64 
at least on the veins, becoming at maturity firm, smooth and a 
yellow green above, paler and smooth or somewhat pubescent 
beneath; fruit subglobose or obovate, depressed at the apex, fur- 
rowed along the sutures, especially above the middle, usually 3-4 
em. (1-1% inches) in diameter from the apex to the base; husk 
freely splitting to the base, rarely not splitting freely, generally 
about 8 mm. (14 inch) thick; nut exceedingly variable in size and 
shape, varying from oblong, subglobose, ovate, to obovate, some- 
times wider than long, rounded or pointed at the base, generally 
pointed at the apex, sometimes rounded or obcordate, smooth or 
angular; shell generally thin. sometimes rather thick, or very thin; 
kernel uniformly sweet. 
Distribution. Valley of the St. Lawrence west to Minnesota, 
south to Florida and west to Texas and Kansas. In Indiana it is 
frequent to common in all parts of the State in moist rich soil along 
streams, in the bottom lands or in dryer soil on hillsides. It is 
generally associated with the other hickories, sugar maple, white 
ash, red oak, linn and slippery elm. In the forest it is a tall, 
straight tree with a few main branches for the crown. In the open 
the side branches do not shade off and it is medium in height with 
a long and wide-spreading crown. 
The published records of the distribution are as follows: Cass 
(Coulter); Clark (Baird and Taylor); Delaware, Jay, Randolph and 
Wayne (Phinney); Franklin (Meyncke); Gibson (Schneck); Hamil- 
ton (Wilson); Knox (Ridgway) and (Thomas); Kosciusko (Clark) 
and (Scott); Marion (Wilson); Posey (Schneck); Vigo (Blatchley) ; 
Wayne (Petry and Markle). 
Additional records are: Jefferson (Young); Monroe (Blatchley); 
Montgomery (Evans); Posey (MacDougal and Wright); Putnam 
(Grimes) and (MacDougal); Tippecanoe (Coulter) ; Clark, Delaware, 
Hamilton, Jennings, Owen, Posey Steuben and Wells (Deam.) 
Economic uses. Wood heavy, very hard and strong, close- 
grained, flexible, light brown, sap wood white and thin. Used 
principally for carriage and wagon stock, agricultural implements, 
ax-handles and fuel. The nuts are delicious and command a good 
price. 
The pioneers were accustoned to bind the long plates of bark 
together for use as torches. It is recorded that many eminent men 
of the past gained their education by the light of the hickory torch. 
It was a favorite way of the fishermen to light up the surface of 
the water so that they could spear fish. 
