VERMONT AGRICULTURAL REPORT. 



165 



PIGNUT 



This 

 portions 



hickory. Hicoria glabra (Mill.) Britton, Carya porcina Nuttall. 

 species is apparently confined to the southeastern and southwestern 

 of the state. The following statements summarize the present 



information as to its distribu- 

 tion. It is a common tree in 

 the Hoosac valley, Pownal 

 (Eggleston). In the Con- 

 necticut valley it is abundant 

 on the hills near the river in 

 the vicinity of the Massachu- 

 setts line, but is not common 

 above Bellows Falls, (Flint). 

 A large grove occurs on the 

 shore of Lake Bomoseen, West 

 Castleton and a few trees near 

 the Hubbardton line in East 

 Castleton, (G. H. Ross). 



Observers of trees in 

 southern Vermont should 

 strive further to increase our 

 knowledge of its distribu- 

 tion. 



PIGNUT HICKORY 

 Leaf and fruit, X %. 



In distinguishing this from the bitternut, notice the pear-shape fruit, 

 thick-shell nut, the generally smoother bark and the fewer leaflets, (5-7, 

 rarely 9. ) It reaches its most northern limit in this region and will prob- 

 ably be found only in the more sheltered river or lake valleys. The lum- 

 ber of the pignut is of similar value to that of other hickories and is used 

 for like purposes. 



WILLOW FAMILY. 



THE WILLOWS. 



The amateur botanist who tries to distinguish the willows, soon finds 

 himself in an inextricable tangle. This is partly because several European 

 species and varieties have been naturalized and partly because the willows 

 hybridize and rehybridize so frequently. Fourteen native and three intro- 

 duced species are found in Vermont, only three of which attain the size of 

 trees. The shrubby species vary in height from the common pussy willow 

 (Salix discolor) which is sometimes fifteen or twenty feet high and almost 

 a tree, down to the prostrate alpine willows found only under the north- 

 eastern slope of the "chin" of Mt. Mansfield, where they raise their heads 

 but a few inches above the moss in which the stems are imbedded. 



