Produced by Marilynda Fraser-Cunliffe, Josephine Paolucci
and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at
https://www.pgdp.net. (This file was produced from images
generously made available by Cornell University Digital
Collections.)
[Illustration: PECAN NUTS--uniform in size, color and shape. Variety,
Curtis.]
THE PECAN
AND
ITS CULTURE
BY
H. HAROLD HUME
PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA
THE AMERICAN FRUIT AND NUT JOURNAL
1906
Copyright, 1906.
By
H. HAROLD HUME.
CONTENTS.
PART I.
Introduction. Botany.
CHAPTER I. Commercial and Ornamental Importance of the Pecan.
CHAPTER II. Native and Cultivated Range.
CHAPTER III. Pecan Botany.
PART II.
Varieties.
CHAPTER IV. Varieties.
CHAPTER V. Pecan Judging.
PART III.
Cultural.
CHAPTER VI. Propagation of the Pecan.
CHAPTER VII. Top-working Pecans.
CHAPTER VIII. Soils and their Preparation.
CHAPTER IX. What Varieties to Plant.
CHAPTER X. Purchasing and Planting Pecans.
CHAPTER XI. Cultivation and Fertilization.
CHAPTER XII. Pruning.
PART IV.
Harvesting. Marketing.
CHAPTER XIII. Gathering, Storing and Marketing Pecans.
PART V.
Diseases. Insects.
CHAPTER XIV. Fungous and other Diseases of the Pecan.
CHAPTER XV. Insects Attacking the Pecan.
PART VI.
Uses. Literature.
CHAPTER XVI. Pecan Kernels.
CHAPTER XVII. Literature.
ILLUSTRATIONS.
PLATES. _Page_
Frontispiece, 2
An avenue shaded by pecan trees, 13
Pecan flowers, 21
A pecan nursery, 71
Budding tools, 73
A two-year top-worked pecan tree, 85
An old pecan tree top-worked, 88
The pecan bud moth, 136
The case-worm, 139
A pecan catocala, 141
FIGURES.
Approximate pecan areas, 17
Money-maker, Post, San Saba, Bacon, 29
Curtis pecan, 32
Mammoth, Dalzell, Kennedy, 33
Frotscher pecan, 35
Georgia pecan, 36
Schaifer, Ideal, Ladyfinger, Atlanta, 41
Mantura pecan, 43
Pabst pecan, 46
Russell, Franklin, Kincaid, 49
Schley pecan, 51
Stuart pecan, 52
Success pecan, 53
Van Deman pecan, 55
Nussbaumer, 58
H. minima and two hybrids, 59
Schneck hybrid, 60
Grafting iron, Budding knife, 72
Scions, 76
Annular budding, 78
Veneer shield-budding, 79
Chip-budding, 80
Cleft grafting, Whip grafting, 81
One-year pecan in fruit, 82
Pecan tree grown on quicksand, 90
View of bud union, 99
View of whip graft, 100
Annular bud, 101
Rectangular planting system, 104
Hexagonal planting system, 105
Planting-board, 107
A nursery tree with good root system, 119
Taproot cut and uncut, 120
Spraying pecan trees, 131
Nut crackers of different types, 149
Woodson's power kernel extractor, 151
PREFACE.
In the horticultural development of the country, new fruits, new groups
of fruits, new fruit industries are coming into prominence. Our native
fruits in particular are now receiving, in many parts of the country, a
larger share of the attention which they have always merited, and none
has proven itself more worthy of careful study and painstaking care than
the pecan.
Within the last ten or fifteen years it has rapidly emerged from a wild
or semi-wild condition to the status of an orchard nut. The foundations
of its culture were laid a considerable time ago, but only now is it
coming to its own, its well merited standing among the fruits of the
country.
In any horticultural industry many questions must be asked of the plant,
the soil, the climate, in short, of the plant in its environment. They
must be answered aright, if the industry is to succeed. The newer the
plant in cultivation, the more numerous the questions are, the more
difficult to answer.
In an endeavor to aid in solving some of the problems connected with the
culture of the pecan this small volume has been prepared. Pecan culture
has been the subject of careful study, observation and experimentation
on the part of the author for a number of years and the results of these
studies are presented in the following pages.
To the many who have so kindly and willingly assisted in its
preparation, my thanks are herein expressed.
H. HAROLD HUME.
Raleigh, N. C.,
Aug. 1, 1906.
PART I.
Introduction. Botany.
THE PECAN AND ITS CULTURE.
CHAPTER I.
COMMERCIAL AND ORNAMENTAL IMPORTANCE OF THE PECAN.
In all-around excellence, the pecan is equalled by none of the native
American nut-bearing trees and certainly it is surpassed by no exotic
species. It stands in the list of nut trees with but few equals and no
superiors. With this fact known and admitted by all, it seems reasonable
to suppose that the pecan will be grown and cultivated much more
extensively than it now is. Its intrinsic worth deserves a large share
of attention, more than it has received. At present it is gaining a
position of so much importance as an orchard tree, that, ere long, it
will become an extremely important item in the horticultural wealth of
the Southern and Southwestern States.
Large quantities of pecans are sold in the American markets. These are
the product of uncultivated or forest trees. Many orchards of
considerable size, planted with meritorious budded and grafted
varieties, are now in bearing, but the product of these plantings is
entirely used by what may be termed a private trade, either by seedsmen,
or by private individuals for dessert purposes. Some day, varieties of
pecans will become known in the markets just as varieties of grapes,
apples or pears are known. People ask for Niagara or Concord grapes,
Northern Spy or Greening apples, Bartlet or Seckel pears--ask for what
they want, and know what they are getting. The day is far distant when
Frotscher, Schley, San Saba, Curtis, Georgia or other varieties of
pecans will be known by name by the purchasing public, asked for in the
markets and recognized when procured. But that time must and will come,
and until then there is no danger of the industry being overdone, and
not even then, because our population is constantly growing; because the
pecan nut is being put to a variety of new uses, and as yet the export
trade is comparatively undeveloped. (See table, page 15.) It would seem
then that the pecan might reasonably be expected to replace to a certain
extent the foreign nuts in our own markets.
According to the investigations of Woods and Merrill,[A] the pecan has a
higher food value than either the walnut, filbert, cocoanut, almond or
peanut. The results of their analyses are as follows:
-------------------+---------+---------------------------------------+--------
| | EDIBLE PORTION. |
| +------+--------+------+---------+------+--------
| Edible | | | |Carbo- | |Fuel
| Portion.|Water.|Protein.|Fat. |hydrates.| Ash. |Value
| | | | | | |per
| | | | | | |Pound.[A]
-------------------+---------+------+--------+------+---------+------+--------
|per cent.|pr ct.| pr ct. |pr ct.| pr ct. |pr ct.|Calories
Pecans, kernels | 100.0 | 2.9 | 10.3 | 70.8 | 14.3 | 1.7 | 3445
Walnuts, kernels | 100.0 | 2.8 | 16.7 | 61.4 | 14.8 | 1.3 | 3305
Filberts, kernels | 100.0 | 3.7 | 15.6 | 65.3 | 13.0 | 2.4 | 3290
Cocoanuts, shred'd | | 3.5 | 6.3 | 57.3 | 31.6 | 1.3 | 3125
Almonds, kernels | 100.0 | 4.8 | 21.0 | 54.9 | 17.3 | 2.0 | 3030
Shelled Peanuts | 100.0 | 1.6 | 30.5 | 49.2 | 16.2 | 2.5 | 2955
-------------------+---------+------+--------+------+---------+------+--------
[Illustration: PLATE II. An Avenue Shaded by Pecan Trees.]
It is a fact worthy of note that the average man requires 3,500 calories
of energy each day, an amount which must be secured from food consumed.
One pound of pecan kernels, according to the above analysis, would
supply 3,445 calories, or only 55 calories less than the amount required
per day. We are not, be it understood, pointing out this fact because we
believe that the pecan alone would be a satisfactory food, though it is
wholesome, nourishing and palatable and should be used in larger
quantities than is usually the case, but simply to emphasize its high
food value.
According to the foregoing analysis, the pecan is richer in fat than any
of the other nuts. Seventy per cent. of the kernels is fat. The pecan
may at some time be in requisition as a source of oil--an oil which
would doubtless be useful for salad purposes--but it is never likely to
be converted into oil until the present prices of the nuts are greatly
reduced.
If we turn from the dietary value of the nut to the ornamental value of
the tree, we cannot but be forcibly impressed with its value as a shade
and ornamental tree. For these purposes it may be planted far outside
the area in which fruit may be reasonably expected. If given good soil
and sufficient food supply, it grows quite rapidly, making a stately,
vigorous, long-lived tree. In its native forests it is a giant tree,
sometimes reaching a height of upwards of two hundred feet with a trunk
of six feet. Isolated specimens, grown in the open, come to maturity
with wide-spreading branches and the whole tree has an exceedingly
graceful appearance. Wherever it will succeed, no other shade tree is so
worthy of attention as the pecan, and in the fruiting area, beauty and
healthful shade may be combined with utility.
As an orchard tree it is well worth planting. The ground in which the
trees are planted may be cultivated in other crops for a number of
years, thus reducing to a minimum the cost of maintaining the planting,
and when the trees have come into bearing, the same area in trees will
yield more in net returns than the same area in cotton or corn at the
usual market prices.
On the whole, considered from whatever standpoint we may choose, the
pecan is a valuable tree, whether cultivated for its nuts or planted for
shade or ornamental effect.
Exports of Nuts from United States for Years 1900-1904 inclusive.
+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+
| 1900 | 1901 | 1902 | 1903 | 1904 |
+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+
| VALUE. | VALUE. | VALUE. | VALUE. | VALUE. |
+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+
| $156,490 | $218,743 | $304,241 | $299,558 | $330,366 |
+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+
Importations of Nuts into the United States for the Years 1899 to 1904
inclusive, according to the most authoritative statistics.[B]
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| 1899 1900 1901 |
+----------+---------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+
|VARIETY |Quant'y |Value. |Quant'y | Value. |Quant'y | Value. |
|OF NUTS. |lbs. | |lbs. | |lbs. | |
+----------+---------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+
|Almonds |9,957,427|$1,222,587| 6,317,633| $949,083| 5,140,232| $946,138|
|Cocoanuts.| | 625,789| | 702,947| | 804,233|
|Walnuts | (a) | (a) | (a) | (a) | (a) | (a) |
|Other | | 879,166| | 1,326,804| | 1,518,184|
+----------+---------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+
|Total Nuts| |$2,727,542| |$2,978,834| |$3,268,255|
+----------+---------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+
| 1902 1903 1904 |
+----------+---------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+
|VARIETY |Quant'y |Value. |Quant'y | Value. |Quant'y | Value. |
|OF NUTS. |lbs. | |lbs. | |lbs. | |
+----------+---------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+
|Almonds |9,868,982|$1,240,886| 8,142,164|$1,337,717| 9,838,852|$1,246,474|
|Cocoanuts.| | 832,383| | 908,242| | 971,852|
|Walnuts | (a) | (a) |12,362,567| 1,106,033|23,670,761| 1,729,378|
|Other | | 1,971,072| | 1,514,406| | 1,523,462|
+----------+---------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+
|Total Nuts| |$4,044,341| |$4,866,398| |$5,471,166|
+----------+---------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+
FOOTNOTES:
[A] Calculated from analysis.
