Price of budded or grafted trees of the celebrated varieties : Columbian, Stuart, Capital, Van Deman

Historic, Archive Document

Do not assume content reflects current
scientific knowledge, policies, or practices.

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KiIRKWOOD, GEORGIA. I
PRINTED MATTER. U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Official Business.
BUREAU OF PLANT INDUSTRY
OFFICE OF POMOLOGIST. PENALTY FOR PRIVATE USE, $300
Mr. Wm. A. Taylor,
Pomologist in Charge of Field Investigations,
Bureau of Plant Industry,

Department of Agriculture,
Washington, D. C.

STUART-ROBSON PECAN Co.,
KIRKWOOD. GA.
Dealers and Growers of Fancy Paper-Shell Pecans,

Price of Budded or Grafted Trees of the
Celebrated Varieties
COLUMBIAN,
STUART,
CAPITAL,
VAN DEMAN.

DOZEN. HUNDRED.

$15.00 $100.00
18.00 125.00
21.00 150.00

Seedling trees of the above varieties.
Doz. Hundred
1 to 2 Feet $1.50 $10.00
1.75 12.50

SAMPLES.

Parties wishing samples of nuts will please send stamp to cover
postage. These nuts were awarded frst Premium and Medai at the
World’s Fair in Chicago. The specific points of excellence are the
large size, the thin shell, the crisp meat, full kernel and fine flavor,

GROVE: NURSERIES:
OCHRAN SPRINGS, MISS. OCEAN SPRINGS, MISS.. & KIRK WOOD, GA.

ESTABLISHED 1875.

PREFACE.

IE compiling this booklet, it is the intention of the
writer, to do away with all high sounding phrases, and tell
the prospective planter, in as few words as possible, what
is to his interest, in as plain a manner as practicable.

Life is too short to read long winded, and closely

printed discourses on plain things, so to the point.
HENRY ROBSON.

Plant Pecan Trees.

WHY?

Because it is the most profitable use to which land
can be put, there is less expense in cultivating, and the
market for fine nuts has never been supplied.

The crop is easily gathered, and can be kept until it
is the pleasure of the owner to sell.

The expense of gathering the crop is normal, because
there is nothing to do but pick it up.

The Pecan, is considered the best flavored, and most
digestible of all nuts.

Thousands of pounds are used in confectionery.

The world is the market.

Europe wants them, but as yet, they are not grown in
sufficient quantity, to export.

All of the above, is relative to nuts from grafted trees
of known varieties, and not to seedlings, or the wild nut,
which commands a very small price in any market.

Where the Pecan Tree will Grow,

The Pecan is found in its wild state, from the Gulf to
the Lakes, and will grow any where the Hickory will, as it
belongs to that family.

It grows, and produces well, as far North as Maryland,
and as far South as Southern Florida,

Meadow land is. the most desirable for growing the
Pecan, but with care and intelligence, it may be planted in
any soil, provided, it is properly fertilized, and cultivated.

2

How to Buy Pecan Trees.

If you are contemplating planting a Pecan grove, do
not, under any circumstances, buy any but Grafted, or
Buddea trees of known varieties.

In productiveness, or from any standpoint, there is no
difference between a Grafted and Budded tree, as the

operation simply transforms a “Seedling into a tree of
known variety and worth.

As this is a day of specialties, it is better to buy from
those who propagate nothing but Pecan trees, for by
devoting their entire time and attention to one thing, it is
reasonable to suppose they will produce better stock than
general nurserymen who grow everything.

One cannot use too much care in selecting the right
parties from whom to buy, as there have been many bitter

disappointments arising from irresponsible and rascally
tree sellers.

You may regain money spent for worthless trees, but,
you can not recover seven to ten years lost in growing,
and waiting for them to bear.

Many think the larger the tree the better. Not so.

Don’t buy trees that are over four feet high, or better
still, what are known as one, two, or three year olds.

CAUTION.

Beware of cheap trees, and great bargains in Pecan
trees, there are advertisments of “Fine Pecan Trees, for
fifty cents.” These are good things to let alone, and if

you buy them, you are surely throwing your money and
time away.

Steer clear of bargains. You plant but once, so plant
right.

When to Plant.

Perhaps it is best to plant in the Fall, but many
prefer the Spring.

We have planted in both seasons, and find practically
no difference in the growth, or general welfare of the
trees so planted.

When it is possible, we plant in the Fall. It is safe
to plant at any time while the sap is down.

Every farm should have a Pecan grove, to pay its
running expenses.

How to Piant.

