Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 273 

 233. SHAG-BARK; SHELL-BARK HICKORY 



HICORIA OVATA (Mill.) Britton 



The shagbark or shellbark hickory is rather rare in the vicinity 

 of the lake, and none of the trees seen was very large, all being 

 second-growth, the tallest probably not more than 30 or 40 feet 

 high, and most had not grown beyond the period of smooth bark. 

 On the south side of the lake two trees were noted in Overmyer's 

 field and one in Busart's field. The nuts of these trees were quite 

 small. The trees were considerably more abundant on the east side ; 

 there were several about a small pond near Chandler's, and a 

 small tree near Van Schoiack's bore quite large and excellent nuts. 



The shagbark hickory tree varies greatly in the general char- 

 acter of its fruit. Quite likely it is not in reality more variable 

 than other trees in this respect, but as the fruit is an object of 

 particular interest variations are more quickly noted. Every farm- 

 er's boy who lives in a country where hickories are abundant has 

 his favorite tree. The highest quality of hickory nut has a thin 

 paper-like shell and bright yellowish kernels. On some trees, mon- 

 strosities in the shape of 3-cornered nuts bearing an extra segment 

 to the kernel, are not especially rare. 



The shoots of this species leaf out rather late in spring. When 

 the buds first unfold the great bud scales of translucent pinkish 

 green, turn back, forming a rather striking spectacle, especially 

 on vigorous young shoots. The tender shoots of the year's growth 

 lengthen rapidly, soon attaining the full size for the season, and 

 spend the rest of the year ripening the wood. 



The long strips of bark, which are easily removed from old 

 trees, burn and crackle with remarkable brilliance and vigor, scat- 

 tering about flaming particles as if they were richly charged with 

 oil. In fact they burn much like some of the mineral coals, and 

 used to be a favorite fuel, used between the finer kindling and the 

 wood proper. Hickory wood is itself one of the best of the woods 

 for fuel, and, in the early days, green hickory was the only wood 

 to be thought of for use in the smoking of meats. 



In sweetness of sap the hickory is altogether without a peer; 

 the best of the maples are far inferior to it. It does not seem to be 

 free flowing enough to make the tapping of trees feasible, but from 

 the end of hickory logs it oozes out in a thick sugary syrup, and 

 sometimes in white powdery masses of perfectly sweet froth like 

 frosting on cake. It is a wonder the sapsucker, which often taps 

 sugar trees, has not discovered the hickory. The insects have, 

 and hickory which dies or is cut with the sap still in it, is soon, if 



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