The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-04-02
W PECANs IN THE NORTH
nm. WILLIAM C.. DEFINING,
secretary Northern Nat GrOwers
Association,

Boys and girls and older people for
whom the strain Of life is letting up
a little like to 60 nuttine. Boys and
girls are happy with what they al
lind in Seymour's woods or Morse's
grove. the more so IL Seymour and
Morse are a little unwilling. but grown
folks. o content with a pockctful Of
nuts. want to plant for themselves and
leave a productive legacy and a monu-
mcnt.
Especially attractive is the idea Of
something new and big. Big. new
Southern pecans have been lately
more and more getting into the mar
ket. and the stories Of the profits in
growing them and the advertisements
Of some nurserymen implying that
these pecans or similar ones are he
ing grown in the North, have found
strings. His country place, to the
city man who has one, Is a paradise
where he wants all the fruits Of the
earth to grow at any cost. and what
more fascinating than the thought OF
big. paper SHELF pecans growing in
his yard. or even orchards OF them
bearing nuts worth IA dollar a pound.
How many people have had dreams
Of this? How much Of 1t Is illusion
Or deception?
Here is q picture Of a pecan tire.
IN Hartford. Conn. which is ? fee
3 inches uround-but 1t bears no nuts
Another tree in Cheshire. Conn, j.
ten inches in diameter. but il too
never bears. Two trees at Noun,
K,sco. y. y. bear nuts that are poorl.
iilled. Bearing pecan trees are re-
ported from Long Island. New Jer-
sey. Pennsylvania n Ohio south Of
Lake Erie. These trees are few in
number and 50 far as | know. the
nuts are small. Within a few years
many pecan trees have been set out IN
the New England states. New York.
Canada. Michigan and elsewhere. anL
many If these appear to he quite
hardy. Eut | nave not yet learned
If IL tree that has borne tut in an,
of these States except those Just men
toned. The hardness of the young
trees and the fact that the pecan Is
native and bears we'll in the southern
parts of the States % Indiana, Illino.
and Iowa has given considerable rca-
snn for h.ltoxinv thaf 10 u.stt ~. mr.,
ductive for some distance outside il.
native range. II should he remen.
tered. however. hat this has not We
been proved. all statements OF enthu.
siasts and Advertising nurserymen I
the contrary Notwithstanding
The soil and cultural requirements
of the pecan. outside Is native rang.
are not very well understood. but ,!i"
great doubt Is over the length of grow
ng season. Meredith Reed shows tina
the southern pecan must have at leas'
go days OF growing season, that the
middle belt pecan must have $50 DAYS.
and the Northern pecan 100 days. This
means over five months without severe
frost. which is "A rare occurrence north
Of New Jersey.
However. the isothermal line given
as limiting this length of growing
season on the north begins at Ports
mouth, y. H.. takes in two-thirds of
Massachusetts and all Of Connecticut,
the southern tip OF New York. New
Jersey and the eastern third of Penn
sylvania. then turns north al III"
southern line of that State. excluding
its middle third. but taking in thr
western third. and also New York, he
low the great lakes. Ontario, the sou.i q
ern part Of Michigan. nearly all 80
Illinois and the southern half OF low
It is worth noticing that in man,
parts of this southern half of low
the pecan is found native.
II can thus he understood that ~
hope of growing In the North at least
u t~Olerably good pecan for the girls
and boys seems to be well founded. I
believe in il myself. But 1t must be
remembered that 1t Is still only a hope
and not "A demonstrated thing. All
planting of pecan trees. outside their
native habitat. or where their success
has not yet been demonstrated. should
he experimental. 1t will be n delight
lul eNDeI IIileilt an su'tesS a
JOY. Try only the varieties native IN
the northern range. Experiments Wit,
the Southern pecan in the North have
so far been failures and those fron
the middle belt are very uncertain
north Of Virginia at any rate. Nari'
cites that can be recommended fol
trial are the Indiana, Busseron an
Niblack, perhaps the Posey and But
terick. Selection of your variety o
nurseryman is even more important
than selection OF variety Of tree. You
conscientious nurseryman. and there
are such, won't sell you a tree will
misrepresentation. But some u
serymen throw in a crop Of them. II
lieu of future nut crops. with ever,
IA tree they sell.
Give these grated nut trees, an
none but grated or budded trees ar,
worth the trouble, all the care yol
know how to bestow on 4 tree. Care
fully follow the directions Of the nur
seryman.
But even II we fail to grow tn
pecan successfully in the Nort!i TIER
are many other good strings for on
bow. The development Of u nativ
..,,, ~, rod ,,itn nx,t., one.