[B] Yearbook U.S. Dept. of Agr., 1903, page 686, and 1904, page 728.
CHAPTER II.
NATIVE AND CULTIVATED RANGE.
The pecan is found as a forest tree in the moist bottom lands along the
Mississippi river and its tributaries, from Indiana southward to
Mississippi, and from Iowa to Texas and Mexico.
This region (see Fig. 1) in which the pecan is, or has been found,
native, reaches its northern limit at Davenport, Iowa. It skirts the
Wabash as far north as Terre Haute, Indiana, and along the Ohio river
nearly to Cincinnati, Ohio. From thence its range extends south to
Chattanooga, Tenn., and on to Vicksburg, Miss. From Vicksburg it skirts
the Gulf of Mexico at a distance of seventy-five to one hundred miles to
Laredo, Texas; thence along the Salado river into Mexico. The western
boundary embraces the headwaters of the Colorado river and returns more
or less directly to Davenport, Iowa. On the outskirts of this area, it
extends farthest in all directions along the streams and rivers, while
on the drier intervening ground the line does not extend so far from the
center of the region. Particularly is this true in Southwestern Texas,
where the pecan is confined almost solely to river bottoms.
CULTURAL AREA.
The area in which the pecan is cultivated as an orchard tree is not
confined to the limits of its native range. Plantings have been made
outside its native home in New Mexico, California and Oregon in the
West, and in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida,
Southern Alabama and the Gulf regions of Louisiana, Mississippi and
Texas. In many other States experimental plantings have been made.
Leaving these out of consideration, however, it will be seen that in
about twenty States the pecan is either found as a native tree in the
forests or is cultivated in orchard form. The area corresponds in some
measure with that in which cotton is grown, though it extends farther
north and west than the cotton region.
[Illustration: FIG. 1. Approximate Pecan areas. Native areas within
solid line. Cultural area within dotted line.]
The attempts which have been made from time to time to cultivate the
pecan in the more northerly States have not proved successful. The tree
has, in many cases, grown well, but fruit has not been produced. The
pistils and stamens of the pecan are not found in the same flower but in
different flowers borne some distance apart on new and one-year-old
wood, respectively. Consequently, it frequently happens that the flowers
are not matured at the same time, as a result of which pollination
cannot take place. Moreover, late spring frosts often destroy one or
both sets of flowers, and the result, as far as fruit is concerned, is
the same in either case. As a result of these experiences, the pecan
cannot be recommended as a nut-bearing tree north of its natural range
in the Mississippi Valley, neither will it succeed at the high
elevations in the Alleghany mountains. It reaches its most northerly
cultural extension in the Mississippi valley and in the coastal plain of
the Atlantic seaboard. But it grows well and makes a good shade tree
farther north, and at elevations far above its native range. Even then,
however, the nuts from which these seedling shade trees are grown should
be brought from the northern sections of its natural distribution. They
are much more likely to withstand the rigorous cold of winter.
Frequently the question is asked as to whether the pecan can be grown in
a certain given locality. Such a question can be answered only in the
most general way. The presence of the larger species of hickories in the
vicinity may be used in some parts of the country as an indication of
the success which might attend the planting of pecan trees, but such a
guide should not be followed too implicitly, and even if the pecan tree
should grow well, fruit might not be secured.
The presence of pecan trees, single specimens perhaps, or two or three,
in yards or about buildings here and there throughout a region, may be
taken as a guide in the matter of planting, and no better can be had.
Nothing will take the place of a practical demonstration in the way of a
vigorous fruiting tree.
CHAPTER III.
PECAN BOTANY.
The aborigines of the country used hickory nuts of different kinds as
food, and in the region in which the pecan grows as a native tree, it
was valued by them above all its relatives.
Penicaut found in his travels that the Indians stored large amounts of
pecans for winter use. The scientific name of the pecan is appropriately
derived from two Indian words, "powcohiccora" and "pacan."
In 1785, the pecan was described under the name _Juglans Pecan_, by
Marshall in his Arboretum Americanum. In 1818, Thomas Nuttall, an
English botanist, separated the hickories from the walnuts and
butternuts, putting them under a new genus which he called _Carya_,
naming the pecan _Carya olivaeformis_. Nuttall's classification was
followed for many years until it was found that in the year previous to
the publication of his work, 1817, C. S. Rafinesque, a French
naturalist, had separated the hickories along the same lines as Nuttall
and published them under the name _Hicoria_. In accordance with the laws
of priority, Rafinesque's name, _Hicoria_, takes precedence over
_Carya_.
The family _Juglandaceæ_, embraces but two genera, _Juglans_ and
_Hicoria_, the former including the walnuts and butternuts, and the
latter the pecan and other hickories. With the exception of the
Shellbark hickory, _Hicoria ovata_ Britton, and the Big shellbark,
_Hicoria laciniosa_ Sargent, the pecan is the only one of the genus
worthy of cultivation.
_Family._ Juglandaceæ Lindl. Nat. Syst. Ed. 2, 180. 1836. Trees with
alternate pinnate leaves and monoecious bracted flowers. Staminate
flowers in long, drooping catkins, provided with three or more stamens
and occasionally with an irregular-lobed perianth adnate to the bractlet
and a rudimentary ovary. Anthers erect, with short filaments,
two-celled; dehiscent longitudinally. Pistillate flowers bracted with a
three to five, normally four-lobed calyx and sometimes with petals.
Ovule solitary, erect, styles two, stigmatic along the inner surface.
Fruit a bony nut, incompletely two to four-celled. Seed large, two to
four-lobed, cotyledons corrugated, oily, without endosperm.
_Genus._ Hicoria Raf. Med. Rep. (II) 5:352. 1808. Trees, with close or
scaly bark, odd-pinnate leaves and serrate leaflets. Staminate flowers
in slender drooping catkins, borne in groups of three, occasionally on
the new shoots, but usually from buds just back of the terminal buds on
last year's shoots, calyx naked, adherent to the bract, unequally
two-third lobed or cleft; stamens with short filaments, three to ten in
number. Pistillate flowers, two to eight, produced on a terminal
peduncle, calyx four-parted, petals none, styles two to four, short,
papillose. Fruit oblong, or obovoid, the husk separating into four
parts; nut smooth or angled, bony, incompletely two to four-celled. Seed
oily, sweet, edible or bitter and astringent. Natives of eastern North
America and Mexico.
_Species._ H. Pecan (Marsh.) Britton. Bull. Torr. Club, 15:282. 1888.
Pecan, Illinois nut, a large tree, 75 to 170 feet in height and a
diameter reaching 6 feet, with rough-broken bark. Young twigs and leaves
pubescent, later nearly or quite glabrous; leaflets seven to fifteen,
falcate, oblong--lanceolate, sharp-pointed, serrate, green and bright
above, lighter below; staminate catkins five to six inches long, sessile
or nearly so, sometimes borne near the base on the young shoots but
usually from the uppermost lateral buds on last year's shoots;
pistillate flowers terminal on shoots of the current season's growth,
produced singly or in clusters of two to nine; fruit oblong cylindrical;
husk four-valved; nut 3/4 to 2-1/2 inches in greatest diameter,
roundish, or cylindrical and pointed, two-celled at the base, partition
thin, bitter, seed deliciously sweet. Found native on the moist bottom
lands along streams from Indiana south to Kentucky and from Iowa south
to Texas, principally along the Mississippi and its tributaries, the
Colorado river in Texas, and along some of its tributaries into Mexico.
[Illustration: PLATE III. Pecan Flowers. Pistillate enlarged below.]
POLLINATION.
Since two kinds of flowers are produced on the pecan, one bearing the
pistils, the other stamens, the pollen must be transferred from the
latter to the former in order that pollination may take place. In many
plants the pollen is transferred from one plant or flower to another by
means of insects; but in the pecan there are no bright colors, no
nectar, no scent to attract insects to carry pollen, but, instead, the
wind is the carrying agent and it needs no attractions. Pollen is
produced in large quantities, necessarily so, since much of it is
wasted.
Unfavorable weather conditions at time of blooming may, however,
interfere seriously with pollination. Heavy winds or wind-storms, and
rains of several days duration, may prevent the necessary and desired
distribution of the pollen, as a result of which no fruit is formed.
Sometimes the staminate blooms are destroyed by frost while the
pistillate ones escape. It makes little difference which is destroyed,
however, as in either case the result is the same--no fruit sets.
The staminate flowers push out from the lateral buds at the same time
the new shoot develops from the terminal one. The pistillate blossom
does not appear until the terminal shoot has grown six or eight inches,
and in the meantime it is protected by the unfolded leaves. The
staminate bloom, on the contrary, is exposed from the first, having no
leaves to protect it. In consequence it is much more likely to be cut
off by frost. Dr. Trelease refers to several observations on proterandry
(maturing of the pollen before the stigmas of the pistils) in the pecan.
This, together with the unprotected condition of the staminate blooms,
we believe, accounts in a large measure for the non-setting of fruit on
the northern boundaries of the pecan area.
The artificial or hand pollination of the pecan is an easy matter and
offers an inviting field for those interested in plant breeding.
Emasculation, or the removal of the stamens from the flowers necessary
in breeding so many plants, is not necessary in the pecan. All that is
needed is to cover the pistillate blossoms with a sack until they are
matured. At this time the inner or stigmatic surfaces of the pistils
will be exposed and ready for the pollen. The pollen, collected from
adjoining trees in bloom or brought from a distance, can then be placed
upon the stigmas and the sack replaced. When the fruit is set, the paper
sack should be replaced by one of mosquito netting. Some careful work
has already been done along this line, and it is hoped that many more
will take up the work. Much yet remains to be desired, and varieties may
be better adapted to different sections. The ideal, large, full-meated,
thin-shelled, prolific and precocious variety of pecan has not yet been
brought forward. It may be accidentally discovered; it may be produced
and can be produced by systematic, painstaking work in breeding. It is
hoped that the number of workers in this inviting field may be
increased. Some may be deterred by the fact that it will take the
seedlings so long to come into bearing. But scions may be taken from the
seedlings raised from cross-bred nuts, top-worked on large trees, and
fruit could be obtained in many cases in a period not exceeding five or
six years from the seed. Those which would not produce fruit in six
years in this way might perhaps as well be discarded.
