where peas are planted. the seeds may
be gathered leaving only the vines to
the land.
Again, where the land is fair to start
with it is not a bad plan to plant O GER
tain number of peach or plum trees-ear-
ly peaches and Japan plums-on the
same land. These may be allowed to re-
main and bear crops for a number of
years before they encroach seriously on
the pecans. The early peaches do not
bear longer than four or five years as
a rule The crops from them, however
will pay all the expenses of the nut
grove many times over.
There are various ways of cropping the
space between the pecans, and one must
use his own discretion as to the best
way simply using care that It is not
overdone and to the disadvantage of the