CHAPTER I 



HICKORIES 



THE question as to which nut stands nearest to 

 the heart of the American people was easily settled 

 at a time when the author sent out annual prize 

 offers for various kinds of nuts by way of our agri- 

 cultural papers. The shagbark hickory was the one 

 which introduced by far the largest number of trage- 

 dies in making selection for prizes and there must 

 have been as many heartaches as there were after 

 a judgment by Paris. Many of the specimens were 

 sent in with letters expressing an affectionate regard 

 for particular trees, indicating very clearly that the 

 shagbark hickory belonged very close to home feel- 

 ing. Inferior specimens were sent for prize compe- 

 tition by children with painstaking letters and each 

 one of the children should at least have had a kiss. 

 There were specimens neatly done up in little cloth 

 bags with careful needlework and the accompanying 

 letters expressed hopes that the prizes would be judi- 

 ciously awarded. There were boastful letters about 

 walnuts and defiant letters relating to pecans but the 

 shagbark hickory was the only one which brought 

 forth expressions of tenderness in feeling. 



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