TREES OF AMERICA. 55 



in its husk is shaped something like a peach, 

 being quite round, and having four deep cuts, 

 or grooves, reaching all the way down to the 

 stem ; and when the nut is ripe, the husk 

 opens at these grooves, and splits into four 

 quarters." 



" Yes. Uncle Philip, we know that ; and 

 the nut comes out of itself; but none of the 

 other kinds come quite out of the husk," 



" Well, this nut, kisky thomas, as you call 

 it, is really a shelbark ; that is the proper 

 name of it: and the large nut that you call 

 the shelbark is so called, to distinguish it from 



' O 



this, the thick shelbark. Now find a hickory 

 for me, what you call a plain hickory." 



" There is one, Uncle Philip ; you see it is 

 a great deal larger than the kisky thomas. ' 



"And is there no other difference?" 



"Oh yes ; the shell is a great deal thicker, 

 and the meat is very hard to get out." 



"Well, this is properly called the mocker- 

 nut ; some people give it the name of the 

 hard walnut, on account of the hardness and 

 thickness of the shell. And now see if you 

 can find a pignut." 



" That large tree with a smooth bark is a 



