Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-10-27

They are great energizers.
To get the good out Of them they need
only to be chewed thoroughly and 20
be eaten with other lighter foods in
order to form a balanced diet
No doubt an enormous food resource
goes to waste in the wild nuts that are
never gathered, but it is doubtful whether
It would pay to do the work OF gather
ing them in most places.
Down in Texas the wild pecans are
gathered regularly and a thousand car
load Of them, or more, are shipped out
Of the State every year, so they con-
stitute a real source Of wealth for the
Texans.
EXPERIMENT NOW
WITH CHESTNUT.
A few carloads OF chestnuts used to
be shipped out of western Maryland
every year. but the rapid spread OF the
chestnut blight has about put an end
to that industry.
The Department of Agriculture is ex-
rerimenting in crossing the native chest
nut with a japanese variety, which IS
somewhat more resistant to the blight,
and there is a hope the chestnut may
be saved as an orchard tree in this way,
but the great wild groves OF chestnuts
are dead or doomed.
There is not much need for mourning
over the chestnut, however, when there
are other fine native nuts which thrive
perfectly and which are almost wholly
neglected.
The black walnut is case in point
1t is a fine rich nut of excellent favor.
and grows over a large part OF the
United States, from southern New Eng
land to Florida in the East and from
there is a special variety on the Pacific
coast.
The black walnut tree viii grow on
waste lands which will support little
other timber.
1t is an admirable shade tree about
the house and along roads and fences.
1t is also one of the most valuable
timber trees native to the United States.
1t is this latter fact that doomed it.
The pioneers cared little about the
nuts and much about the timber.
Hence the trees were cut down ruth
lessly.
This has not only made It d relatively
scarce tree, but has destroyed much OF
the stock from which an improved nut
might have been derived.
For wild nut trees, craving in the
woods, seldom yield valuable crop.
The stock of the trees that bear the
best nuts must be selected and propa-
gated
In this way larger nuts with thinner
shells and better flavor are slowly pro-
duced by selective breeding.
While older and more thoughtful
peoples were thus improving their native
nut trees, Americans were destroying
theirs.
As a natural result, we import many
millions of pounds Of nuts every year
and pay high prices for them, when we
might have had an abundant supply of
aative nuts.
Also the nut culture industry is a
small one based largely on imported
varieties, which grow only in limited
sections climatically suited to them.
In California there is considerable IN
dustry in the raising Of Persian and
English walnuts and almonds, but it
does not nearly supply the local de-
mand and it cannot lie much extended
because these species do not thrive else
where.
If the black walnut had been properly
developed, every farmer might have Il
few good walnut trees in his yard, Just
as he has a few apple trees, and local
markets would have been abundantly
supplied from local sources.
PECAN INDUSTRY
HAS GOOD FUTURE.
The only native American nut which
has been developed at all is the pecan.
It is native to almost all Of the South
Krn States as far south as Florida and
is war west as Texas.
In Louisiana, Florida, Mississippi,
Texas and Georgia the raising of pecans
g a considerable industry.
Despite high prices for the nuts and
l steady demand it is said that the
number of persons who have made an
Established commercial success Of the
business is comparatively small.
1t is still II many ways in an expert
mental stage, but it is almost sure to
grow and develop.
The range of the nut is being ex-
hended nOrthward, too.
There are now bearing trees in Penn
YFlvania, Maryland and New Jersey
1t seems probable the pecan will most
likely become the common cultivated ma
tive nut tree which we so sadly lack.
The pecan industry has been injured
by another common and typical American
failing-that OF unsound promotion.
Every one is familiar with the adver-
tisement and prospectuses Of pecan groves
IN which you are invited to invest your
savings and from which you are promised
enormous returns in a few years.
No doubt these companies operate in all
good faith, but the experts here who have
watched them say that only a very few
have been successful. and that thousands
Of persons have lost their savings in
such ventures.
The land is often bought for as little
as $40 or SIS an acre, and after being
planted with young trees is sold for
500 to 500 an acre, on a very large
margin Of profit.
If you want to raise pecans you are
advised to go and study the business on
the ground, buy your own land ard
plant your own trees.
You must then be prepared to wait
seven to ten years for a good return,
although you may get something out of
the land in the meantime by planting
cotton between The rows of young trees.
POSSIBILITIES ALSO
IN HICKORY NUT.
The hickory nut is another native nut
which has great possibilities of develop
ment, and these possibilities are being
tested in an experimental way
The butternut, a near relation of the
black walnut, is also an excellent pos
sibility and grows farther north than
most Of the other nuts
Experts in the Department of Agri-