Make up your mind to plant right, and in order to do
so, don’t put them in a “Post Hole’, but dig a hole three
feet wide, and three feet deep, for every tree; put the top
soil on one side, and the clay or bottom soil on the other.
Then loosen the bottom of hole with a crow bar, or if
necessary, by blasting, in order to allow the roots to pene-
trate easily. When tree is placed, fillin with top soil, and
leaf mould. Do not pack with foot, but spread out the
latteral roots in a natural position, and press the soil
gently, and firmly around them. This rule holds good in
planting any kind of trees. The best fertilizer is old well
rotted manure or ground bone. Be very sure not to put in
any chips, or other pieces of wood, as it will produce wood-
lice, and will destroy your trees. Do not drive a stake in
the hole and leave it there for the same reason. Do not
put manure or fertilizer on, or among the roots, but as
far away from them in the hole, as you can place it. When
the roots need the food, they will go to it, and take just
what they should have.

When the tree is planted, cut off three to six
inches of top, in order to throw strength into the roots.

4

You must feed and care for your trees, if you would have
the best results; and do not leave them to the mercy of
grass and live stock.

If you cannot plant your trees right, don’t buy them,
for you would surely reap disappointment, and would have
nothing to show for your trouble and expense, when you
should have a spendid grove.

If necessary plant fewer trees, and plant them right ;
and when they come into: bearing, the few will be more
valuable, and will give better returns, than acres of poorly
planted, and stunted trees.

If you are going to plant a few trees around the
house, or a grove, have the holes dug before you order the
trees, and when they come to you, plant them at once,
keep them in a wet blanket while in the field, or while the
planting is being done. Air will dry them out, and give
an unnecessary shock.

How Many Trees to the Acre,

Forty feet apart each way, is the right distance to
plant Pecan trees. This will give 27 trees to the acre, and
each tree will have plenty of room, to attain perfect pro-
portions, and it would be about fifty years before the
branches would meet, or in any way interfere with each
other.

How to Cultivate Pecan Trees.

After the grove is properly Planted, it is well to plant
between the trees, such crops, as Cotton, Peas, Melons,
Potatoes, Peanuts, until the grove is five or six years old,
keeping the ground well fertilized, and cultivated, until
the trees begin to bear. When the grove comes in to

5

bearing, stop planting between the trees, bnt plow lightly,
and harrow in Spring, and Fall. Give it a top dressing in
early Spring. Any good manure will do for this.

We believe the size a tree attains, has much to do
with the quantity, as well as the quality of the nuts it
bears.

Age When Pecan Trees Begin to Bear.

This question comes up every day, and as we think it
safe to say, it depends almost entirely, upon the care
given them. Under proper conditions, a well cared for
tree, should make a good showing, in five, to seven years,
and from that time on, would become better every year.

Too long to wait! Well in the language of Col.
W. R. Stuart: “My good friend, you will have to wait,
whether or not you plant Pecan trees.”

They will grow while you sleep, and seven to ten
years will pass just as sure as you live that long. Think
how quickly the last ten years has passed out of your life.

Pecan trees will come into bearing, as soon as Apple
trees.

Age when Pecan Trees Become Profitable.

The first few pounds a tree bears, will show a profit,
and that profit will increase every year, according to the
care that is given the tree.

We are acquainted with a gentleman who owns a
Pecan grove of 100 acres, and his average is, $20.00 per
tree each season, and that income, is practically sure, in

6

fact, much surer that the income from any business of a
commercial nature, with same amount of capital invested.

Col. W. R. Stuart, in a paper read before the Miss-
issippi State Horticultural Society, says: “However, I
desire to refer in passing, to one tree of the variety known
as the Stuart Pecan (soft-shell) which has yielded this
year, over $250.00 worth of nuts, at the price readily
obtained for them.”

There is a man in Atlanta, Ga. who has one tree
which he says pays him $40.00 every year, and we know
others who are reaping a good income from a few Pecan
LECES.

It is safe to say, if one will plant a grove of ten acres,
(which would require 270 trees,) in ten years, it will make
him independent.

The Pecan Tree as a Shade Tree.

The Pecan, is rapidly taking the place of meaningless
or shade trees, which produce nothing but leaves to clean
up, and “Shade.” It is symetrical, and beautifully leaved
tree, and will attain a height of from thirty, to 100 feet,
and even taller. Being of the Hickory family, the leaves
drop from the trees, very soon after the first frost, and
will not litter up the yard all winter, as do the oaks,
and other ornamental trees.

In yards, they may be planted closer than in groves,
as shade is the primary object, and they will not crowd
each other in many years. Why not have a beautiful tree
which will produce a delicious nut, rather than one that
gives only shade? They will grow as fast as any of the
hard-wood trees, and will come into bearing earlier, by
being convenient to care and cultivation.

7

Vitality of the Pecan Tree.

It is not definitely known how old the Pecan tree
becomes, but there are instances of great age having been
attained by them. We know of one tree, which has been
calculated to be about three hundred years old. However,
we cannot verify this statement, as we were not at the
planting of it. Asa matter of fact, the Pecan seldom dies
from age.

