434 HORTICULTURE, FORESTRY, FLORICULTURE 



of native trees, of which the shagbark (Hicoria ovata) is the most 

 important, is one of our best-known nuts. The quality of the hick- 

 ory nut is exceedingly variable, both in flavor and the readiness with 

 which the shell may be removed. The better varieties are highly 

 esteemed, and by many are considered to compare favorably in 

 delicacy of flavor with the English walnut. Large quantities of 

 the nuts are eaten, and they are sometimes used in making cakes 

 and confectionery. There is some confusion regarding the name of 

 this nut. In some regions of New England it is known as the wal- 

 nut, while the nut more generally known in the United States as 

 the walnut, and which grows only sparingly in New England, is 

 designated the black walnut. What is most generally known as the 

 walnut in the United States (the fruit of Juglans nigra and closely 

 allied species) is a large nut rich in oil and having a strongly 

 marked flavor. This nut is somewhat used by confectioners. 



The butternut, oil nut, or white walnut (Juglans cinerea) is 

 extremely oily and has a tendency to become rancid. The fresh 

 nut has an excellent flavor. It is less commonly marketed than 

 some other native nuts. The beechnut is the fruit of a forest tree 

 common in the eastern half of the United States. The nuts are 

 sweet and of very agreeable flavor. Owing to their small size and 

 the consequent difficulty of gathering them only a limited amount 

 reaches the market. 



The pecan (Hicoria pecan} is also a native of America, but ia 

 less widely distributed than the hickory, to which it is closely re- 

 lated. The flavor of the pecan makes it a desirable nut, but it 

 doubtless owes much of its popularity to its thin shell and the ease 

 with which the kernel may be removed. It is largely used as a 

 dessert nut. Quantities are also used by confectioners for making 

 salted pecans, bonbons of various sorts, etc. (F. B. 114, 122.) 



Maple Sugar and Sirup. As a product of the forest maple 

 sugar is of considerable importance to the individual farmer. Maple 

 sugar making is possible only at a season when farm work is usually 

 slack, and the time devoted to it may be virtually saved. As a mat- 

 ter of forestry it is therefore important that each individual farmer 

 should know in a general way how to care for his maple trees. 

 The ideal sugar grove should contain that number of trees which 

 will give a maximum yield of sap per acre ; whence it follows that 

 the formation of a grove must consider the yield per given area 

 rather than the yield per tree. To determine the exact number of 

 trees that should occupy an area would take many years of experi- 

 ment, but directly and indirectly there has been much information 

 collected on the subject of sap production through a study of indi- 

 vidual trees, and from this a number of safe deductions can be 

 made. An equal amount of sunlight being given, the sap and 

 sugar production is proportionate to the leaf area of the tree. This 

 statement is corroborated in a bulletin of the Vermont Agricultural 

 Experiment Station (103), where it is also asserted that the sugar 

 production of the tree depends more on the actual leaf area than on 

 the amount of light which it receives. In other words, if a small- 