PART II.
Varieties.
CHAPTER IV.
VARIETIES OF PECANS.
While the list of varieties of pecans is comparatively small, yet a
surprisingly large number of names has been used. The attempt has been
made to collect all the names which have appeared in different
publications. These have presumably all been applied to some pecan at
some time or other, but many of them have never been propagated by
budding or grafting and a very large proportion of them have been lost
track of entirely. In short, they are now represented by names only.
However, they are all given, for the reason that it would be well not to
apply any of these names to other varieties. It might be well to
emphasize the fact that many meritorious varieties would be the better
for re-naming.
In the original descriptions, it will be noted that the thickness of the
shell is given in millimeters. A piece of the shell about the center of
the side covering the back of the half kernels, was accurately measured.
These measurements must not be regarded as absolute, but they are
comparative. All nut illustrations are natural size.
For the origin and synonomy of many varieties credit must be given to
the excellent work of Mr. William A. Taylor, of the United States
Department of Agriculture, who has probably done more than any one else
to straighten out the tangled nomenclature of the pecan.
CLASSIFICATION OF VARIETIES.
Heretofore, no attempt has been made to group or classify the different
varieties of pecans. Classification does not become necessary until the
number of varieties has increased sufficiently. The following
classification of the varieties with which the author is acquainted, is
based entirely upon the shape of the nuts. No classification of those
varieties of which descriptions are copied has been attempted, as the
descriptions are frequently so meagre as to render it impossible:
1. _Varieties:_ Hound or roundish oblong. Types--Post, Hollis,
Money-maker.
Bacon, Bolton, Extra Early, Georgia, Hollis, Money-maker, Post,
Randall, San Saba, Thomas.
2. _Varieties:_ Oblong, rounded at the base, blunt and
quadrangular at the apex. Types--Pabst, Success.
Frotscher, Pabst, Pegram, Perfection, Success, Sweetmeat.
3. _Varieties:_ Oblong in general outline, rounded, blunt and
abruptly tipped at the base, and abruptly short-pointed at the
apex. Types--Russell, Stuart.
Alley, Carman, Capital, Franklin, Havens, Jacocks, James No. 1,
Kincaid, Lewis, Moore, Morris, Russell, Stuart.
4. _Varieties:_ Oblong cylindrical to almost conical, rounded
at the base, sloping from the middle or above to the
sharp-pointed apex. Types--Jewett, Curtis, Schley.
Clarke, Curtis, Daisy, Dalzell, Dewey, Hume, James' Giant,
Jewett, Kennedy, Mammoth, Rome, Schley, Young.
5. _Varieties:_ Usually long in proportion to thickness, more
or less pointed at both base and apex. Types--Atlanta, Ideal,
Schaifer.
Atlanta, Centennial, Delmas, Domestic, Ideal, James'
Paper-shell, Ladyfinger, Longfellow, Louisiana, Monarch, Money,
Schaifer, Van Deman.
6. _Hybrid Varieties:_ Nussbaumer, McCallister, Schneck,
Pooshee, Westbrook.
ALBA. Size below medium, cylindrical, with pointed apex;
cracking quality good; shell of medium thickness; corky shell
lining thick, adhering to the kernel; kernel plump, light
colored; quality good. (Report Sec. Agr., 1893: 295, 1894).
ALLEY. Size medium, 1-5/8 x 7/8; form ovate; color
grayish-brown with a few purplish-black markings about the
apex; base rounded, tipped; apex abruptly short-pointed,
slightly four-angled; shell brittle, thin, .8 mm.; partitions
thin; cracking quality excellent; kernel full, plump, bright
straw-colored, sutures narrow, moderately deep, secondary
sutures slightly marked; texture firm, compact fine grained;
flavor sweet, delicate, pleasant; quality very good and a good
keeper.
Described from specimens received from Mr. Theo. Bechtel, Ocean
Springs, Miss.
ATLANTA. Size medium, 1-7/8 x 7/8 x 11/16 inches; ovate,
compressed; color dull gray liberally specked with small, dark
dots, splashed with purplish markings from middle to apex; base
sloping, blunt-pointed; apex sloping, short-pointed; shell
brittle, moderately thin; partitions rather thick, corky;
cracking quality quite good; kernel full, plump, sutures narrow
of medium depth, secondary sutures lacking; color light
yellowish-brown, bright; texture solid, compact; flavor sweet,
good; quality very good.
Originated by G. M. Bacon, DeWitt, Ga., and first catalogued
about 1900.
BACON. (Syn.: _Bacon's Choice_.) Size small, 1-1/4 x 7/8
inches; rounded, compressed toward the apex; color dull
brownish-gray, thickly dotted with dark specks, liberally
splashed with purplish-brown markings toward the apex; base
rounded; apex abruptly blunt-pointed; shell thin, .85 mm.;
cracking quality excellent; partitions thin, papery; kernel
roundish, bright, light brownish-yellow, plump, full, smooth,
sutures broad, of medium depth; flavor sweet, nutty, good;
quality very good.
A small pecan of good quality, originated by G. M. Bacon,
DeWitt, Ga., and introduced by him in 1900.
[Illustration: FIG. 2. Money-maker, Post, San Saba, Half Kernel of
Bacon]
BARTOW. Medium size, thin shell and fine flavor. (Bacon's Cat.,
page 29, 1904.)
BEAUTY. Illustrated in "The Pecan and How to Grow It." (Stuart
Pecan Co., 1893, p. 59, fig. 5.)
BELLE. Medium, ovate, quality very good. (J. V. Munson, Farm
and Ranch, Dec. 3, 1904, p. 2.)
BIEDIGER. Listed in "Nut Culture in the United States," U. S.
Dept. Agr., Div. Pomology, 64, 1896.
BILOXI. (W. R. Stuart, Ocean Springs, Miss.) Medium size,
cylindrical, pointed at each end; surface quite regular, light
brown; shell thin; cracking quality medium; kernel plump, with
yellowish-brown surface; free from astringency, of good
quality, and keeps well without becoming rancid. Introduced
several years ago by W. R. Stuart as Mexican Paper-shell, but
the name has since been changed to Biloxi. (Report Sec. Agr.,
1893. 295, 1894).
BLACK JACK. Listed in "Nut Culture in the United States," U. S.
Dept. Agr., Div. Pomology, 64, 1896.
BOLTON. Size medium, 1-3/8 x 1 inches; ovate conical; color
dull gray marked with purplish-brown blotches about the apex;
base rounded; apex angled, blunt, sloping gradually from the
center; shell thick, 1.9 mm.; partitions thick; cracking
quality medium; kernel brownish-yellow, somewhat wrinkled;
sutures broad, deep, inner surface wrinkled, broadly oval in
outline, texture rather open; flavor sweet, nutty; quality
good.
Originated in Jefferson county, Florida. Described from
specimens received from J. H. Girardeau, Monticello, Fla.
BRACKETT. Named for our U. S. Pomologist. It is a very fine
market pecan, unexcelled in richness of flavor, and has a thin
shell. Trees are fine growers, heavy bearers, and with proper
care and attention come into bearing at six years old. (Bacon's
Cat., 1900).
BRADLEY. Large, oblong, ovoid, shell thin, kernel plump, best.
(J. V. Munson, Farm and Ranch, Dec. 3, 1904, p. 2.)
BRIDEX. Listed in "Nut Culture in the United States," U. S.
Dept. Agr., Div. Pomology, 64, 1896.
BULLETS. A decided novelty in pecans. As its name indicates, it
is of bullet shape, being almost perfectly round. It has a fine
flavor, shell is very thin. (Bacon's Cat., 1900).
CAPITAL. Size medium to large, 1-7/8 x 7/8 x 3/4 inches; ovate
oblong, compressed with well-marked sutures; color light-brown
streaked and splashed with purplish-brown markings from center
to apex; base rounded, blunt-tipped; apex abruptly
short-pointed, nippled; shell brittle, of medium thickness, 1.3
mm.; partitions of medium thickness; cracking quality very
good; kernel plump, filling the shell, brownish-yellow in
color, primary sutures broad and fairly deep, secondary ones
well defined, running almost the length of the kernel; texture
rather open; flavor good; quality good.
Described from specimens received from Mr. Theo. Bechtel, Ocean
Springs, Miss.
CARMAN. Size medium, 1-7/8 x 3/4 inches; oblong, compressed;
color light yellowish-brown marked with splashes and blotches
of brownish-black about the apex; base rounded, blunt-tipped;
apex abruptly-pointed, shouldered and four-angled; shell
brittle of medium thickness, 1.2 mm.; partitions thin; cracking
quality very good; kernel long, slender, plump, straw-colored,
sutures straight, narrow, shallow; texture firm, compact;
flavor sweet, pleasant; quality very good.
Described from specimens received from Prof. F. H. Burnette,
Baton Rouge, La. Originated and introduced by Mr. S. H. James,
Mound, La.
CENTENNIAL. Size large, 2 x 7/8 x 3/4 inches; oblong,
compressed, constricted in the middle, with well marked
sutures; color grayish-brown, bright, marked with a few
purplish markings in the grooves at the apex; base tapering to
a blunt point; apex tapering, pointed, wedge-shaped, sometimes
curved; shell medium thick, 1.5 mm.; partitions thin; cracking
quality medium; kernel plump, full, brownish-yellow, bright,
sutures rather small, straight, secondary ones marked by a
line, surface rather wrinkled; flavor sweet, delicate; quality
very good.
Described from specimens received from Mr. J. F. Jones,
Monticello, Fla. "The original tree stood on the Anita
plantation of Mr. Amant Bourgeois, on the east bank of the
Mississippi river in St. James Parish, La."[C] It was destroyed
March 14, 1890, by the Anita Crevasse. Sixteen trees were
grafted in 1846 and 1847 by the slave gardener, Antoine, of Mr.
Telesphore J. Roman, owner of Oak Alley plantation. Two of
these earlier trees are still standing. Nuts were exhibited at
the Centennial Exposition, Philadelphia, in 1876, by Hubert
Bonzano. Under the name Centennial, it was probably first
catalogued by the late Richard Frotscher, of New Orleans, in
1885.
CHIQUITA. Small, ovate, shell medium, best, long keeper. (T. V.
