Historic, archived document Do not assume content reflects current scientific knowledge, policies, or practices. ~ Pass ‘ as SR NEN WN HE +. 4 = > F : ¢ ; eth i. ss : ==Price-List of Trees = ’ ed reatise on Pecan Grow Y Z CIENTIENNIAL PRCANS. 7 ee 7 \ WM. NELSON, Carrollton, La., A —AND— 7 x “st Z RICHARD FROTSCHER, New Orleans, La. y = Price-List of Trees = —AND A— ractical Treatise on Pecan Growing, CENTENNIAL PECANS. WM. NELSON, Carrollton, La., RICHARD FROTSCHER, New Orleans, La. EECANS The object of this treatise is to answer the many inquiries received by letter, asking for information on the subject. The growing of Pecans has, for the past five or six years, begun to attract the attention of Farmers and Fruit Growers throughout the Southern States, where this best of all nuts may be grown. It is also a well known fact, that Louisiana and the Gulf Coast produce the finest Pecans known. Why an industry so lucrative should have been neglected so long, is hard to explain. It may be because we are apt to overlook the value of the things that lay at our feet, in reaching out for some much advertised and greatly overrated novelty that promises impossibilities. An early blight proof Pear, the rarliest of Peaches, Strawberries of extra-ordinary qualities, and so on, through the whole Catalogue of fruits; and also perhaps, because the Pecan is a native with us and growing wild we think it of little worth. | But when we realize ‘‘there is money in it’’, we wake up to the fact that ‘*we have done the things we ought not to have done, and left undone that which we should have done’’. The Pecan nut has always been a favorite with our people ; but beyond the planting of a few trees around the house for home consumption, there have been, up to this time, few trees planted. The nuts that are now sent to market are the surplus from these trees, or those gathered from wild ones. The tree grows to a large size, 80 or 90 feet high, the trunk at the ground 4 feet in diameter. When given room, the trees ME Apes will branch low at 8 or 10 feet from the ground, forming a head 70 or 80 feet across. It is long lived, reaching 100, or perhaps more years. d There are hundreds of varieties, that is, the nuts vary greatly in size and quality. Some trees are very abundant bearers, some are almost barren. Full grown, good bearing trees will yield from 1 to 3 bbls. of nuts, averaging about 120 pounds to the bbl. The large, sweet, rich, oily nuts, of thin shell, are the best. In price they vary, as to quality, from dc. to d0c. per pound. The Pecan will grow on almost any soil, on high or low land. It reaches its largest size on rich low lands, yet we have seen fine trees growing well on a poor sandy soil, 300 feet above sea level. They need no special care, require no pruning and are subject to no disease, with the exception of a cater- pillar that eats the leaves, thereby retarding the growth of the young trees; they have no insect enemies that we know of. This caterpillar is easily controlled; as at certain periods, when changing its skin, they cluster together and may then be cut off with the small branch to which they cling, and destroyed. If properly taken up and carefully planted, there is no trouble transplanting Pecan trees. We find them just as certain to grow on transplanting as any other nursery grown fruit tree. Ona rich, moist soil they should be planted 70 feet apart each way. Ona poor sandy land, 50 feet apart will be about right. The proper time to plant is soon after they drop their leaves, about the middle of November, and from then on unti! they start growing in the Spring, about the lst of March. The holes should be dug some time before planting, that the soil may become mellow, and should be made 3 feet wide by 24 . Eset gli feet deep. When planting, do not shovel in all the dirt at once, thereby wrapping the roots about the stem of the tree. Gather up the roots with one hand, after the tree is set in the hole, and with the other pack the soil firmly about the tree and first layer of roots, and so on, layer after layer, until the hole is full. See that the lateral roots extend out at the same depth, and in about the same direction they were while grow- ing. Pack the dirt firmly about the roots while planting. Some people plant a tree much the same way they do a fence post, and one has about as much chance to grow as the other. It is not necessary to cultivate the ground among the trees, though it may be done if desired. The ground can be planted in Corn, Cotton, or any crop annually, until the trees get to be large, after that time, the ground may be used as a pasture, as stock does not injure the trees, but are beneficial, in that they keep down the grass and weeds, leaving the ground under the trees clean, so that the nuts may be easily raked up after they fall. Unlike other fruit, there’ is no necessity for careful hand- ling of the crop, picking, packing, etc. The nuts are simply gathered up when they fall, put into sacks or barrels and shipped to market at once