The Walnuts and the Hickories 



record of them is in the Tertiary rocks. After a century of 

 effort, only a few good specimen trees are to be found growing 

 in Europe. The species thrive only in their natural range. 

 There are reasons for believing that these trees will grow well in 

 Japan and eastern China. 



No group of trees has higher qualities than the hickories. 

 The wood of most species is tough, strong and flexible — especially 

 valuable for farm implements, tool handles and the like. There 

 is no other fuel that excels dry hickory for heat and brilliancy of 

 flame. No other of our trees bear such valuable nuts. No finer 

 tribe of shade and ornamental trees is to be found. With all their 

 positive good qualities, the hickories have scarcely a bad one. 

 The worst thing you can say of any hickory is that it is not quite 

 up to the family standard. 



The Indians knew the value of these trees before the white 

 man came. "Hickory" is an Indian name. The Creeks and 

 Algonquins gathered the nuts into their storehouses in the autumn. 

 The squaws pounded shells and all in water, until the latter became 

 a milky emulsion. This became the Indian drink," powcohickora," 

 after it had fermented. Added fresh to venison broth it made a 

 rich food, very agreeable to European palates. (Of course the 

 shells went to the bottom of the pot.) The "hickory milk," 

 strained of its shell fragments and thickened with meal, made 

 corncakesfitfor aking! It was used also in cooking hominy. An 

 oil pressed from these nuts was staple in early cookery in the 

 colonies. The Virginians learned its use from their Indian 

 neighbours. It was considered equal to olive oil in flavour, 

 though no attempt was made to refine it. 



Many insects prey on hickory trees. None of these unfit 

 them for dooryard planting, if one keeps close watch to poke out 

 early the nests of fall web-worm and kindred pests. Many of its 

 enemies are borers which work in the wood. The twig pruners are 

 an interesting tribe; and some of our most beautiful silk spinners 

 and underwing moths live their youthful days out on the foliage 

 of hickory. 



What can that sound be that comes out of the backlog, like 

 the creaking of the old rocking chair in the chimney corner? 

 It has been heard every night when the family gather around the 

 fire, and it has a weird, ghostly sound. A plump young hickory 

 borer, deep in the wood, is whetting his teeth on the walls of his 



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