Munson, Farm and Ranch, December 3, 1904, p. 2.)
CLARK. Size medium to large, 1-3/4 x 7/8 inches; ovate oblong;
color dull gray, with a few purplish spots about the apex; base
rounded; apex blunt; shell brittle of medium thickness, 1.3
mm.; cracking quality medium; partitions thick, corky; kernel
full and plump with narrow sutures of medium depth, light
yellow in color and marked here and there with black dots;
texture rather open; flavor good; quality good.
Obtained of J. H. Girardeau, Monticello, Fla.
COLORADO. Mentioned by Andrew Fuller in "The Nut-Culturist,"
1896, p. 169.
CURTIS. (Syn.: _Curtis No. 2_). Medium, 1-5/8 x 7/8 inches;
ovate, conical, compressed; color brownish-gray, marked
throughout with dark specks and a few purplish specks about the
apex; base rounded; apex sloping, pointed; shell thin, .7 mm.;
cracking quality excellent; partitions thin, smooth; kernel
bright straw-colored, plump, full, with narrow sutures of
medium depth; texture compact, firm; flavor sweet, rich, nutty;
quality excellent.
[Illustration: FIG. 3. Curtis Pecan.]
The original tree of this variety is to be found in the grove
of Dr. J. B. Curtis, Orange Heights, Fla. It was raised from
seed secured from Arthur Brown, Bagdad, Fla., and planted in
1886. It is a meritorious variety, being prolific, of good
appearance and excellent quality.
DAISY. Medium to large, 1-7/8 x 13/16 x 3/4 inches; oblong
cylindrical; color reddish-brown marked with a few
purplish-brown spots about the apex; base rounded; apex
abruptly tapering, rather short; shell brittle, thin .93 mm.;
cracking quality fairly good; partitions thick; kernel light
brownish-yellow, full, plump, with broad and very shallow
sutures; texture firm and compact; flavor sweet, good; quality
good.
Obtained of S. W. Peek, Hartwell, Ga.
DALZELL. Large, 2 x 7/8 x 3/4 inches; cylindrical flattened;
dull grayish-brown, pebbled, marked with narrow splashes of
purplish-brown from center to apex; base rounded; apex abruptly
sharp-pointed, four-angled and shouldered; shell rather thick,
brittle, 1.4 mm.; cracking quality medium; partitions thin;
kernel long, narrow with deep sutures, yellowish-brown in
color, texture firm and compact; flavor sweet, good; quality
good.
Obtained of S. H. Graves, Gainesville, Fla. The original
tree[D] stands in a 14-acre grove, four miles south of
Gainesville. The grove was planted in 1888, by Mr. J. R.
Zetrour, now of Rochelle, Fla.
DELMAS. Size large, 1-7/8 x 1 inches; ovate, marked with four
distinct ridges; color dull dark gray marked with dark specks
and blotches with purplish-black from center to apex; base
sloping, rounded, blunt; apex abruptly short-pointed,
four-angled; shell thick, brittle, 1.4 mm.; partitions thick,
corky; cracking quality good; kernel bright light yellow,
sutures broad, open, shallow, secondary ones almost lacking,
sometimes slack at bottom end; texture rather open; flavor
sweet; quality good.
[Illustration: FIG. 4. Mammoth. Dalzell. Kennedy.]
Described from specimens received from Mr. Theo. Bechtel, Ocean
Springs, Miss. A large nut of fairly good quality, said in some
cases to have been substituted for Schley, from which it is
very distinct.
DEWEY. Medium to large, 1-7/8 x 3/4 inches; ovate pointed;
color dull gray, marked with splashes of purplish-brown; base
rounded; apex sharp; shell brittle and thin, .88 mm.; cracking
quality very good; partitions thin; kernel full, plump, smooth,
bright light straw-colored, with narrow sutures of medium
depth; texture firm and solid; flavor sweet, rich, good;
quality very good.
Specimens for description obtained of H. K. Miller, Monticello,
Fla. Originated in Jefferson county, Fla.
DEWITT. An oddity, having the shape of a spinning top. Shell is
thin, and its rich meat is easily extracted on account of its
peculiar shape. (Bacon's Cat. 1900.)
DOMESTIC. Large, 2 x 3/4 inches; oblong ovate, compressed
toward the base; color light reddish-brown, with splotches of
purplish-brown throughout; base sloping, pointed; apex
four-angled, abruptly blunt-pointed; shell brittle, thin, .95
mm.; cracking quality good; partitions thick, red, corky;
kernel brownish-yellow, plump, full, wrinkled on the sides with
straight, narrow, deep sutures and secondary ones fairly well
developed; texture compact and fine grained; flavor sweet,
good; quality very good.
Specimens for description obtained from Frank H. Lewis,
Scranton, Miss.
EARLY TEXAN. (Louis Biediger, Idlewild, Tex.) Size above
medium, short, cylindrical, with rounded base and blunt conical
crown; shell quite thick, shell lining thick, astringent;
cracking quality medium; kernel not very plump, of mild nutty
flavor; quality good. (Report Sec'y Agr., 1893: 295, 1894.)
EGG. (Syn.: _Eggshell_.) Medium; ovate; shell thin; partitions
thin; kernel plump; quality good. D. L. Pierson, Monticello,
Fla. Grown from seed procured from Louisiana in 1889. (Hume,
Bul. 54, Florida Exp. Station, 203, 1900.)
EXCELSIOR. A variety reported by Ladd Bros., Stonewall, Miss.
(Listed in "Nut Culture in the United States," U. S. Dept.
Agr., Div. Pomology, 64, 1896.)
EXTRA EARLY. Size medium to large, 1-3/8 x 1 inch; oblong ovoid
abruptly-pointed; color grayish-yellow with small purplish
blotches more or less over the whole surface; base rounded;
apex abruptly-pointed, blunt; shell of medium thickness, 1.15
mm.; partitions of medium thickness; cracking quality good;
kernel filling the shell, plump, smooth, sutures broad, open,
deep, not clasping the shell, color brownish-yellow, texture
open; flavor very good, quality fair.
Described from specimens received from E. E. Risien, San Saba,
Texas; not catalogued, so far as we are aware.
FAUST. (O. D. Faust, Bamberg, S. C.) A pecan of large size;
very long in shape; quite thin shell; kernel separating readily
from shell; quality best. (Report Sec'y Agr., 1891, p. 395:
1892.)
FAVORITA. A variety named and grown at one time by Arthur
Brown, Bagdad, Fla. (Listed in "Nut Culture in the United
States," U. S. Dept, Agr., Div. Pomology, 64, 1896.)
[Illustration: FIG. 5. Frotscher Pecan.]
FRANKLIN. Size medium large, 1-5/8 x 7/8 inches; ovate; color
dull grayish-brown splashed about the apex with purplish-black;
base rounded, blunt-tipped; apex blunt-pointed, four-angled;
shell brittle, of medium thickness, 1.32 mm.; partitions thick;
cracking quality good; kernel full, plump, bright
brownish-yellow, primary sutures of medium width, deep,
secondary ones almost lacking; texture rather coarse, fairly
firm and compact; flavor sweet, good; quality very good.
Described from specimens received from S. W. Peek, Hartwell,
Ga.
FROTSCHER. (Syn.: _Frotscher's Eggshell_, _Eggshell_,
_Olivier_, _Majestic_.) Large, 1-5/8 x 1-7/8 inches;
cylindrical, ovate; color bright yellowish-brown, with a few
black splashes about the apex; base broad, rounded; .9 mm.;
partitions thin; cracking quality excellent; kernel
brownish-yellow, dark veined, frequently slack at one end;
sutures of medium depth, rather narrow, secondary sutures well
marked; texture dry, rather coarse; flavor good; quality fair
to medium.
The above description was made from specimens received from the
J. Steckler Seed Co., New Orleans, La. The original tree stands
in the garden of H. J. Pharr, Olivier, La.; the place was
formerly owned by Oscar Olivier. The variety was first
propagated by William Nelson, and catalogued as Frotscher's
Eggshell, by Richard Frotscher, in 1885. The variety is
precocious, productive, and succeeds over a wide range of
country.
[Illustration: Fig. 6. Georgia Pecan.]
GEORGIA. (Syn.: _Georgia Giant_.) Size large, 1-1/2 x 1/8 x 1
inches; rounded ovate; color brownish-gray marked with splashes
and dots of dark brown covering a good part of the surface;
base rounded; apex tapering, blunt; shell brittle, medium in
thickness, 1.3 mm.; cracking quality medium; partitions thick,
corky, red; kernel bright reddish-brown, plump, full, rather
deeply sutured, two secondary sutures fairly well developed;
texture compact, fine grained; flavor sweet, good; quality very
good.
Originated and introduced by G. M. Bacon, DeWitt, Ga. Said to
be a precocious and prolific bearer.
GEORGIA MELON. Size above medium, short, rather blunt at apex;
cracking quality medium, shell thick; kernel plump, brown;
meat yellow, moderately tender, pleasant, good. (Report Sec.
Agr., 1893, 295: 1894.)
GIANT. Named, and at cue time propagated, by Louis Biediger,
Idlewild, Tex. (Listed in "Nut Culture in the United States,"
64, 1896.)
GONZALES. (T. V. Munson, Denison, Tex.) Above medium size, with
firm, clean shell; quality excellent. Originated in Gonzales
county, Tex. (Report Sec. Agr. 1893, 295: 1894.)
GRAFF. Named, and at one time propagated, by Louis Biediger,
Idlewild, Tex. (Listed in "Nut Culture in the United States,"
64, 1896.)
HALBERT. Very large, oval, shell thick, fair quality. (T. V.
Munson, Farm and Ranch, p. 2, Dec. 3rd, 1904.)
HAMILTON. (Syn.: _R. Hamilton_.) Illustrated in Farm and Ranch,
Vol. 23, No. 49, p. 1, Dec. 3rd, 1904.
HARCOURT. (Syn.: _Helen Harcourt_?) Size medium, short,
slightly acorn-shaped; cracking qualities medium; Shell rather
thick, but very smooth inside; kernel short, very plump; meat
yellow; very tender; rich; very good. (Report Sec. Agr., 1893,
295: 1894.)
HAVENS. Large. 1-7/8 x 1 x 7/8 inches; ovate, compressed; color
dull gray specked and splashed with purplish-brown; base
rounded, blunt-tipped; apex abruptly short-pointed,
four-angled; shell brittle, thin, .85 mm.; partitions of medium
thickness; cracking quality excellent; kernel very plump, full,
brownish-yellow marked with dark specks, primary sutures
narrow, deep, secondary ones very slightly marked, bottom ends
of halves of kernel divided; texture solid, compact, fine
grained; flavor sweet, good; quality very good.
