THE HICKORIES 269 



All the Hickories have pronounced tap-roots. This fea- 

 ture seems to be essential, as none are able to overcome 

 its destruction or serious injury. All attempts to transplant 

 the valuable species of Hickory result in practical failures. 

 They may grow in a feeble way for a time, but generally 

 die in a few years, or, if not, never grow vigorously. Of all 

 the Hickories only the Bitternut (Hizoria minima) a 

 tree of little value for lumber and none for fruit can 

 be successfully transplanted. In consequence of this feature 

 no attempt to grow Hickories in a nursery and then trans- 

 plant them into the forest should be expected to be success- 

 ful. The nuts should be planted where the trees are to 

 stand. They should be gathered as soon as ripe and at once 

 planted ; or, if not convenient to do that at once, they 

 should be stratified in a box with moist sand and placed in 

 the ground with so slight a covering that freezing may occur, 

 if possible. If thus kept, no time should be lost in planting 

 in early spring. In no case should the nuts be allowed to 

 become at all dry. If that occurs, even slightly, vitality will 

 be impaired if not wholly destroyed. 



There are two species in the Shellbark class, Shellbark 

 (fficoria laciniosd) and Shagbark (JHicorla ovata). Each 

 of these is indiscriminately called " Shagbark " and " Shell- 

 bark " throughout nearly the entire range of their natural 

 habitat, while the former (ZT. laciniosa) should be called 

 "Shellbark " and the latter (H. wata) "Shagbark." There 

 is a botanical difference, but so far as economic features 

 may be considered there is very little if any. The Shagbark 

 has the rougher bark and produces the common hickory 

 nut of commerce. The Shellbark has also a rough bark, 

 but it is less so than the other, and the nut is smaller. 



The Black Hickory class is composed of the Mockernut 

 (Hicoria alba) and the Pignut (Hicoria glabra). There is 

 little difference in the wood of these two trees. Only the 

 former bears edible fruit. 



One species of Hickory, Hicoria pecan, bears the well- 

 known pecan nut. While practically worthless for timber, 