A gentleman in South Georgia, has a tree, that was
transplanted two, or three times after it was bearing, and
is now bearing fine nuts, though one-half of it has been
badly burned, by fire, It is as hardy as any tree known,
and will live long enongh to give pleasure, and profit to
many generations.

Value of Land When Trees Begin to Bear.

There is no tree that will enhance the value of land
as much as the Pecan. For instauce: Take an acreage
that is worth from $10.00 to $20.00 per acre. Plant it in
Pecan trees of known varieties, and when they come into
bearing, you will find the land to be worth not less than
$1000.00 per acre. Too much! Well let us figure on it
conservatively.

5, Acres of land worth $2000 peracne:))) 7 iun ven $100.00
27 Urees (to acne; 135 ciees, $1.00 cach ate ae $135.00
Planting 13 trees (liberal allowance)............ $ 15.00

$250.00
Interest on $250.00 for seven years at 8% .......$140.00
Cost from)planting,\ to jbearing. 5) een, $390.00

8

The rental of the field should preclude further expense.
At end of seventh year, the 135 trees, should produce
$5.00 worth of nuts each, $675.00 This will give you 98%
on theinvestment. Reduce this percentage, if you plea-
se, just one-half, and you will have 49%. Is there any
use to which your land, and money can be put, which will
show a better profit? Bear in mind this is the first year
of bearing, and your grove will increase in production
every year, and you can cultivate the land just as well, as
though the trees were not there. So, $100000 per
acre, is not a great price after all.

There are no Pecan groves for sale that we know of,
and doubt if a grove of grafted trees, could be bought for
scarcely any price. To those who own large bodies of
land, we would say, “Plant Pecan trees.” It can be done
gradually, and there would be no trouble to sell it off in
lots of one, to one hundred acres, and at prices that could
not be thought of, before the trees were planted. To
those who own only a city lot, plant a few Pecan trees
around the house.

Market Price of Nuts.

The common Texas nut, which grows wild, will bring
about 5 cents a pound. The selected ones from the same
locality, will bring from Io to 12 cents.

In our groves, there are some trees that produce what
is known as a “Table Nut” which does not command the
price that the NAMED nuts do, but there is not a nut
produced in the groves, which sells for less than 25 cents
a pound.

The product of the groves will run from 25 cents to
$2.00 per pound, averaging about $1.00 per pound.

When the supply will warrant exporting the nuts,
they will rival the income of “King Cotton.”

9

Pecan Trees in Parks and Public Places.

How much better it would be, if the trees in our
Parks were fine nut bearing, instead of the ordinary trees
we find there. They would answer the same purpose and
would add materially to the Park funds, for they will
surely pay. Even if the nuts were not sold, and the public
were allowed to gather them, the trees will have cost no
more than ordinary ones, and would give more pleasure to
more people.

As the Pecan is the prettiest shade tree, and the
longest lived shade tree, and the most profitable shade
tree, let it be the most common shade tree.— SOUTHERN
CULTIVATOR.

To Those Who Own Seedling Trees.

We would say, have them grafted, if there is one, or
one thousand.

If they are large trees, they may be safely “Top
Grafted”, even though they are bearing.

We have a tree in one of our groves, that bore small
nuts for some years; it was top grafted with wood from
a tree of known variety, and in two years, produced a
few of the large known nuts.

Thus we converted a “Seedling” or practically worth-
less tree, into one of known variety, and worth.

Your seedling grove will be worth nothing to you,
unless you make it so by grafting, or budding.

A small Peacan nut, is a very unsatisfactory thing to
eat, because of the corky, bitter substance.

The cracking quality of the fine large nuts, is better,
and one will never get any of the bitter part, with the
least care exercised.

10

We believe a seedling grove, is hardly worth the land
upon which it grows. There may be some of the trees,
that would produce a table nut, but rest assured, the
grove will prove a disappointment from any standpoint.

We know of some seedling groves, that produce the
most prolific crops, but the nuts are too smail to market,
for any purpose.

The Oil Content of the Pecan Nut.

Stick a Pecan meat on the point of your knife, and
light it with a match!

When the world is supplied with the Pecan nut as a
food, we will convert the surplus crops into oil; it may be
for medicinal, illuminating, lubricating, or nutrition. pur-
poses.

If you think this a wild idea, please refer to the
century that elapsed, before we discovered the value of
the cotton seed.

11

STUART-ROBSON VEGA.

OCEAN SPRINGS, MISS.

KIRKWOOD, GA.

STUART -—(Axact Size.) VAN DemMan.—(£xact S/ze.)

None Finer than’ these four, )4ey tare

the. Product * at

PROGRESSIVE PECAN CULTURE.

SS -

CoLUMBIAN.—(Exvact Size.) CapitaL.—(ELxact Size.)

HSTABLISHED 1875.

Address all Correspondence to KIRKwoop, Ga.

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