Historic, Archive Document

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Texas Prolific Tree, Ripening Four Large Nuts Be- fore Being Removed From Our Nursery.

PROGRESS

In practically all of the arts, sciences and industries, one may observe progress being made and new and better methods and types developed and adapted; and we fully realize our duty and obligations to keep up with the march of progress in our line of work, and also to contribute a part toward keeping our line of work up with the march of progress. In order to do this, more ideal and precocious varieties of pecans must be constantly evolved.

It seems to us that the present interest and concern about the “size” of pecans got started rather like “fashions” and “booms” or without anyone seeming to know how it

originated, or pausing to demand a logical reason why it

should be of such importance.

As the kernel is the only product of a pecan tree, or part of a pecan nut having any ultimate value, we are strong- ly inclined to trees whose energy and vitality goes primarily to meat production, or yielding nuts having a high per- centage of meat, with cracking quality and size a close second. Of course there is a demand for large, handsome looking but deceptive nuts by trancient and inexperienced consumers, but the large shellers figure on a high or low

percentage of meat from pecans coming from different vi-

cinities, and pay correspondingly high and low prices for them. And we believe the public will learn to buy more and more intelligently also. The fact that, though not a large pecan, No 1, Eastern Schley, commands a higher price than any other extensively propagated pecan on the market is an indication of this.

We also feel it in place to remind amateur and inex- perienced planters that extremely large pecans generally re- quire very favorable seasons and conditions to fill out and mature as they should.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

As trees are perishable goods it is little protection to us to send them C. O. D. The most satisfactory way is for strangers to send cash, and if there is any shortage in number or quality we will cheerfully and promptly adjust it.

We are careful to send out nothing but live, healthy trees, well packed and do not, and should not be expected to guar- antee them further.

As there is always a strong demand for our trees, we do not solicit any agents, or representatives.

Owing to the fact that parties having room for but two or three trees naturally want extra nice ones, and that it re- quires about as much time and material to pack that number as it does six or eight, we have had to price them accordingly.

We make every reasonable effort to fill all orders ac- cording to specification and agreement and are under no cir- cumstances liable for damage or judgment.

PRICES

1927-28

1 to 3 trees

4 to 10 trees

11 to 30 trees

31 to 50 trees

$2.00 each 1.50 each 1.40 each 1.30 each

51 to 100 trees

1.20 each

DESCRIPTION OF VARIETIES

NOTE: — The following grades and descriptions were all made either by officials of the A. & M. College of Texas, or the State Department of Agriculture. Those in quotation form being taken from Texas Department of Agriculture Bulletin No. 77, page 64, compiled by the well known and conservative Mr. J. H. Burkett.

TEXAS PROLIFIC :Runs 56 per cent meat; 52 nuts per pound; good cracking quality. This variety adapts itself to a very wide range of conditions and is now one of the foremost Western varieties.

“WESTERN SCHLEY: Runs 60 per cent meat; 59 nuts per pound; thin shell ; good cracking quality. Prob- ably more valuable than the Eastern Schley fo~ Western conditions. Very prolific. ” Ripens medium.

“SAN SABA IMPROVED: Runs 61 per cent meat; 55 nuts per pound; thin shelled; good cracking quality. Well filled, excellent color and shape. Very valuable.” Ripens early.

“ONLIWON: Runs 60.7 per cent meat; 59 nuts per pound; very thin shell; excellent cracking quality. Equal to the best.” Ripens medium.

SQUIRRELS DELIGHT: Runs 55 per cent meat; 50 nuts per pound; medium cracking quality. Nuts of fine ap- pearance ; tree sturdy and prolific. Ripens very early.

LIBERTY BOND: Runs 57 per cent meat; 53 nuts per pound ; excellent cracking quality. Tree very prolific. Ripens rather late.

“PECAN SUPREME: Runs 67.7 per cent meat; 70 nuts per pound; very thin and soft shell, well filled; meats plump and solid. Possibly too full at apex end.” Ripens medium.

“JERSEY: Runs 63 per cent meat; 84 nuts per pound; very thin shelled; excellent cracking quality; meat plump, solid, sweet. Releases perfectly. Valuable for commercial cracking and home use.” Ripens medium.

“NO. 60: Runs 61.9 per cent meat; 60 nuts per pound; very thin shelled; good cracking quality; plump and solid. Desirable. High class in every respect.” Ripens early.

“COMMONWEALTH: Runs 60.7 per cent meat; 54

nuts per pound; thin shell; good cracking quality; meat solid. Medium to large in size. Promising.”

NOTE — The above described varieties are all of our own origin, and we are in possession of the “mother” or first original tree of all of them. But we are in a position to sup- ply the following varieties also.

