Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-02-01
- -s-s
PEcANs AS LARGE AS WALNuTs
What Cultivation Did in Some Of the
Southern States.

The Department OF Agriculture has
lately placed on exhibition in its ex-
position hall about sixty glass lars con-
tanning specimens of last years crop OF
pecans in the states of Mississippi.
Louisiana and Texas, which are attract
| ing great deal of attention Twenty
seven years ago colony of thrifty and
enterprising Dalmatians settled in
. Louisiana, and, in the course of time,
scattered about into adjoining states.
These people We're from the shores OF
| the Mediterranean and Adriatic, and
We're accustomed to cultivating the
sOft-shelled walnut. the almond, the
pistachio nut. the jujube. the olive, the
Italian filbert. and other nuts and
fruits that are always in great demand.
The trees aforementioned would not
thrive in their new home, but, being
experienced husbandmen, these Dali
matians were quick to see that the wild
pecan, which attains it's greatest per-
lection in the states named, would,
with proper care and cultivation, in
crease in size and improve in flavor,
and that it was destined to become a
rival of no small Importance of the
almond and soft-shelled walnut They
began. therefore, planting orchards of
pecan trees from seedlings, and cut
tings. which they dug up in the woods.
They We're laughed at and derided at
first by those to whom such a thing
had never occurred and who held that
their Dalmatian neighbors might just
as we'll plant sumac or pokeberry BUSH
es for all the good that would result,
but when they saw, a few years later
the trees of their neighbors bearing
recans larger than they had ever seen,
and learned the price these nuts were
bringing, they began to consider, and,
as & result. the farmers of these three
states have ever since engaged in pecan
culture on large scale, with the result
that the nuts from these three states
are improving in size and flavor every
year.
The exhibit just received in the ex-
position hall Of the Department of
Agriculture from prominent pecan.
growers of these states is intended to
show much that is strange and curious
IN the growth and development of this
native nut. One peculiar feature of
the pecan is that of twenty-five seed
lings grown from nuts from the same
VIII tree, IO IWO ScculiHS trees VIII
hear nuts of quite the same size. OF
two wild Seeding trees. one will pro-
duce nuts smaller than filbert, while
the other will yield pecans larger than
an English walnut. This is shown in
series of twenty glass jars containing
the product of as many seedlings grown
from nuts grown from one wild tree. By
wedding out the trees that bear small
nuts. the farmers have gradually i'm
proved the stock. and it is of equal in
terest to know that the seedlings of cul-
tivated trees are constant in their
product and do not exhibit retrograde
tendencies like the seedlings from wild
trees.
Another surprising feature of this ex-
hibit is the large number Of varieties
that have sprung up in the short period
during which this tree has been in cul- |
tivation. BY reading the labels one
learns that there are as many, If not |
more. varieties of pecans than there are
of apples. Some Of the varieties have |
very high-flown and grandiloquent (
names But the most surprising and !
interesting feature of this exhibit is |
the enormous size of some of the |
pecans. Some Of the jars. in fact the |
majority of them. contain nuts that are
larger than English walnuts; as large,
in fact. as clingstone peaches or wine |
sap apples. These are the product of |
young trees Of the most improved va
rieties that came into bearing last year, |
and which demonstrate, in very strik- |
ing manner, what a few years of care |
full cultivation will do for any tree or
plant.