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coated with a glandular yellow pubescence. The fruit sometimes has 
prominent sutures often slightly toothed, which split to a little below the 
middle of the nut. The kernel is bitter and not edible. It usually grows 
in moist situations along streams. The wood is white and the bark smooth. 
Hicoria glabra. Pignut Hickory.—According to Trelease (’96) the 
typical eastern pignut hickory (Carya porcina), with nearly indehiscent 
husk, does not occur west of the Alleghanies, being replaced by the 
variety odorata. Dr. Trelease divides the species glabra into three varie- 
ties: odorata, the bark of which resembles that of the elm, being deeply 
ridged but not shaggy, with often nearly red twigs; villosa, a hill form 
with hairy twigs, with a bark resembling that of the persimmon tree; and 
muicrocarpa, which has a bark often as shaggy as the shagbark, and a 
nut usually gray to whitish, angled, and having a sweet kernel. The 
varieties odorata and microcarpa shade into each other, making their 
separation difficult. The wood of all the so-called pignut hickories 
differs little in character and may be used for wagon stock, spokes, handles, 
etc. In southern Illinois it is often sawed into pieces about 6 feet square, 
long known as trolley poles for mines. It is also used for sprags and 
mine ties. 
Morus rubra. Red Mulberry—tThe red mulberry has a very durable 
wood and is classed in this particular with such woods as chestnut, catalpa, 
and sassafras. Mulberry grows on small, rich bottoms, and farmers when 
making a timber sale usually reserve the mulberry because of its value 
for fence posts, although we have seen it among mine timbers and in 
charcoal wood. The heartwood is orange to yellowish brown, becoming 
russet-brown upon exposure to the weather. The sap-wood is thin and 
nearly white. It somewhat resembles the wood of Osage orange, which 
it approaches in durability. 
Liquidambar styraciflua. Red Gum.—tThis is a species which im- 
proved methods of seasoning and drying have converted into a valuable 
wood for interior finish, all kinds of furniture, cooperage, and thin 
veneers suitable for crates and berry boxes. In the trade it is known 
as “satin walnut” owing to the fineness of its texture, the best grades 
going into veneer logs for furniture and interior finish. The wood is 
close-grained and tough, the color reddish brown, often with irregular 
dark streaks which make it valuable for doors and paneling. The tree is 
usually recognized by the star-shaped leaf and by its peculiar pronged 
fruits on long stalks. 
Nyssa aquatica. Tupelo.—This is one of the most characteristic 
trees of the Mississippi and Cache river bottoms, where it is associated 
with such trees as the red gum, cypress, swamp white oak, and 
black gum, Nyssa sylvatica. There is very little distinction in color 
between the heartwood and sap-wood, although the former is sometimes 