“McCULLEY : Originated on the farm of W. D. Mc- Culley, Brownwood, Texas. Runs 63 nuts per pound; 63.1 per cent meat; shell thin; extra good cracking quality. Re- sembles Burkett, but shell is thinner. McCulley seems to be a shy bearer. It is very valuable if it proves prolific.”

“BURKETT: From Callahan County, Texas. Size, large; shell, thin; kernel, plump; flavor, excellent. Said to be pro- ductive. Should be especially adapted to planting in West and Central North Texas. Gaining in popularity.”

EASTERN SCHLEYS AND STUARTS: We presume these are too well known to require a detailed description.

CARE OF TREES ON ARRIVAL

If conditions are not favorable for planting trees when they are received they can be safely and easily stored, or “healed out” as it is called, by placing the roots in a pit or trench and covering them with fine moist soil. If there are hot, dry winds blowing, the tops should be protected from the sun.

PLANTING

Pecans like other hardwood trees are difficult to trans- plant, but if proper precaution is taken there should be no serious loss.

In the first place the holes need not be very large, but should be deep enough that the entire root system will be cov- ered with constantly moist earth, as it is obvious that the tree will get little benefit from those which are not.

As a general thing care should be taken that water drains toward a tree and not away from it, but there should be a small hill or mound immediately around the tree to give it all possible protection from the sun and air, and to guard against the upper part of the root system being disturbed or worked loose by the wind swaying the tree. The tree should have water often enough to keep the subsoil quite moist, but stag- nant water will sour the roots. For ordinary conditions a good watering once a week the first season will give good results and as a gallon of water will not saturate a yard of earth, be sure the water reaches the roots.

Where irrigation is not possible and it becomes necessary to haul or carry water to the young trees in buckets, we find the most efficient and economical way to apply it, is to insert an old bucket four or five inches in the ground, or deep enough to keep it in place, about two inches distant from the tree, making a hole about one-half inch in diameter in the side of the bottom near the tree. This will insure the water reaching the roots and the tree getting the full benefit of it, instead of spreading over the surface and soon evaporating, as it does when applied in the usual way.

A mulch of stalks, straw or even dead weeds around the tree will serve the double purpose of keeping the ground cool and moist and help to smother out weeds, and grass, etc., and as it decays will fertilize the soil, but notice should be taken that it is not thick enough to heat.

We also believe that until the newly planted tree has developed foliage enough to do so itself, it is an advantage to protect the body or trunk from the full force of the sun, by artificial means, if it is only to erect a post or plank on the southwest side in such a way that the tree will be shaded from about 12:00 to 3:00 or 4:00 o’clock in the afternoon. And finally, if the rabbits or other rodents should attack the young trees as they sometimes do in very dry winters, wrap- ping them with burlap or even paper will generally be suffi- cient protection.

Sometimes newly planted trees will wither and die, with- out any visible cause, but proper examination will reveal the fact that the roots have been honeycombed by wood lice, wood

ants, or “Termites” as they are variously called, leaving no- thing but the bark. The habits of these insects make them ex- ceedingly hard to combat. If they appear above the surface at all it will be at night so they are rarely discovered until the tree is damaged beyond remedy. The only suggestion we can offer is to place a board of some soft wood a few inches from the tree in such a way as to harbor them if there are any present, and they can then be destroyed with carbon bi- sulphide.

We do not think there is anything gained by transplant- ing trees before Christmas and we have known pecans which were transplanted as late as March 15th to gro*Vv off nicely.

PRUNING

It is impossibble to transplant a tree without depriving it of part of its root system, so in order to preserve the bal- ance about one half or one third of the top should be re- moved also. But after that it should be remembered that foliage is as essential to the growth of the plant as roots are and that it should be removed very sparingly.

If the terminal bud of an undesirable branch is pinched out about the first of May, it will check the growth so that it will soon be shaded down and nature will do the balance. If a large tree is developing a fork or crotch, a few small limbs cut from the top of one will check the growth to that the other will soon become the leader and leave it a limb.

CULTIVATION

In commercial orchards pecans may be planted from 30 to 60 feet apart; but if the former distance is chosen it will in time be necessary to remove every other tree. Where it is in- tended to grow other crops between the rows as is generally the case, about 50 feet is an ideal distance.

Our observation has led us to the conclusion that deep cultivation is conducive to the mysterious disease known as Pecan Rosette, and after the tree begins to bear, should be avoided. Planting feed crops such as maize and sorghum among the trees should also be avoided.

In our locality we have no occasion to use fertilizer either in our Nursery or Orchard, and as we can not speak from ex- perience on that subject we suggest that those desiring infor- mation write to some of the State Experiment Stations.

“The Man Who Plants a Tree, Has Civilization in His Scul.,J