November. 1918] 



The Ottawa Naturalist 



89 



to Canada. None are found west of Ontario and 

 most are confined to the southern part of the pro- 

 vince and south-western Quebec. The "pecan" of 

 commerce is the fruit of Car})a illinoensis, the south- 

 ern species. 



BITTERNUT HICKORY OR SWAMP HICKORY, Car^a 

 cordiforniis. This is a tree which grows from 50 to 60 

 feet high, with a large spreading crown when grow- 

 ing m the open. It has slender twigs as compared 

 with other species and its winter buds are sulphur- 

 yellow. The leaves consist of seven to eleven leaflets. 

 The tree prefers low, wet situations near streams, al- 

 though it thrives well in good soil on higher ground. 

 It IS an important species on account of its relatively 

 wide distribution. 



SHACBARK HICKORY, Car^a ovata. This is one 

 of the largest hickories, reaching a height of 50 to 80 

 feet. It has a straight and columnar trunk and in 

 the open the crown resembles an inverted cone in 

 outline. In the forest the crown is small and flat. 

 It receives its name from the fact that the bark shags 

 off in large plates free at both ends. The buds are 

 yellowish-brown and large. The leaves consist of 

 five to seven leaflets. It requires a good, rich soil, 

 deep and well-drained on account of its long tap 

 root. 



MOCKERNUT HICKORY, Carya alba. A tall 

 tree, 75 to 90 feet high in the forest, but shorter 

 with a broad, round-topped crown when growing 

 in the open. The buds are large and can be 

 distinguished from the shagbark by their lack of 

 persistent outer scales. Leaves consist of seven to 

 nine leaflets. Prefers well-drained, rich slopes and 

 is found in the counties of Ontario bordering the 

 lakes. 



PIGNUT HICKORY, Car^a glabra. This is a 

 smaller species with much-twisted and con- 

 torted branches. It reaches a height of 40 to 

 50 feet and the crown is narrow and long, reaching 

 well down the trunk. Winter buds small and 

 yellowish-brown. Leaves composed of seven to nine 

 leaflets. Found in the Niagara Peninsula and the 

 counties bordering Lake Erie. Carya microcarpa, 

 the Little Pignut, is a variety of this species. One 

 or two specimens of Carya ovata are hardy at 

 Ottawa. 



Carya illinoensis, "the pecan" is not hardy in 

 Canada, except perhaps in parts of British Col- 

 umbia. Several young trees planted at Sidney, B.C., 

 have done well so far. 



The Chestnuts. 

 SWEET chestnut, Castanea dentata. Only 

 one of the four known species of true 

 chestnuts is native to Canada. This species, how- 

 ever, is highly prized for both its wood and its 

 fruit. It grows naturally in Canada only in a 



restricted portion of Ontario from the Niagara 

 river westward to the Detroit river and Lake St. 

 Clair. 



It is generally a large tree, about 75 feet high. 

 The crown is spreading and usually rounded. The 

 leaves are about six inches long, narrow and taper- 

 pointed with toothed margins. A few specimens of 

 this tree are hardy at Ottawa, but do not produce 

 nuts. In the Niagara district the nuts are produced 

 in large quantities and are collected as they fall from 

 the trees in September and October. There is a 

 good local market for the nuts and quantities are 

 used by those who collect them from the 

 woods. Large single trees growing in the open are 

 very productive. The tree thrives in any good soil 

 and is common in pastures and rocky woods. Un- 

 fortunately a parasitic bark disease, Diaporthe 

 parasitica, is destroying it in large quantities. The 

 tree bears fruit at the age of five years and is 

 valuable for its timber at about 1 5 years of age. 

 Castanea sativa is the European species and a var- 

 iety of this known as Paragon is also planted for 

 commercial purposes in the Niagara district. 

 The Hazelnuts. 



The hazelnuts are mostly shrubs, rarely trees. 

 There are eleven known species throughout Europe, 

 Asia and America and many horticultural varieties 

 are cultivated. The hazelnuts belong to the Beech 

 Family and are therefore closely related to the 

 chestnuts and oaks. Two species are native to 

 Canada and many of the horticultural varieties 

 succeed in southern parts of British Columbia and 

 Ontario. Efforts have been made to make pro- 

 fitable plantings in certain parts. These efforts have 

 been handicapped by the fact that the fungous dis- 

 ease, Cryptospora anomala, common on the native 

 species, also attacks imported varieties. The hazel- 

 nuts require moderately rich, well-drained soil. In- 

 jury from frost is generally a possibility as both 

 staminate and pistillate catkins develop in the 

 autumn and quickly swell under the influence of 

 mild weather in the late winter. 



The Kentish Cob, or Filbert, derives its name 

 "Filbert" or "Fullbeard" from its longer husk which 

 extends beyond the nut. The generic name, hazel, 

 is from the Anglo-Saxon "haesel", a hood, which 

 the shorter husks of the hazel resemble. 



HAZELNUT, Corylus americana. This species is 

 a shrub growing from three to eight feet high. It 

 furnishes the brown hazelnut of the market, which 

 is gathered during August and September. It is 

 common in thickets and hedge rows in the southern 

 parts of Canada. 



BEAKED HAZELNUT, Corylus rostrata. This 

 species is also found in thickets and hedge rows. 

 The fruit is covered by a bristly cup which ter- 

 minates in a long tubular beak, hence its name. 



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