shell. Shift the crackers a little to one side of the crack,
apply pressure again and a piece of the shell breaks out. A few gentle
squeezes will remove the remainder of the shell and the kernel drops out
intact.

A hand-power cracker, capable of quite efficient work, is manufactured
by Thomas Mills & Bro., Philadelphia, Penn. It has a capacity of one
hundred pounds per day, and is capable of giving ninety per cent. of
perfect halves.

For factory use, two machines, for extracting kernels at a rapid rate,
have been invented, one by Mr. Robert E. Woodson, St. Louis, Mo., and
the other by Mr. Grim, New York city. These make it possible to extract
pecans in large quantities for commercial purposes. The nuts are fed
into a hopper and the machine then takes care of them. In regard to the
Woodson machine shown in the adjoining illustration, the inventor says
that "in cracking one hundred pounds of nuts there were obtained 39-1/2
pounds of perfect halves and 3-1/2 pounds of broken pieces. This test
shows 92 per cent. of perfect halves. I do not claim that this result
may be obtained at all times and under all conditions, for the hardness
of the shell and the dryness of the nuts make a difference in the
results."

Pecans which have become somewhat dry should be soaked in water over
night. This renders them much more easily cracked.

[Illustration: FIG. 38. Woodson's Power Kernel Extractor.]

PECAN OIL.

Oil extracted from almonds, peanuts, cocoanuts and other nuts is now
used for various purposes, and at no distant time it is probable that
pecan oil may also be placed on the market. Only the cheaper, inferior
grades of nuts can be used in oil-making, as the larger and better
quality of nuts are worth too much for dessert purposes.

Ordinary nuts will run about fifty per cent. kernels, and these kernels
analyze about seventy per cent. oil or fat. On this basis one hundred
pounds would give approximately thirty-five pounds of oil. Of course the
better grades of nuts will give sixty per cent. kernels, and would
consequently yield more oil.

Pecan oil might be used as a salad oil. It might be put to other
culinary uses, as well as finding a possible place among medicinal
oils.

CHAPTER XVII.

PECAN LITERATURE.

But little has been written on the culture of the pecan. The following
brief list of bulletins, articles or chapters in general works,
comprises practically all that has appeared from the pens of Am