Xo. 4.] NUT CULTURE FOR MASSACHUSETTS. 215 



and coutiniie to fruit profitably, is unknown. Even the 

 southern i^eean tree may be perfectly hardy in the north. 

 There is one at Hartford, Conn., that is 9 feet 3 inches in 

 circumference, and others in New England, but none, so 

 far as I know, that bears an edible nut. This may be some- 

 times because of imperfect pollination, but is due more 

 probably to insufficient length of growing season. State- 

 ments by nurserymen as to the bearing possibilities of any 

 pecan north of New Jersey and Long Island are purely 

 fanciful. One cannot say what they will do, for none are 

 known to be fruiting. 



But there is every reason to believe that pecans of the 

 Indiana type will be found to fruit successfully much far- 

 ther north than their native range, ^nd their trial is recom- 

 mended. 



The Shaghark Hickory. — The shagbark is the pecan of 

 the north, waiting its turn for the development its southern 

 brother has had. 



As it appears in the market it is as variable as the grocery 

 store pecan; some small, thick-shelled, difficult to extract 

 from the shell, or of inferior quality ; while now and then 

 is found one that has the opposite characteristics. At its 

 best it is nearly the equal of the pecan in quality. Some 

 prefer it. 



There is nothing now to prevent the selection of the best 

 of our native shagbarks, their propagation, dissemination and 

 growing in orchard form. The ordinary run of native shag- 

 barks retails at 15 to 20 cents a pound. If there are 60 

 pounds in a bushel the value of a barrel of ordinary 

 " hickory nuts " is of easy computation. Even now selected 

 shagbarks rival the high-priced pecans. 



When we have determined the best shagbai'ks to grow, 

 which we have not yet done, we can send scions to expert 

 proj'yagators. or we may get them to come and top work our 

 native seedlings, or any variety of hickory, to the shagbark 

 or the pecan of our choice. Or we may leai-n to do this our- 

 selves. 



The tree is perfectly acclimated over most of the noi'th- 

 east, and will grow in many places where only forest trees 