Described from specimens received from Frank H. Lewis,
Scranton, Miss.
HOLLIS. (Syn.: _Post's Select in part._) Size medium, 1-3/8 x 1
inches; form roundish ovate, marked with four more or less
prominent longitudinal ridges; color dull brownish-yellow,
slightly splashed with purplish-brown about the apex; base
rounded; apex roundish, blunt; shell thick, 1.6 mm.;
partitions thick; cracking quality medium; kernel plump,
filling the shell, quite smooth, broadly and deeply grooved,
oval in outline, light brownish-yellow in color; texture fine
grained; flavor delicate, good; quality good.
Described from specimens received from Herbert Post, Fort
Worth, Tex. The seed nuts of this variety have been sold under
the name, "Post's Select." It originated at Bend, San Saba
county, Texas.
HUME. (Syn.: _Curtis No. 5._) Size medium, 1-1/2 x 7/8 inches;
short, oblong cylindrical, marked with two longitudinal ridges;
color grayish-brown marked with a number of short, narrow
purplish-brown splashes; base rounded, very blunt-tipped; apex
abruptly-pointed, flattened on two sides; shell thin, .8 mm.;
partitions medium, corky; cracking quality very good; kernel
full, plump, light yellowish-brown, marked and dotted with dark
spots, sutures straight, narrow, of medium depth; texture firm,
compact; flavor sweet, pleasant, quality very good.
The original tree of this variety stands in the grove of Dr. J.
B. Curtis, Orange Heights, Fla. It was grown from seed secured
from Arthur Brown, Bagdad, Fla., in 1886. It is a shy bearer.
IDEAL. Medium, 1-7/8 x 3/4 x 5/8 inches; oblong, somewhat
compressed, slightly constricted in the middle; color bright
grayish-brown marked with narrow strips of purplish-brown at
the apex; base sloping, pointed; apex sloping, pointed; shell
thin, brittle, .9 mm.; partitions medium thick; cracking
quality good; kernel full, plump, smooth, bright straw-colored,
sutures very narrow, shallow; texture compact, firm; flavor
sweet, good; quality very good.
Described from specimens received from S. W. Peek, Hartwell,
Ga.
IDLEWILD. Medium size, thick shell, kernel good. Louis
Biediger, Idlewild, Tex. (Thomas' American Fruit Culturist,
21st ed. 452, 1903.)
JACOCKS. (Syn.: _Jacocks' Mammoth._) Size large or very large,
1-7/8 x 1 inches; ovate, long; color bright yellowish-brown;
base rounded, abruptly blunt-pointed; apex blunt, four-angled,
slightly wedged; shell brittle, of medium thickness, 1.3 mm.;
partitions very thick, corky, red; cracking quality medium;
kernel light yellowish-brown, full or sometimes shrunken,
sutures broad, of medium depth, secondary sutures well
developed and fairly deep; texture open, rather coarse; flavor
sweet, rather dry; quality fairly good.
Introduced by Mrs. C. W. Jacocks, Formosa, Fla., from whom
specimens were received.
JAMES GIANT. Medium to large, 2 x 7/8 inches; ovate
cylindrical; color brownish-gray, marked with a few purplish
splashes about the apex; base rounded; apex abruptly
sharp-pointed with four rather prominent ridges; shell thin, 1.
mm.; cracking quality good; partitions medium thickness; kernel
bright light yellow, with narrow deep sutures and well defined
secondary sutures; texture firm, compact; flavor sweet, good;
quality very good.
Obtained of Prof. F. H. Burnette, Baton Rouge, La.
JAMES NO. 1. Size large, 2 x 13/16 x 3/4 inches; oblong, ovate,
compressed; brownish-yellow in color with a few brownish
streaks about the apex; base rounded, blunt-tipped; apex
abruptly blunt-pointed, four-angled, nippled; shell thin, .8
mm.; partitions thin; cracking quality very good; kernel
straw-colored, usually full and plump, though sometimes
shrunken at one end, primary sutures broad, shallow, secondary
ones well defined; texture solid, fine grained; flavor very
good, sweet; quality very good.
Described from specimens received from Prof. F. H. Burnette,
Baton Rouge, La. Originated and introduced by S. H. James,
Mound, La.
JAMES PAPER-SHELL. Medium to large, 1-7/8 x 3/4 inches;
cylindrical or slightly quadrangular, slender; color
yellowish-brown marked with purplish splashes from center to
apex; base rounded; apex abruptly-pointed, four-angled; shell
thin, .96 mm.; partitions thin; cracking quality very good;
kernel sometimes slack at one end, usually plump, smooth,
bright brownish-yellow; sutures narrow, shallow; texture firm,
compact; flavor very good, sweet; quality very good.
Originated by S. H. James, Mound, La., and described from
specimens received from Prof. F. H. Burnette, Baton Rouge, La.
JEWETT. Large, 1-7/8 x 7/8 inches; obovate, flattened, angular,
frequently constricted at the middle; color dull reddish-brown,
marked with large purplish splashes; base rounded; apex blunt
four-angled, frequently curved; shell brittle, thick; cracking
quality very good; partitions of medium thickness; kernel
bright straw-colored, plump, smooth, somewhat triangular, with
broad, open, shallow sutures; texture firm, compact; flavor
fair; quality medium.
Obtained of Chas. E. Pabst, Ocean Springs, Miss.
JUMBO. Size large, 1-5/8 x 7/8 inches; ovate, slightly
tapering; color grayish-brown marked with a few narrow streaks
about the apex; base rounded; apex four-angled, wedged,
blunt-pointed; shell brittle, of medium thickness, 1.3 mm.;
partitions thick, corky; cracking quality medium; kernel full,
plump, straw-yellow in color, primary sutures broad, deep,
secondary sutures almost lacking; texture fairly solid, fine
grained; flavor sweet, good; quality very good.
Described from specimens received from Summit Nurseries,
Monticello, Fla.
KENNEDY. Large, 1-3/4 x 7/8 inches; ovate-conical, flattened;
color dull brownish-gray, marked with a few narrow streaks of
purplish-black about the apex; base rounded; apex
sharp-pointed, flattened on two sides; shell of medium
thickness, .98 mm.; cracking quality very good; partitions
thin; kernel bright, plump, full, smooth with narrow sutures of
medium depth and secondary ones marked by a line; texture firm
and compact, flavor rich, sweet; quality excellent.
Described from specimens received from Dr. J. B. Curtis, Orange
Heights, Fla. Origin similar to Curtis.
KENTUCKY GEM. Listed. (Burnette, F. H., Bul. La. Exp. Station,
sec. ser. No. 69, 1902, p. 875.)
KIDD. Illustrated in Farm and Ranch, Vol. 23, No. 49, Dec. 3,
1904, p. 1.
KINCAID. Size medium to large, 1-5/8 x 1 inches; ovate
compressed with well defined sutures; color light
brownish-yellow, bright, marked with narrow splashes of
purplish-black at the apex; base almost flattened,
blunt-tipped; apex blunt-pointed, slightly wedged, four-angled;
shell brittle, compact, thin, .98 mm.; partitions thick, corky;
cracking quality very good; kernel very full and plump, smooth,
bright, light straw-colored, primary sutures broad and deep,
secondary sutures creased and very shallow; texture fine
grained, solid, compact; flavor sweet, rich, good; quality
excellent; a good keeper.
Described from specimens received from E. E. Rislen, San Saba,
Texas. This apparently is a very good variety of pecan.
[Illustration: FIG. 7. Shaifer. Ideal. Ladyfinger. Kernel of Atlanta.]
KRACK-EZY. Medium, ovoid, very thin shell, full of meat, best
(T. V. Munson, Farm and Ranch, Dec. 3, 1904, p. 2.)
LADYFINGER. Size small, 1-1/2 x 5/8 inches; ovate pointed at
both ends; color grayish-brown marked with a very few small
narrow streaks about the apex; base pointed; apex pointed;
shell thin, 1. mm.; partitions of medium thickness; cracking
quality excellent; kernel small and narrow, plump full, smooth,
sutures narrow and shallow; flavor sweet, good; quality very
good.
Described from specimens received from the Summit Nurseries,
Monticello, Fla. Originated on the grounds of this nursery
company in Jackson county, Fla. A small nut of very fine
quality, but too small to be recommended for extensive
planting.
LAMAR. Large, oblong, pointed, medium shell, full, best. (T. V.
Munson, Farm and Ranch, Dec. 8, 1904, p. 2).
LEWIS. Large, 1-5/8 x 7/8 inches; ovate, compressed; color
bright yellowish-brown marked with purplish-brown blotches
three-quarters of the distance back from apex; base rounded,
blunt-tipped; apex blunt-pointed, slightly wedged; shell thin,
.98 mm.; cracking quality good; partitions thick; kernel plump
or sometimes shrunken at lower end, wrinkled on the sides,
bright, light yellow in color, primary sutures broad, of medium
depth, secondary ones very shallow, wrinkled; texture fine
grained, solid; flavor sweet, pleasant; quality very good.
Described from specimens received from Frank H. Lewis,
Scranton, Miss.
LONGFELLOW. Large, 1-7/8 x 7/8 inches; obovate, angular,
sutured; color light yellowish-brown strongly marked with
purplish-black splashes throughout; base sloping, rounded; apex
shouldered, abruptly-pointed, flattened and quadrangular; shell
of medium thickness, 1.15 mm.; partitions very thin; cracking
quality good; kernel full, plump, somewhat wrinkled; light
straw-colored, sutures narrow of medium depth; texture fine
grained, compact; flavor sweet, rich, nutty; quality excellent.
Described from specimens received from E. E. Risien, San Saba,
Texas. A pecan of good quality and an excellent keeper.
LOUISIANA. Size medium, 1-7/8 x 7/8 x 3/4 inches; oblong
cylindrical; color grayish-brown, marked with splashes of
purplish-black towards the apex; base rounded, sloping; apex
sloping, pointed; shell rather thick, 1.4 mm.; partitions of
medium thickness; cracking quality very good; kernel full,
plump, dark yellow, sutures broad, shallow; texture firm,
compact; flavor sweet, good; quality very good.
Described from specimens received from Summit Nurseries,
Monticello, Fla.
MAGNUM BONUM. Medium, ovate; shell thin; partitions thin;
kernel plump, sweet; quality very good. (Hume, Bul. 54, Fla.
Exp. Station, 1900, 207).
