Volume 52 Number 1 Article 1
Year 1998 Month 1
Title: īSan Saba` Pecan
Authors: T.E. Thompson and L.J. Grauke
Abstract:
Possibly the most famous pecan (Carya
illinoinensis (Wangenh.) K. Koch) tree is
the Mother 'San Saba' discovered by Mr.
E. E. Risien in 1882. Today, the tree is still
healthy and growing on a bank of the San
Saba River in San Saba County, Central
Texas.
Mr.
Edmond E. Risien (1853-1940)
was born in England, and came to
the small town of San Saba, TX. in 1874.
It has been said that Risien was a cabinet
maker by profession, native of San Saba
by accident, and a horticulturist by instinct (personal communication with Elsie
Millican, 1987). In the 1870's wagons of
buffalo meat and pecans were commonly
sold in San Saba.
Risien became interest
ed in good pecans, and offered a $5 prize
for the best "eating pecan" sample.
This
was the common term for the highest
quality pecans that people kept for them
selves.
When a tree was found that produced the highest quality pecans, they
were usually kept in a bag by themselves
while the common quality pecans were
loaded into the wagon beds in bulk.
The winning entry was very impressive, and Risien asked to see the tree that
produced these nuts.
When the man took
him to the tree, Risien was horrified to
find only one limb remaining on the tree.
The prize winner had left that limb to
stand on to cut the rest of the tree down
to get the pecans.
Risien was determined
to own the tree.
He checked and found
that a Mr.
Cunningham in Alabama
owned the 314 acres upon which the tree
stood.
The land was ideal for pecan
growing and easily fenced since it was
bounded on one side by the Colorado
River and by the San Saba River on an
other side.
Only one fence had to be built
between the two rivers to fence the place.
Risien bought the land upon which the tree was growing and named this ortet
tree the Mother 'San Saba'. He released
this cultivar about 1893.
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