if desired, or held back for months, if it seems best. It should not be necessary for us to say anything about the advantages of grafted or budded trees, yet there are many who are planting seedlings. No one thinks it necessary on sending out a Catalogue of fruit trees of Apple, Peach, Pear, ete., to advise their patrons to plant budded or grafted trees. No one would think of aaa) pee planting seedlings of these. Why then plant seedling Pecan trees? You will have to wait 10 to 15 years to see the nuts your tree produces, that you may then detide which of them are fit to let grow, and which have to be cut down as worthless. That they do not come true from seed is abundantly proven by the many, almost worthless varieties we now have in our groves. The tendency of seedlings is not towards an improvement on, but towards a kind inferior to the parent tree. I have never seen two trees in a grove produce nuts exactly alike in size, shape and quality. It is true, seedlings may be bought for a few cents each, and budded trees are scarce and high in price. But in order to save a few dollars now, we run the risk of losing thousands in a few years hence, and a loss of time that is more valuable still. In other words, we choose an uncertainty, rather than. a thing we are sure of. Budded trees will come into bearing in about four years from planting. Mr. Nelson being a nurseryman and knowing that they did not come true from seed he set about experimenting as to the most successful method of propagating the best kinds, so that we might be able to supply our patrons with good trees. As the result of these experiments we found, after some time, that «¢Annular’’ budding was the most successful. We then sought to get the best varieties to propagate from. Through Mr. Frotscher who being equally interested in the matter, and much better posted as to the localities where they were to be obtained, we succeeded in getting buds from three different trees, of sorts which we claim to be unequaled. Wishing to start right in this matter, we sent to several places in Texas and Florida where we heard there were some fine ol, Mes Pecans, and got samples of them for comparison. After ex- amination we adopted the three kinds we are now propagating. We named them, ‘*Centennial,’’ **Rome’’ and **Frotscher’s Egg Shell’. The first because the then owner of the tree sent some of the nuts to the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition. The second was named by Richard Frotscher, who brought all the three varieties into notice. The last being the name of the owner of the tree. We concluded it was better not to propa- gate a number of like kinds, but chose these three as being the best, and also quite distinct in character, covering all the good points desirable in a Pecan. The ‘Centennial’ is a long nut, pointed at both ends, thin shell, quality the best, very large, abundant and annual bearer. This is a grafted tree about 50 years old. 1 ¥ The ‘*Rome’’ is the largest Pecan nut we ever saw, of fine ‘ quality, not quite as thin in shell as the Centennial, good bearer, in shape it is round at one end, and pointed at the other. The ‘‘Frotscher’s Egg Shell’’ is of large size, very thin shell, abundant bearer, roundish in shape, and most delicious flavor. We have been told that a party sent some of the ‘‘Rome’’ nuts to the Chicago Worlds Fair, calling them ‘*Columbia’’, where they attracted much attention; we are sorry that he saw fit to rename it, as it will only cause confusion hereafter. As the annular method of budding takes much time, the fact that the stocks must be two or more years old, the searcity of budding wood, the cost of digging up the trees which must be carefully done to insure their growing, will tend to keep up prices for some time to come. 1 z 5 aad we therefore do not make any difference in price whether many or few are taken. 3 . p) Price as follows, of the three varieties described in th * eireular: 4 to 8 feet high, 2 year buds, each $2.00. 60 Ae an cmt lims ei ne ec S10: 2Qto3 * ‘¢ this year buds, ** $1.00. We will book orders now to be filled in rotation as re- ceived, provided $ the amount of order is enclosed in letter os for all such orders we will reserve the trees. ie To receive attention orders must be accompanied with N. Y. Draft, Cheek.on N. O. Bank or P. O. Money Order. All orders sent to Mr. R. Frotscher, (who is sole agent, ) Seed Merchant, 521 — 525 Du Maine St., New Orleans, La., will receive the same attention as those addressed to Wn. Nelson. We are a little premature perhaps in sending out this eir- cular, having but few trees left to dispose of this season, but — it was written more with the view of relieving us of the labor of replying to the many letters received making inquiries on the subject. Respectfully, ' Wm. Newtson & Ricwarp FROTSCHER. a ee yee RE BR = "> = id P. = “a a zo MA ery a al, a Cate i es » arse ns Bis Aone GCE STD x ad ee ee a My re Py pits . tf A ie = v4.2 oa ’ , ‘ ‘ . vo “. 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