sippi, Indian Territory, Arkansas, and Missouri. Even as far north as southeastern Iowa it grows wild; but the region of profitable culture does not probably extend so far north as the other species of the hickory family. In the Gulf States is found the best climate for this nut, and already there are considerable orchards of it planted there. It is needless to expect success in poor soil, for like all nut trees the pecan grows to the greatest perfection in rich, moist alluvium. Many of the lands subject to periodical floods along the Mississippi River and tributary streams might be planted to the pecan with great profit. Once well established these orchards in rich bottoms would yield large quantities of the very best nuts, and would not be injured by the floods, which usually occur long before the time of gathering the crop. There is great variation in the nuts as to size, shape, thickness of shell, and quality of the kernel. The illustration, Plate I, Fig. 1, shows the character of the ordinary wild nut ; and Fig. 2, the large, choice, wild nuts sent to market. Fig. 3 is a very choice variety named Stuart, in honor of the originator, Col. W. R. Stuart, Ocean Springs, Mississippi. This is one of the largest and best in quality and thinnest shelled of any that I have yet examined. Fig. 4 represents another variety by the same originator, named Van Deman by him, as a compliment to myself. It is also very large, and thin shelled. Either of these varieties can be crushed in the hand. Fig. 5 is a cut of a choice variety received from Louis Biediger, of Idlewild, Texas, and named Idlewild by me, as I thought it well worthy of propagation under a distinct name. A very choice variety is also shown in Fig. 6, which was obtained from E. E. Risien, of San Saba, Texas. Distinct differences will be noticed in the shape of the varieties, and these are only a few of a large number of choice kinds which have been sent to this office. It is only just to mention that in addition to the above the following persons have large and delicious pecans, which it will pay any one who contemplates growing this nut to procure: T. V. Munson, Denison, Texas; O. D. Faust, Bamburg, South Carolina; B. M. Young, Morgan City, Louisiana; Arthur Brown, Bagdad, Florida. The illustration on Plate II is of a tree thirteen years old, on the farm of Col. W. R. Stuart, of Ocean Springs, Mississippi, and shows the typical size and shape of a pecan tree grown in the open fiel.. It has been bearing for three years past. THE CHESTNUT. In my report last year I mentioned this nut and gave an illustration of Paragon, a chestnut which was brought to notice by H. M. Engle, of Marietta, Pennsylvania. I then thought it might be partly of foreign stock, and now am sure that it is nearly or entirely so It is better in quality than the other varieties I have tested of either European or Asiatic parentage, but it is now quite well establishe that W. L. Shaffer, of Philadelphia, planted a European nut, from which the original tree of this variety came. The same may be said of a variety mentioned in my report of last year under the name Dupont, which is a Delaware seedling from a foreign_nut. Recent investigations prove that its true name is Ridgley and that Dupont is only a synonym. There are a number of very large varieties of foreign chestnuts in the hands of Samuel C. Moon, of Morrisville, Pennsylvania, and William Parry, of Parry, New Jersey, who both sent me samples this year. It is, however, my belief that we should |