SHAGBARK HICKORY 271 



proximity to other trees will show a straight, slightly 

 tapering stem, clean of limbs, for fifty, sixty-five, or even 

 seventy feet. In such situations it forms a narrow crown 

 of rather small limbs. Occasionally a few specialized limbs 

 will appear, but they seldom reach large dimensions. 

 When grown in the open, its tendency is to maintain a 

 straight, tapering stem, with many small limbs, frequently 

 pendulous, forming a conical crown. As age creeps on, the 

 lower limbs die and drop oft'. 



The wood is very hard and strong, heavy, close-grained, 

 elastic, and tough. It is generally straight-grained, and 

 can be easily bent for carriage work and like uses. The 

 heartwood is light brown, with thin and nearly white sap- 

 wood. The medullary rays are small and inconspicuous, 

 and there is slight difference between spring and summer 

 growth. The wood is not durable when exposed to the 

 weather or soil. It has generally been thought that the 

 heartwood is not as strong as the sapwood. Recent experi- 

 ments by the United States Forest Service demonstrate 

 that such belief is an error: it has been determined 

 that there is no perceptible difference. The wood is used 

 for agricultural implements, handles, all purposes where 

 strength and toughness are required, hoop poles, baskets, 

 fuel, for which there is nothing like it, but most of all 

 for carriage and wagon work, for which it has no equal nor 

 is there any known substitute. 



Aboveground the tree grows rather slowly for the first 

 four or five years of its life, but like all tap-rooted trees 

 its roots go deep into the ground for food and moisture, and 

 when these are secured it begins a vigorous stem growth, 

 which it maintains well on towards old age, unless sup- 

 pressed by other trees, or injured in some way. It sprouts 

 quite freely from the cut stump when young, but seldom 

 throws up any sprouts after reaching six or seven inches 

 in diameter. This feature of sprouting when young makes 

 cutting hoop poles profitable in some localities. Frequent 

 cutting, however, enfeebles the root system, and it ceases 



