CHAPTER XXI. 
THE HICKORY. 
Its Favored Emblematic Character.—Productive Qualities.—Manner 
of Planting for Fruit and for Wood.—The Shellbark Hickory.— 
Its Features, Form, and Character. —Its Twofold Merits. — The 
Thick Shellbark Hickory.— General Characteristics.— Quality of 
its Fruit—Composition of Leaf.—Pignut Hickory.—Its Size, At- 
tainable Height, and Particular Qualities.—Quality of its Fruit, 
and for What Used.—The Mocker Nut.—Attainable Height and 
Size.—Manner of Growth.—Its Fruit Described.—Distinguishing 
Characteristics.—Probable Reason of its Name.—The Pecan Nut. 
—Its Attainable Height.—Quality of its Wood and Fruit.—Gen- 
eral Appearance and Productiveness.—The Bitter-Nut Hickory.— 
Its Associate Trees.—Where Found and Progressive Decrease.—Its 
Liability to Destruction. 
Tus emblematic tree of America, and the representa- 
tive of the character of one of our greatest men, will al- 
ways be a favorite with our people, not only on account 
of its history, but its valuable nut-bearing qualities and 
its wood. 
The shellbark is the best for planting, either for wood 
or for fruit. If planted for nuts it should be kept in the 
nursery until two or three years old, and then trans- 
planted. To make it bear early, dig under and cut the 
tap-root as close to the surface as possible. For timber 
and rapid growth, in transplanting dig the holes deep, 
and see that the tap-root is put in perfectly straight. The 
nuts should be dropped four feet apart each way, and, 
if planted in ground where the trees are to remain, the 
plants should be thinned so as to keep the branches 
from touching. Hickories are rather slow of growth, so 
I would advise that it be transplanted after the first 
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