36 TREES 



THE HICKORIES 



Americans have a right to be proud that the twelve 

 hickory species are all natives of this country. Eleven of 

 the twelve are found in the eastern half of the United 

 States; one, only, strays into the forests of Mexico. No 

 other country has a native hickory. 



Indians of the x\lgonkin tribe named this tree family, and 

 taught the early colonists in Virginia to use for food the 

 ripe nuts of the shagbark and mockernut. After cracking 

 the shells, the procedure was to boil and strain the mixture, 

 which gave them a rich, soupy liquid. Into this they 

 stirred a coarse meal, made by grinding between stones 

 the Indian corn. The mush was cooked slowly, then made 

 into cakes, which were baked on hot stones. No more 

 delicious nor wholesome food can be imagined than this. 

 Frequently the soup was eaten alone; its name, "Powco- 

 hicora," gave the trees their English name, part of which 

 the botanist, RaflSnesque, took, Latinized, and set up as the 

 name of the genus. 



Cut a twig of any hickory tree, and you realize that the 

 wood is close-grained and very springy. The pith is solid, 

 with a star form in cross-section, corresponding to the 

 ranking of the leaves on the twigs. The wind strevv^s no 

 branches under a hickory tree, for the fibres of the wood are 

 strong and flexible enough to resist a hurricane. (See illus- 

 trations, pages 6, 71.) 



Hickory wood is unequalled for implements which must 

 resist great strain and constant jarring. The running-ge^r 

 of wagons and carriages, handles of pitchforks, axes, and 

 like implements require it. Thin strips, woven into bask- 



