The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1915-12-16
Nv Frank Lewis, "The Pecan man.
of PascagouIa, Miss.

The paper SHeii Po'"
ouestionably the most profitaoie run
or mt tree grown in the South anu
at this time the most talked Oh anu
,nost extensively planted IN certain
o,;,rs of the South. Comparatlvel!
q pew industry orchards of TINS peer
,oss mt are being planted on most
.ns;vo scale in the South, especial
~ in Georgia, Florida, Alabama
nd mississippi. where in Jackson
oo,n,v was first discovered the real
naner shell pecan and where propasa-
zion Of these great nuts, by budoihs
and grating, had its birth
This industry has long passed the
governmental stage and the results OF
the pioneers of this great industry
have given to the horticultural "orio
. basis of untold wealth and pros
perity, yet unequalled in the ages
gone by.
The writer, who refers with prioe
to the fact that he was one OF tho
early boosters Of the paper sheh pe0
-, for the South and a pioneer OF TINS
great industry, in all its phases ana
With thirty years experience, SUBMITS
borewith a few suggestions as 10 the
nlan,ing of the pecan tree. its culture
for,iI;zation and attention in the
orove In referring to the pecan III this
article it is understood that reference
10 had tn the large paper shell nuts
propagased by grating and as now
being extensively planted throughout
tho South. So also statements herein
relative to fruiting, growth, seasons
etc. have reference to the MISSISSIPPI
Gulf Coast and particularly to Jackson
comfy. the home of the paper shell
necan and therefore the standard OF
comparison for all other sections Oh
the country, where the great Jackson
county product has been introduced.
One of its most profitable character
iet;cs is that II is lat home" in a great
or area of territory than any other
fruit tree. growing and fruiting to
remarkable degree even in more
northern states.
Climate.
There is a 81 eat variety of climatic
conditions due to difference in atmoS-
pheric temperature, rainfall, etc.
throughout the South. Different To-
calities. differing in climate are adapt
ed to the production of different fruits,
nuts and tree crops. Care should be
taken in locating an orchard of any
variety of fruit or nuts, to locate III
that territory where conditions are
most favorable to the fruit or fruits
to be planted. The pecan tree grows
we'll throughout the South, climatic
conditions do not effect the pecan tree
as a tree, in any section Of the South,
but it's successful planting and fruit
ing, however, depends largely upon
the proper soil and depth of water
strata with, of course, proper atten-
ton.
a party with limited means and no
money with which to experiment, de-
string to plant pecan grove should,
before investing. ascertain where the
pecan grows and fruits well, and cast
his lot there. leaving it to those of
means and who have the time to eX-
pertinent as to adaptability of the pc
can tree to the territory in question.
The beginner will, therefore make no
if he uses ordinary care in
the selection of his land.
Soil.
The ideal soil for the paper she'll
pecan is a sandy loan, with light
red clayish sand subsOil. (clay and
sand Mixed, such as is found in the
Mississippi and Alabama coast, hav.
ing a water strata of from 10 to %
feet below the surface 1t is not in
tended. however. to say that pecan
trees will not do we'll in any other
soil, for they do well in variety of
soils and subsoils, but it is meant to
convey the fact that. the soil and
water conditions. mentioned above,
are ideal for the perfect fruiting OF
the pecan. A great majority of fruit
trees do best on lands with heavy
clay subsoil. Not SO with the pecan.
The sooner the pecan tree reaches
water with its tap root, the earlier it
bears, and the larger the crops, and
the larger the fruit. The roots are
retarded in their progress to water in
stiff clay subsoii and the lateral roots
are likewise slow in reaching out and
hence the tree is restricted in it's feed.
ing territory. because its lateral roots
are confined to a narrow area. have
been criticised and .ridiculed by broth
err nurserymen for advancing this
theory. but believe l am justified by