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THE IDEAL PECAN SOILS

The facts about the pecan seem to be that it was native to alluvium; therefore, having had opportunity to get food easily, it has not developed ability to fight for food in less favorable locations. The pecan, therefore, needs deep friable and moderately moist soil such as would naturally produce a forest of white oak, hickory, and walnut trees.^[1]

With soil, as with probably everything clse, continued experience will probably disclose new problems.^[2]

A HARDY TREE

After fifteen years of experimenting with it and submitting it to many rough tests,^[3] I find that the transplanted pecan

↑ W. C. Reed and Son, of Indiana, are pioneer experimenters with grafted northern pecans. They report as follows on their 1926 crop:
"Crop varied from twenty to fifty pounds per tree: think two trees bore seventy-five pounds each.
"Trees were planted twelve years ago on high clay land.
They have been cultivated regularly.
"Were not fertilized, but were on good, strong land.
"Trees are from thirty to thirty-five feet tall."
Mr. Reed sold these nuts to nearby grocers at thirty cents a pound.
J. Ford Wilkinson, Rockport, Indiana, another pioneer, reports, letter, Januaru 26 1928, "My budded pecan trees growing on high-land clay soil are bearing remarkably well; in fall of 1926 transplanted trees from 10 to 3 years old produced from 25 to 85 pounds of nuts each, younger trees bore accordingly, some 5- to 6-year-old trees not transplanted produced from 5 to 10 pounds each.
"These trees are growing on good land, are fairly well cultivated, but have never been fertilized."
↑ "I am sending you the record of one row of eighteen trees that illustrates the utter impossibility of conveying precious facts briefly.

Year 10. 11. 12. 13. 14.

Average of first six trees. . . . . . . . 13. 28. 13. 22. 17.

Average of last six trees. . . . . . . ½ 3. 2. 3. 5.

"Here is the interesting fact that, because of the difference in the soil at one end of this row from that at the other, there is the difference of a profit or a loss. This difference was not to be discovered by the average man, for the land appeared to be much the same, and only years of careful observation made clear the importance of selecting orchard soils with infinite care." (Letter. Mr. C. A. VanDuzee, Cairo, Georgia, May 11, 1927.)
↑ In 1916 I planted bunches of pecan seed and black walnut seed to-

[1] W. C. Reed and Son, of Indiana, are pioneer experimenters with grafted northern pecans. They report as follows on their 1926 crop:
"Crop varied from twenty to fifty pounds per tree: think two trees bore seventy-five pounds each.
"Trees were planted twelve years ago on high clay land.
They have been cultivated regularly.
"Were not fertilized, but were on good, strong land.
"Trees are from thirty to thirty-five feet tall."
Mr. Reed sold these nuts to nearby grocers at thirty cents a pound.
J. Ford Wilkinson, Rockport, Indiana, another pioneer, reports, letter, Januaru 26 1928, "My budded pecan trees growing on high-land clay soil are bearing remarkably well; in fall of 1926 transplanted trees from 10 to 3 years old produced from 25 to 85 pounds of nuts each, younger trees bore accordingly, some 5- to 6-year-old trees not transplanted produced from 5 to 10 pounds each.
"These trees are growing on good land, are fairly well cultivated, but have never been fertilized."

[2] "I am sending you the record of one row of eighteen trees that illustrates the utter impossibility of conveying precious facts briefly.

Year 10. 11. 12. 13. 14.

Average of first six trees. . . . . . . . 13. 28. 13. 22. 17.

Average of last six trees. . . . . . . ½ 3. 2. 3. 5.

"Here is the interesting fact that, because of the difference in the soil at one end of this row from that at the other, there is the difference of a profit or a loss. This difference was not to be discovered by the average man, for the land appeared to be much the same, and only years of careful observation made clear the importance of selecting orchard soils with infinite care." (Letter. Mr. C. A. VanDuzee, Cairo, Georgia, May 11, 1927.)

[p203-3] In 1916 I planted bunches of pecan seed and black walnut seed to-

[1]

[2]

[3]

Year	10.	11.	12.	13.	14.
Average of first six trees. . . . . . . .	13.	28.	13.	22.	17.
Average of last six trees. . . . . . . ½		3.	2.	3.	5.