MAMMOTH. (Syn.: _Steckler's Mammoth._) Large to very large, 2 x
1 inches; form ovate; color dull gray, pebbled, with a very few
dark lines at the apex; base rounded; apex flattened,
four-angled, blunt; shell thick, 1.4 mm.; cracking quality very
poor; partitions corky, very thick; kernel bright
yellowish-brown with broad, deep sutures and fuzzy lining
adhering to kernel; texture coarse; flavor sweet and good;
quality quite good.
Obtained of J. Steckler Seed Company.
[Illustration: Fig. 7a. The Mantura Pecan.]
MANTURA. Size large, 2 x 13/16, 1-7/8 x 7/8 inches; oblong,
oval; color dull reddish-brown liberally marked with large,
irregular black splashes; base taper-pointed, blunt; apex
sharp-pointed, nippled; shell very thin, .78 mm.; brittle,
dense; cracking quality very good; partitions thin; kernel dark
straw-colored, plump, smooth, oval, with open sutures of medium
depth; texture firm, solid; flavor sweet, nutty; quality very
good indeed.
Described from specimens received from Wm. N. Roper,
Petersburg, Va., by whom it was named and introduced in 1906.
The original tree of this variety stands on the Mantura
homestead, in Surry county, Va., two miles south of the James
river, now owned by W. P. Wilson. Mr. Wilson's mother planted
four trees from nuts secured from a tree at Surry Courthouse,
Va., the Mantura being one of the four, The parent tree
measures about fourteen feet around the body, and bears crops
of good sized nuts. It stands about ten miles from the site of
the Mantura tree.
The Mantura tree is a large, symmetrical specimen with
wide-spreading branches. It is about eighty feet high and
measures about eleven feet around the trunk. It has been
bearing for the past fifteen years, and in 1905 yielded 275
pounds of nuts.
This variety will doubtless prove a valuable acquisition for
planters on the northern limits of the pecan area, as the
particular strain from which it comes has been growing in
Virginia for more than sixty years.
MEXICAN PAPER-SHELL. Reported by Ladd Bros., Stonewall, Miss.
Listed in "Nut Culture in the United States," 1906, p. 64. (See
Biloxi.)
MEYERS. The fruit of a variety of this name was distributed by
Judge Samuel Miller, Bluffton, Mo. (Andrew Fuller, in The Nut
Culturist, p. 170, 1896.)
MONARCH. (Syn.: _De Witt Mammoth._) Large, 2 x 7/8 inches;
ovate, sloping to base and apex; color dull gray strongly
marked with purplish-black splashes; base pointed; apex
pointed, wedged; shell medium thick, 1.1 mm.; partitions thick,
corky; cracking quality poor; kernel frequently badly filled at
base, sutures of medium width and depth, color yellowish-brown;
texture firm; flavor good, rather dry; quality good.
Originated by G. M. Bacon, DeWitt, Ga. (of the G. M. Bacon
Pecan Co.), and introduced about the year 1900. Owing to the
preemption of the name Mammoth, by another variety introduced
by the late Richard Frotscher, of New Orleans, La., the name
DeWitt Mammoth was changed to Monarch.[E]
MONEY. (Syn.: _Senator Money._) Size large, 1 x 7/8 x 7/8
inches; ovate, somewhat four-angled, color light brown marked
with blotches of purplish-brown sometimes throughout; base
abruptly blunt-pointed; apex wedged, pointed; shell brittle,
medium to thick, 1.3 mm.; partitions medium; kernel plump,
full, bright light yellow, sutures broad, shallow, secondary
ones indistinct; texture rather open, of medium grain; flavor
sweet, good; quality very good.
A large, plump-meated pecan of very good quality, described
from specimens received from Frank H. Lewis, Scranton, Miss.
MONEY-MAKER. Size medium, 1-5/16 x 1 inches; ovate, oblong;
color light yellowish-brown with a few purplish-brown marks
about the apex; base rounded; apex abruptly rounded, slightly
wedged; small nipples; shell of medium thickness, 1.1 mm.;
partitions medium thick, corky; cracking quality very good;
kernel full, plump, broadly oval, sutures straight, broad,
shallow, secondary ones small; texture firm, solid; flavor
sweet, good; quality very good.
Described from specimens received from Prof. F. H. Burnette,
Baton Rouge, La. This pecan was originated and introduced by S.
H. James, Mound, La.; the quality is very good and the variety
is precocious, prolific and hardy.
MOORE. Size small, 1-3/8 x 3/4 inches; ovate; color light
yellowish-brown marked with a few small purplish spots about
the apex; base rounded; apex abruptly nippled, short; shell
brittle, thin, 1.1 mm.; partitions rather thin; cracking
quality very good; kernel dark yellow, plump, full, sutures
narrow, shallow; texture firm, compact, solid; flavor sweet and
good; quality very good.
Described from specimens received from J. H. Girardeau,
Monticello, Fla. The variety is so small that we deem it
scarcely worthy of propagation.
MORRIS. Size medium, 1-5/8 x 3/4 inches; ovate; color light
brown, bright, clean, base sloping, rounded; apex tapering
abruptly to a blunt point; shell brittle, of medium thickness,
1.45 mm.; partitions thick; cracking quality very good; kernel
plump, filling the shell, straw-colored, primary sutures broad
and deep, secondary ones shallow; texture firm, compact;
flavor sweet, good; quality very good.
Described from specimens received from Summit Nurseries,
Monticello, Fla.
NELSON. Nut the largest of all known; some specimens weighing
nearly one ounce; elliptical-oblong in shape; medium thin
shell, clean, bright in color; kernel plump, sweet and rich;
quality very best, a quick grower; early bearer, very prolific;
habit of growth like the Frotscher, forming a round-headed
tree. (Catalogue J. Steckler Seed Co., 1905, p. 172.)
NIGGER. Medium, short oval, thin shell, full, excellent. (T. V.
Munson, Farm and Ranch, Dec. 3, 1904, p. 2.)
[Illustration: FIG. 8. Pabst Pecan.]
PABST. Size large, 1-5/8 x 7/8 inches; oblong cylindrical;
color dull gray marked with broad splashes of purplish-black;
base rounded; apex blunt, four-angled, grooved; shell of medium
thickness, 1.22 mm.; partitions rather thick; cracking quality
fair; kernel plump, large, thick with broad, shallow sutures,
secondary sutures short, shallow, bright yellow in color;
texture fine; flavor good; quality very good.
Described from specimens received from Wm. A. Taylor, United
States Department of Agriculture. The original tree, according
to Mr. Taylor, is one of a number of seedlings on the grounds
of the late William E. Schmidt at Ocean Springs, Miss. The
original tree is now about thirty years old. Quite productive
and recommended for planting by those who know it.
PAN-AMERICAN. Large, oblong, thick shell, full, best. (T. V.
Munson, Farm and Ranch, Dec. 3, 1904, p. 2.)
PEARL. (E. E. Risien, San Saba, Tex.) Medium size, thin shell,
sweet kernel; no corky growth inside. A choice nut for family
use, but said to be too small for market. (Thomas' Am. Fruit
Culturist, 21st Ed., 1903.)
PEARL. This is a very productive pecan, originated by Mr.
James. It is distinct from the Pearl which originated in Texas.
(Burnette, Bul. Sec. Series, 69, La. Exp. Station, 874, 1902.)
PEGRAM. Size medium, 1-1/2 x 7/8 inches; oblong; color light
grayish-brown marked with a few purplish-brown markings at the
apex; base rounded; apex blunt, quadrangular; shell creased,
roughened, brittle, of medium thickness, 1.15 mm.; partitions
medium thick, corky; cracking quality medium; kernel plump,
full, quite smooth, sutures narrow and of medium depth; texture
firm, compact, solid; flavor sweet and good; quality good.
Described from specimens received from Prof. F. H. Burnette,
Baton Rouge, La. Originated by S. H. James, Mound, La.
PERFECTION. (Syn.: _James' Perfection._) Size medium, 1-3/8 x
7/8 inches; oblong; color grayish-brown marked well down the
sides from the apex with purplish-black splashes; base
flattened, rounded; apex abrupt, blunt; shell slightly ridged,
of medium thickness, 1.3 mm.; partitions rather thick, corky;
cracking quality medium; kernel full, plump, brownish-yellow,
narrow and moderately deep, sutures narrow, of moderate depth,
secondary ones well defined; texture fairly solid; flavor
sweet, good; quality very good.
Originated by S. H. James, Mound, La.
PETITE. Small and plump; white hull; very desirable. (Helen
Harcourt, Florida.)
PRESIDENT. Large, oblong, pointed, thin shell, full, best. (T.
V. Munson, Farm and Ranch, Dec. 3, 1904, p. 2).
PRIMATE. (W. R. Stuart, Ocean Springs, Miss.) Of medium size,
slender, rather long; shell thin; quality good; ripens in
September, thirty days before the other nuts. (Report Sec.
Agr., 1893, 295: 1894.)
POST. (Syn.: _Port's Select in part_.) Size medium, 1-3/4 x 1
inches; short, obovate, compressed on the upper half color
light brownish-yellow, marked with a few purplish splashes
about the apex; base rounded; apex blunt, abruptly shouldered;
shell of medium thickness, 1.35 mm.; partitions thick; cracking
quality medium; kernel plump, bright straw-colored, deeply
grooved and wrinkled, texture firm, solid; flavor sweet,
delicate; quality good.
Described from specimens from the original tree, received from
Wm. A. Taylor, U. S. Department of Agriculture. The original
seedling tree stands on H. B. Freeman's farm on the Colorado
river bottom, San Saba county, Texas. It took its name from Mr.
Post, a former owner of the place.[F]
RANDALL. (Syn.: _Curtis No. 3._) Small, 1-3/8 x 1 inches;
ovate-oblong; color grayish-brown splashed with broad marks of
purplish-brown, and covered with small dots throughout; base
rounded; apex abruptly blunt-pointed; shell rough, of medium
thickness; cracking quality very good; partitions corky, of
medium thickness, 1.25 mm.; kernel medium size, smooth,
roundish sutures, reddish-yellow in color; texture firm and
compact; flavor sweet and good; quality very good.
Specimens for description obtained of Dr. J. B. Curtis, Orange
Heights, Fla. Origin similar to Curtis.
REPTON. Large, shell rather whitish one end round, the other
decidedly pointed; black points; meat sweet and tender; tree
remarkably beautiful. From one Repton tree, said to be forty
years old, over five hundred pounds of nuts were gathered the
season of 1904. (Helen Harcourt, "Florida Fruits and How to
Grow Them," 1886, p. 212.)
RIBERA. Size above medium; oblong-ovate; cracking quality good;
shell thin; kernel plump, light brown, free from the bitter,
red, corky growth which adheres to the shell; meat yellow;
tender, with rich, delicate, pleasant flavor, (Report Sec.
