244 



Minnesota Plant Life. 



pecan. There is no albumen in the seed and the two seed- 

 leaves are large, wrinkled and oily, forming the "meat" of the 

 nut. The black walnut occurs in the southern part of Minne- 

 sota, where it is found in low glades along streams. Almost 

 all the large trees have been cut for their very valuable wood, 

 useful in cabinet making. This is of a rich, dark brown color 

 and takes a high polish. The butternut is more abundant and 

 is a frequent inhabitant of groves in the river valleys, especially 



through the southern part of 

 the state. It is not commonly 

 more than forty or fifty feet 

 high in Minnesota, though it 

 is known to grow twice as tall. 

 The wood is of a light brown 

 color, easily polished and of 

 much value in the manufacture 

 of furniture and cabinet work, 

 though by no means the equal 

 of the black walnut. 



Hickories. The three kinds 

 of hickories in the state may 

 be recognized by their leaflets, 

 nuts and buds. In the shell- 

 bark hickory the leaflets are 

 from five to seven in number, 

 with hairy margins. The nut 

 is four-angled, pale or whitish 

 in color. In the pig-nut hick- 

 ory, with the same number of 



leaflets, these are USUally 

 , , . , - 



smooth or slightly furry, but 

 not hairy at the margin. The nut is oblong, with a slightly 

 bitter kernel. In the swamp hickory the leaflets are from five 

 to nine in number, the nut thin-shelled and short. The buds 

 in winter are yellow. The wood in all these plants is very 

 heavy, strong and tough, and is used in the manufacture of 

 wagon-tongues and plow-handles, while the young saplings of 

 the swamp hickory are split and bent into barrel-hoops. The 

 nuts are common in markets, but are not so agreeable to the 



FIG. 111. Hickory trees. l,ake Minnetonka. 

 After photograph by Williams. 



