The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1912-11-12
PECAN CULTURE
IN WEST ARKANSAS
HINTS VALUABLE no
OKLAHOMA GROWERS
BY N. 0. BOOTH.
Department Of Horticulture and B,urMe
Okla. A. & n. College. Saltwater

Hundreds of people in Oklahoma
are interested In the subject Of pe-
cans, and the possibilities of growing
them proGtably in this state. The
newspapers are constantly printing
articles, telling how much money is
being sent out Of the country each
year for the purchase Of nuts Of yari.
GUS sorts, and at what high prices
they sell per pound The pecan grows
Wild in most parts of Oklahoma, and
It consequently seems to most people
that they ought to be grown quite
easily II favored somewhat BY cuIti-
walton during their early years, cut.
ting away Of all surrounding brush.
etc. Tlsis is undoubtedly true so far
as our native pecan Is concerned. I'm.
fortunately the average wild tree
bears nuts which are quite inferior
IN size and thinness of shell. Such
nuts, while they viii sell, do not by
any means bring the top Of the mar.
ket and do not really supply the
eastern confectionery market at all.
On the gulf coast the growers have
selected many nuts of larger size.
thinner shell aud better quality than
the average. and. Of late years have
been making much money selling
these better sort OF nuts at prices
which are high to the point Of being
sancy.
A few efforts have been made to
raise these gulf coast pecans IN the
north, but the trials have been too
recent for much as yet in the way Of
results. Very few growers in Okla.
homa have had such varieties planted
long enough SO that they would be
bearing, even II everything we're IA.
vorable. It is consequently with in
terest that we receive a letter from
M w. ~ Ayers Of Fort Smith, Ar.
kansas, telling Of his experience with
these nuts. Fort Smith is, as far as
winter Injury is concerned. somewhat
more fayorably situated than the
most Of Oklahom being farther
east and less subject 70 drying prairie
winds. The length Of the growing
season is probably the same. Mr..
Ayers says
Il have set about $50 hndded and
grated pecan trees, of these about
$50 have been killed by careless work
men, gophers, drought. heat of sum.
mer Of 1909-10-11. Out of the 1870 gulf
coast pecan trees planted in Febru-
ary Of 1906, Of the following varieties:
SO Stuart, 20 Van Deaman. 20 Rus
sci, 20 Mobile and 20 Pabst, Ave Of the
Mobile trees bore forty nuts. They
did not mature. A killing frost oc-
cured on the morning of the 23d OF
October. The hulls on the nuts were
green and tight on the nuts. To get
them off the nuts had to be cut with
a knife. and but few Of them had any
meat in them. A Curtis pecan tree
planted in 1907 bore four nuts in 1911,
ono blank, three well filled. The Mo
bile appeared TO stand the climate as
far as the trees are concerned They
are thrifty growers. But it has been
demonstrated that most of the gulf
coast pecans are uncertain in this cli-
innate The Mantura and Appomattox.
originated IN Virginia, in about the
same latitude as Fort Smith, have
! proved to be more hardy here than
the gulf coast trees. This section evi-
IDENTIFY belongs TO the northern pecan
belt. and trees from this latitude and
farther north will evidently do better
here than the gulf coast trees"
Most Of the growers IN Oklahoma
xho have tried raising gulf coast PEI
cans have not been so successful as
Mr.. Ayers, Tor we have here not only
all Of his difficulties IN the way Of
shortness Of season and drought. but
also have winters Of greater severity
than are known IN the Vicinity Of Fort
Smith. Those gulf coast peeans being
much more tender than our native pc
can trees. do not usually survive the
first winter
II is evident that the oklahoma
grower should look to selecting varie-
tics. either from Oklahoma or some
state equally far north. There is an
assurance that varieties originating
here in Oklahoma would be adapted
70 Oklahoma conditions. whereas any
variety coming from elsewhere. even
from a point equally far north. might
fit our conditions and might not.--N.
O. Booth. Dept Of Horticulture and
Botany, Okla. A. 4 M. College Still
water