The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1910-01-19
NUT BEARING TREES.
Many Species OF Hickory-Pecan of
South-The Walnut.

Among our nut-bearing trees the
hickories are perhaps the best
known. They are strictly North
American trees--none now grow in
any other part of the world. There
are fourteen known species: One
Mexic an, while the other thirteen
grow east Of the Rocky mountains.
The State Of Indiana boasts of six
species. Of which the shagbark or
shellt'ark Is most noted because of
its nuts and its peculiar bark.
The wood of most species is tough
strong and fiexible--especially valu-
able for farm implements. tool han
dies, etc. There Is no other kind IF
fuel that excels dry hickory for heat
and t'rilliancy of flame. No other Of
our trees bear such valuable nuts:
No finer shade trees are to be found
But because OF the value Of the wood
for implements and fuel the finest
trees of the forest have been sacrific-
ed and as consequence the crop of
wild nuts Is decreasing while the
demand Is increasing. Nurserymen
are now experimenting to find the
best method of propagating tho
trees and improving the varieties.
The Creek and algonquin tribes of
Indians made a drink from the
pounded nuts. shells and all, anG
called 1t "powcohikora." Recent
botanists have adopted the latter part
Of the Indian name. with a slight
change (hickoria) las the name of
the genius which seems very fit
ting.
We scarcely think Of the pecan
as a hickory, yet 1t Is the largest of
our hickories. It IL a native Of the
Southern and Southeastern counties
of the State. and grows to perfection
In tho rich. moist soils of the river
bottoms. The wood Of the pecan is
hard, brittle, Of g. light reddish
brown. and IL the least valuable Of
all the hickories, except for fuel, and
for its nuts which are collected and
sold In all the markets Of the North
What the pecan Is to the river val
ley people the shell bark, shagbark
and mockernut hick0ries might, with
little forethought and care, be-
come to the people living on the up
lands farther north.
The black walnut IL a grand tree,
growing In river bottoms and on
hillsides west from Western Massa-
chusettes to Minnesota and south
ward to Georgia. Florida. Mississippi
and Texas. The trunk Is tall and
straight. The branches are stout and
spreading. forming a round-topped
tree when grown In the open..
The flowers Of the walnut are much
like those Of the hickory except tina.
the pistillate flowers. instead of be-
Ing ycllowish green are Of rich red
The pistils, as in the case Of the hick-
ory. divide into two plumy heads.
The nutriment which nature pro-
vides for baby walnuts and hickories
Is stored In the seed leaves. While
the pollen Is flying from the boughs
the forming nut has four communi-
eating chambers In which one en-
bryo plant lives all alone. AS the
seed leaves are packed with oils and
starches for the sustenance Of the
young tree they swell and stretch
and soon occupy the entire four
roomed apartment. When they have
attained their growth they are lobed
| and folded so as to fit every Granny
or the nutshell i'm which they lie.
This Is the reason that the kernels
show such irregular surfaces when
taken from the shells.
| The family's botanic name. Jug
lans, Is derived from the Jovis CLANS
-Jove's nut. Roman writer's applied
| this name to the European walnut
on account of the excellence of its
nuts. Jove's acorn was the walnut of
commerce, for curiously enough. 1t
was this nut, not the fruit Of the oak.
which the Romans called an acorn.
Indiana Farmer.
The ID. L. Chandler Clotbing 10