26 



NATURAL HISTORY OF THE FARM 



FIG. 9. The hazel nut (Corylus americanus) ; nuts in the hull, 

 and a kernel in the half -shell (after Mayo). 



food. A few stray members of other families produce 

 edible nuts. Those of the linden are very well flavored, 

 although minute. Those of the wild lotus of the swamps are 

 very palatable and were regularly gathered by the Indians 

 for food. They resemble small acorns in size and shape. 

 Then there are nuts of large size and promising appearance 

 that are wholly inedible. Such are the horse-chestnut and 

 the buckeye, which contain a bitter and narcotic principle. 

 Certain nuts of large size and fine quality, like the king 

 hickory, have not found much popular favor, because their 

 shells are thick and close-fitting. They are hard to crack and 

 the kernels are freed with much difficulty. Such selection as 

 has been practiced with Persian walnuts and pecans is in the 

 direction of thin, loose-fitting shells. 



Nuts are unusually well protected dur- 

 ing development by hard shells and thick 

 hulls of acrid flavor; yet they have not 

 escaped enemies. Wormy nuts are fre- 

 quent. The most important of the 

 "worms" living inside the hulls and feed- 

 ing on the kernels are the larvae of the 

 nut-weevils. These are snout-beetles 



Fig. 10. Leaf outline ,. 



and nutlets of the linden, that live exclusively upon nuts and are 