Agr., 1893, 295: 1894.)
RISIEN. Large ovate; quality excellent. E. K. Risien, San Saba,
Texas. (Thomas' American Fruit Culturist, 21st Ed., 453, 1903.)
ROBSON. A medium-sized, very thin-shelled nut, oblong ovoid in
shape. A comparatively new variety, but of considerable merit.
(Bacon's Cat., 1904, p. 28.)
ROME. (Syn.: _Century_, _Columbia_, _Columbian_, _Mammoth_,
_Pride of the Coast_, _Southern Giant_, _Twentieth Century_.)
Size large to very large, 1-7/8 x 1 to 2 x 1 inches; oblong
cylindrical or cylindrical ovate; color grayish, dirty, much
splashed and spotted with dirty, black marks sometimes
throughout; base rounded; apex abruptly-pointed, flattened on
two sides; shell hard, brittle, thick, 1.6 mm.; cracking
quality poor; partitions thick, corky; kernel frequently
shrunken, bright yellowish in color, sutures of medium depth,
secondary ones well marked, fuzzy material often adhering to
lower end; texture coarse, rather dry; flavor dry, lacking in
character; quality fair.
[Illustration: FIG. 9 Russell. Franklin. Kincaid.]
Described from specimens received from J. Steckler Seed Co.,
New Orleans, La. This much-named variety, according to Taylor,
was originated by the late Sebastian Rome, at Convent, St.
James Parish, La., about 1840. Catalogued by the late Richard
Frotscher, under the name "Rome," in 1885. It cannot be
recommended for planting.
RUSSELL. Size medium to large, 1-5/8 x 7/8 inches; form ovate,
slightly compressed; color grayish-brown with small specks and
splashes of purplish-black; base rounded, blunt-pointed; apex
abruptly sloping; shell very thin, brittle, .74 mm.; partitions
very thin: cracking quality excellent; kernel usually plump
though sometimes shrunken at the base, sutures broad and
shallow; texture fairly compact; flavor dry, sweet; quality
good.
Described from specimens received from Chas. E. Pabst, Ocean
Springs, Miss. The original tree stands in the yard of Mrs. H.
F. Russell, at Ocean Springs, and is one of a lot of seedlings
raised by the late Col. W. R. Stuart, about 1875. The tree was
planted where it now stands by Peter Madsen. It was named by
Mr. Pabst, and propagated by him in 1894.
RUSSELL NO. 1. Large, long-ovoid, shell thin, plump, good. (T.
V. Munson, Farm and Ranch, Dec. 3, 1904, p. 2.)
RUSSELL NO. 2. Very large, ovoid, shell rather thick, very
good. (T. V. Munson, Farm and Ranch, Dec. 3rd, 1904, p. 2.)
SAN SABA. Size small, 1-3/8 x 7/8 inches; ovate, slightly
compressed toward the apex; color bright reddish-yellow, marked
with purplish-brown splashes extending from about the middle of
the apex; shell very thin and brittle; partitions thin;
cracking quality excellent; kernel very plump, smooth, deeply
and broadly grooved, bright straw-colored, oval in outline;
texture solid, fine grained; flavor rich, sweet, delicate;
quality excellent.
The San Saba may be regarded as a standard of quality among
pecans, as the Seckel is among pears. Described from specimens
received from E. E. Risien, San Saba, Texas. The variety was
introduced by Mr. Risien about 1893. The original tree stands
on the San Saba river near its intersection with the Colorado
river in Texas.
SCHAIFER. (Syn.: _Kate Schaifer._) Size medium, 1-3/4 x 3/4
inches; cylindrical, slender; color light yellowish-brown,
marked with a few narrow, purplish splashes at the apex; base
sloping, pointed; apex sloping, sharp-pointed; shell rather
thick, 1.35 mm.; partitions thick, corky; cracking quality
quite good; kernel bright yellowish, plump, filling the shell,
smooth, sutures shallow of medium width; texture fine grained;
flavor sweet, good; quality very good.
Described from specimens received from Prof. F. H. Burnette,
Baton Rouge, La. Originated by S. H. James, Mound, La. Said to
be prolific.
[Illustration: FIG. 10. The Schley Pecan.]
SCHLEY. Size large, 1-7/8 x 7/8 x 3/8 inches; oblong, oval,
flattened; color light reddish-brown, marked with small specks
about the base and small splashes of purplish-brown about the
apex; base rounded, abruptly short nippled; apex abrupt,
flattened on two sides and rather sharp pointed; shell brittle,
dense, thin, .75 mm.; cracking quality excellent, shell
breaking easily and readily separating from the kernel; kernel
very full and plump, smooth, with shallow sutures and almost
entirely free from wrinkles, bright light yellowish-brown in
color; texture very firm; flavor rich, sweet, nutty; quality
best; season early.
Obtained from Summit Nurseries, Monticello, Fla. Not as
prolific as some varieties, but, in point of quality,
unsurpassed.
SENATOR. Medium; ovate; shell and partitions thin; kernel full
and plump; quality excellent. G. M. Bacon, DeWitt, Ga. (Hume,
Bul. 54, Fla. Exp. Station, 204, 1900.)
SOVEREIGN. Origin, San Saba, Texas. A seedling of San Saba,
grown and introduced by E. E. Risien, of San Saba, Tex.
Cylindrical, medium to large, with very thin shell and full
kernel of fine quality. A new variety of very much promise.
(Taylor, Wm. A., Cyclopedia Am. Hort., 1256, 1901.)
STEVENS. Named for Hon. O. B. Stevens. Commissioner of
Agriculture. Not very Large, but bright, pretty and neatly
shaped. Very thin shell and always full of nice, rich meat,
whether the seasons are wet or dry. Trees medium bloomers, and
full bearers of nuts uniform in shape and size. (Bacon's Cat.,
1900.)
[Illustration: FIG. 11. The Stuart Pecan.]
STUART. (Syn.: _Castanera._) Size large to very large, 1-7/8 x
1 inches; ovate cylindrical; color grayish-brown splashed and
dotted with purplish-black; base rounded, tipped; apex blunt,
abrupt, somewhat four-angled; shell medium in thickness, 1.1
mm.; partitions thin; cracking quality very good; kernel plump,
full, bright straw-colored, sutures moderately broad and deep,
secondary sutures not well defined; texture solid, fine
grained; flavor rich, sweet; quality very good.
Described from specimens received from the Stuart Pecan Co.,
Ocean Springs, Miss. This variety has been tested and found to
succeed over a wide range of country. The original tree,[G]
grown from a nut planted by John R. Lassabe, about 1874, stood
in the garden now owned by Capt. E. Castanera, Pascagoula,
Miss. It was blown down in October, 1893, but a new shoot, now
in bearing, has sprung up from the roots.
[Illustration: FIG. 12. Success Pecan.]
SUCCESS. Size large, 1-9/16 x 1 inches; oblong-ovate tapering
from near base to apex; color light yellowish-brown strongly
marked with purplish-brown splashes about the apex; base
flattened, roundish; apex blunt, four-angled; shell thin, .93
mm.; cracking quality very good; partitions thin; kernel large,
full, plump, filling the shell, light yellow in color, sutures
broad of medium depth, inner surface wrinkled, oval in outline;
texture firm, solid, compact; flavor sweet, rich; quality very
good.
The original tree was found "growing in a crowded row of
seedlings planted at Ocean Springs, Miss., by the late W. B.
Schmidt, about ten years previously. The original Success tree
first attracted attention in the fall of 1901." Described from
specimens received from Theo. Bechtel, Ocean Springs, Miss.
SWEETMEAT. Size medium, 1-1/4 x 7/8 inches; color bright
grayish-brown marked with small streaks of purplish-brown about
the apex; abruptly blunt; shell thin, .8 mm.; partitions of
medium thickness, corky; cracking quality good; kernel plump,
full, light yellow, sutures broad, shallow; texture fine
grained, compact; flavor sweet; quality good.
Described from specimens received from Summit Nurseries,
Monticello, Fla.
TEXAS. Quite large, some very long; white hull; black points.
(Helen Harcourt, "Florida Fruits and How to Grow Them," 1886,
p. 212.)
TEXAS PROLIFIC. Large, oblong, shell thin, cream, clean, plump,
best. (T. V. Munson, Farm and Ranch, Dec. 3rd, 1904, p. 2.)
THOMAS. Size small, 1-1/8 x 1 inches; short, roundish oblong;
color brownish-gray dotted with small specks throughout, marked
with dark purplish splashes from middle to apex; base rounded;
apex abruptly short, pointed, nippled; shell of medium
thickness, 1.2 mm.; partitions thick, corky, reddish; cracking
quality quite good; kernel plump, filling the shell, sutures of
medium depth, narrow, texture compact, fine grained, solid;
flavor good; quality good.
Described from specimens received from Walter Thomas, Palatka,
Fla.
TURKEY EGG, JR. Smaller and shorter than the above; cracking
quality medium; shell of medium thickness; kernel plump, light
colored; tender, oily, rich; good. (Report Sec. Agr., 1893,
296: 1894.)
TURKEY EGG, SR. Large, long, pointed; cracking quality very
good; shell of medium thickness; kernel long, plump;
brownish-yellow; separates readily from the shell; meat yellow,
a little tough; not of highest quality. (Report Sec. Agr.,
1893, 296: 1894.)
TURNER. Medium; elliptical oblong; shell thin; partitions
slightly corky; kernel plump, sweet; quality excellent. G. L.
Taber, Glen St. Mary, Fla. (Hume, Bul. 54, Fla. Exp. Station,
203, 1900.)
VAN DEMAN. (Syn.: _Bourgeois, Duminie Mire, Southern Beauty,
Paragon in part_.) Large to very large, 2-1/8 x 1 x 7/8 inches;
oblong cylindrical; color reddish-brown with splashes and
streaks of purplish-brown; base sloping, blunt-pointed; apex
tapering, sharp-pointed; shell of medium thickness; cracking
quality fine; partitions thick; kernel light brownish-yellow,
sutures rather deeply and narrowly grooved with secondary
sutures forming a mere line; kernel fine grained and compact,
sometimes slack at the end; flavor sweet and delicate; quality
very good.
[Illustration: FIG. 13. Van Deman Pecan.]
