60 SCHOOL AGRICULTURE 



kept in good condition by being kept in sacks hung in cool dry places, 

 away from rats and mice. It is strongly recommended that the schools 

 try this exercise. 



3. Setting a Catalpa Grove. Either this fall or next spring, plant 

 a small catalpa grove on the school grounds or on a lot adjacent, 

 which some patron is willing to loan for that purpose. Plow up 

 about one-tenth of an acre. Lay it off in rows both ways, 6 feet apart. 

 At the crossing of the rows, plant a catalpa seedling. The plot will 

 contain about 100 little trees. Send to "Little Tree Farms", South 

 Framingham, Mass., or to Ohio Valley Nursery Co., Lake, Indiana, for 

 the catalpa seedlings. They will cost about 1 cent a tree. 



LESSON XVIII. 

 NUT CROPS. 



The Nut Trees. We should not continue our studies of the 

 forest without noting the importance of the nut trees. Nuts 

 constitute a valuable part of man's food. They are rich and 

 nutritious and are more and more coming to occupy a large- 

 place among our articles of diet. Some of the leading varieties 

 of nut trees are the almond, English walnut, white walnut or 

 butternut, hickory nut, pecan, chinquapin, black walnut, chest- 

 nut, hazel nut, cocoanut, and Brazil nut. 



The Hickory. The shell bark and shag bark hickories 

 furnish our best nuts. They make excellent shade trees and 

 bear sweet and wholesome nuts. Every country boy knows 

 how to gather hickory nuts. The hickary trees are propagated 

 by sprouts and seeds. As a forest tree for wood supplies, the 

 demand for hickory is very great, and the supply is fast de- 

 creasing. 



The Pecan. The pecan tree grows wild in many parts of 

 our country and is being cultivated in many of the southern 

 states. The Appomatox and Mantura are varieties of pecans 

 being adapted successfully for cultivation in states as for north 

 as Ohio, West Virginia and Pennsylvania. Pecans may be pro- 

 pagated from seed, but budding and grafting give the best 

 results. Pecan trees begin to bear when about six years of 

 age. The planting and growing of pecan groves is an enter- 

 prise worth trying, and certainly every farm should try a few 

 trees for the sake of the shade and nuts they will afford. 



The English Walnut. This is a large tree which begins to 

 bear profitably when it is about six years old, and continues for 

 nearly thirty years. English walnuts are grown in Spain, Italy, 



