State Board of Forestry. 141 



at least on the veins, becoming at maturity firm, smooth and a 

 yellow green above, paler and smooth or somewhat f)u})escent 

 beneath; fruit subglobose or obovate, depressed at the apex, fur- 

 rowed along the sutures, especially above the middle, usually 3-4 

 cm. (1-13^ inches) in diameter from the apex to the base; husk 

 freely splitting to the base, rarely not splitting freely, generally 

 about 8 mm. (34 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 (Retry 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. 