Specimens for description obtained of Dr. J. B. Curtis, Orange
Heights, Fla. The original tree of this variety was grown from
a nut planted by the late Duminie Mire, of Union, St. James
Parish, La., in 1836. The tree still stands, thrifty and
vigorous, bearing 200 to 300 pounds of nuts yearly. It was
first widely distributed by the late Col. W. R. Stuart, Ocean
Springs, Miss., who gave it the name Van Deman. Previously, it
had been propagated and distributed locally by the late Emil
Bourgeois.[H]
VALSIES. Reported by Ladd Bros., Stonewall, Miss., and listed
in "Nut Culture in the United States," U. S. Dept. Agr., Div.
Pomology, 1896, 64.
WILLINGHAM. Illustrated in Farm and Ranch, Vol. 23, No. 49,
Dec. 3rd, 1904, p. 1.
YOUNG. Medium to large, 1-5/8 x 1 inches; ovate cylindrical,
rounded at the base; color grayish-brown, splashed with
purplish-brown markings from center to apex; base rounded; apex
sloping rather abruptly, nippled; shell brittle, thin, .76 mm.;
cracking quality very good; partitions thin; kernel full,
plump, slightly wrinkled with broad and shallow sutures;
texture fairly solid; flavor sweet, rich, nutty; quality very
good.
Obtained from Chas. E. Pabst, Ocean Springs, Miss. Originated
by and named for B. M. Young, Morgan City, Louisiana.
HYBRID PECANS.
The pecan appears to inter-pollinate freely with some of the other
species of hickory, particularly _H. minima_, _H. laciniosa_ and _H.
alba_. A number of what are believed to be well-marked hybrids of the
pecan with these different species have been found, the most noteworthy
of which, perhaps, are given below:
MCCALLISTER. (Syn.: _Floyd_.) Received from O. L. McCallister,
Mount Vernon, Ind. This is probably a hybrid. It is the largest
nut among all the hickories received at this office. The hull
is about one-fourth of an inch thick when dry, and opens
readily to the base with four valves. Nut 2-1/8 inches long,
1-5/16 inches wide, and 1-1/16 inches thick; base broad,
rounded; apex broad, blunt, angular. In compressed form, in
color of nut, also in the angularity and thickness of shell, it
is quite similar to shellbark hickory. The kernel of a
well-filled specimen is in color, consistency and flavor more
like a shellbark of high quality than a pecan. The tree is
reported to be "so similar to pecan in bark and leaf that it
would be impossible to detect the difference," yet the buds and
young wood more closely resemble shellbark. The tree was found
many years ago on a farm now owned by Mr. McCallister. The nuts
have little pomological value, as grown on the original tree
some years, the kernel being shriveled and not filling more
than one-third of the space within the shell; yet nuts from the
crop of 1893 have been received at the Division of Pomology
which were well filled with a kernel of very pleasant flavor.
Possibly it may become more uniform in maturing fruit in
Mississippi or Texas, where the season is longer than in
Indiana. It is well worth a trial by experimenters in those
States. Sargent gives a short description of this nut under the
name Floyd, and accredits the points of his description to A.
S. Fuller in New York Tribune, weekly edition, July 9th, 1892,
and says it is perhaps a hybrid. (Nut Culture in the United
States, 1896, p. 63-4.)
[Illustration: (_Photo by Dr. Wm. Trelease._)
FIG. 14.
The Nussbaumer Hybrid.]
NUSSBAUMER. In the American Agriculturist for 1884, p. 546,
fol., A. S. Fuller published an account of a supposed hybrid
between this species and the pecan, which has been called the
Nussbaumer hybrid, after J. J. Nussbaumer, of Okawville, Ill.,
who first brought it to the attention of Judge Samuel Miller,
of Bluffton, Mo. Mr. Nussbaumer writes me that the original
tree, which stands in the bottom between Mascoutah and
Fayetteville, Ill., in general appearance resembles laciniosa,
though the bark is intermediate between that of the Pecan and
Mockernut. Prof. Sargent states (Silva, vii, 158) that a small
tree grown from this in New Jersey, by Mr. Fuller, cannot be
distinguished from laciniosa of the same age; and I should
hardly be able to distinguish an imperfect twig from a small
tree, cultivated by Judge Miller, from laciniosa. The nut,
however, is very peculiar, being more elongated than is usual
in that species, and widened upwardly, less acutely angled "as
if the ridges had been sandpapered down," and so thin-shelled
that it can be crushed easily by pressing two together in the
palm of the hand. A somewhat similar nut, originally from
Indiana, was described by Mr. Fuller In the New York Weekly
Tribune, July 9, 1892 (Sargent's Silva, l.c.), as cultivated by
R. M. Floyd, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. And in the autumn of 1895,
Dr. J. Schneck sent me ample fruit, twig and leaf specimens of
a similar hickory from Posey county, Indiana. The nut of this
last is almost identical with a specimen of the Nussbaumer nut
in the Englemann herbarium, while its twigs closely resemble
those of laciniosa, and the leaves are decidedly of the pecan
type. I am led to the conclusion, therefore, that these several
forms really represent hybrids between H. pecan and H.
laciniosa. In size, quality, and thinness of shell they appear
to be the most valuable of American nuts. (Trelease, Wm., 7th
Report Mo. Bot. Garden, 1896, pp. 40-41.)
POOSHEE. Size small, 1-1/4 x 7/8 x 3/4 inches; ovate, flattened
wedged, sutures prominent; color dull brown with a very few
dark lines at the apex; base rounded; apex flattened abruptly,
short pointed; shell medium in thickness, 1.5 mm.; partitions
thin, 4-celled at base; kernel rounded in outline, light yellow
in color, sutures broad, shallow, halves indented at base;
surface much wrinkled and corrugated; flavor sweetish.
[Illustration: FIG. 15. H. Minima and two of its hybrids, Westbrook and
Pooshee.]
Specimens of this nut were secured from Dr. J. F. Wilson,
Poulan, Ga., who received them from Prof. Burgess, Clemson
College, S. C. The nut presents exactly the same
characteristics as the Westbrook, except in flavor and color of
kernel. It, too, is doubtless a hybrid, _H. minima_ x _H.
pecan_. The original tree of this variety stands by or in the
old Ravenel cemetery, near Pinopolis, Berkely county, S. C.
[Illustration: _Photo by Dr. Wm. Trelease._
FIG. 16. The Schneck Hybrid.]
SCHNECK. In the autumn of 1894, Dr. J. Schneck, of Mt. Carmel,
Ill., and F. Reppert, of Muscatine, Iowa, sent to the
herbarium twigs and fruit of bottom-land trees that appear to
be hybrids of this species with the pecan. The bark of the Iowa
tree is described as being much like that of the Mockernut,
while the tree of Dr. Schneck is smooth-barked, resembling the
pecan. So far as I have seen them, the twigs of both might pass
for those of alba, except that the outer scales of the
terminal buds are persistent, while the foliage, though
intermediate, is strongly suggestive of that of the pecan. The
fruit is oblong, almost 2 inches long, the husk 6 mm. thick,
parted nearly to the base, with strongly elevated margins to
the segments, and rather persistent on the tree. The nuts are
nearly as pale as in the Shagbark, conspicuously brown striped,
slightly 4-celled at the very base, and with a wall only 1 mm.
thick. As is usual in ALBA, they are upwardly attenuate, and
frequently the kernel is abortive. (Trelease, Wm., 7th Report
Mo. Bot. Garden, 1896, pp. 44-45.)
WESTBROOK. Size small, 1-3/8 x 7/8 inches; ovate, flattened,
prominently sutured; color brown with a few indistinct brownish
streaks close to the apex; base rounded; apex wedge-shaped,
ridge, abruptly-pointed; shell rough and irregular, thin, 8.5
mm.; partitions rather thin, 4-celled at base; kernel
reddish-brown, much wrinkled, sutures of moderate width and
depth, halves divided at the base, much corrugated in cross
section; flavor decidedly bitter and puckery.
The parent tree is one standing in the yard of J. H. Westbrook,
Mt. Olive, N. C., and grew from what, to all appearances, was a
pecan nut. The foliage and general aspect of the tree closely
resembles the pecan, though the serrations on the leaves are
coarser and larger. The fruit resembles, in many respects, that
of _Hicoria minima_, and, in short, it appears to be a
well-marked hybrid between that species and _Hicoria pecan_.
FOOTNOTES:
[C] Taylor, Wm. A., Yearbook, 1904.
[D] Letter from Mr. S. H. Graves, dated June 19th, 1903.
[E] The Nut Grower, p. 119, March, 1904.
[F] Taylor, Wm. A., Yearbook, U. S. Dept. Agriculture, 1904.
[G] Taylor, Wm. A., Yearbook, 1904.
[H] Wm. A. Taylor, Yearbook, 1904.
CHAPTER V.
PECAN JUDGING.
Every grower of the pecan should be a judge of pecan nuts, and the ideas
of growers, while they may differ on certain minor points, should agree
on the more important characters of the nut. To enable growers,
nurserymen and judges to work on a common standard of merit, a scale of
points, in which each individual characteristic of the nut may receive a
certain fixed number of credits, is indispensable.
At the second annual meeting of the National Nut Growers' Association,
held in New Orleans, the following scale of points for judging pecans
was adopted:
PECAN NUTS.
_External characters._ _Points._
Size, 20
Form, 5
Color, 5
_Shell characters._
Thinness, 10
Cracking quality, 20
_Kernel characters._
Plumpness, 20
Color, 5
Quality, 15
-----
Total, 100
_Tree._ _Points._
Vigor, 10
Habit, 10
Toughness, 10
Resistance to disease, insects, 10
Precocity, 10
Uniformity of ripening, 10
Productiveness, 40
-----
Total, 100
The rating of a variety to be determined by averaging the rating of nut
and tree.
EXPLANATORY NOTES, CHARACTER AND CONDITION OF SAMPLES.
All samples submitted for judging shall be fair average samples of the
crop and not selected specimens. They should he tree-ripened, and should
be thoroughly cured before judging. Polishing, coloring or other
manipulation to disqualify:
_Size_--The nuts should be large and reasonably uniform in
size; nuts running smaller than 100 per pound, to be
disqualified.
_Form_--The nuts should be symmetrical in form and reasonably
smooth of surface.
_Color_--The shell should be bright and clear in color without
excess of surface markings.
_Thinness_--the shell should be sufficiently thin in proportion
to size of nut to crush readily.
_Cracking Quality_--The shell should be brittle and should
separate readily from the kernel leaving it clean and in
perfect halves.
_Plumpness_--The kernel should fill the shell and must be
smooth, externally, with solid meat of fine and uniform
texture, free from internal cavities and with high relative
weight of kernel to shell.
_Color_--The kernel should be uniformly bright and attractive
in color.
_Quality_--The flavor should be sweet and rich, free from
bitterness or astringence of either meat or skin.
PART III.
Cultural.