1 l>50 



ARBORETUM AND FKUT1CKTITM. 



PART III. 



finally form a very good and durable broom. The nuts, he adds, 



are very small, and extremely hard. 

 Description, AV. The pig-nut hiekory is a lofty tree, 70 ft. or 80 ft. high, 

 with a trunk from 3ft. to 4 ft. in diameter. In winter, when stripped of its 

 leaves, it is easily known by the shoots of the preceding summer, which are 



brown, less than half the size of those of C. alba and C. tomentosa, and ter- 

 minated by small oval buds. C. porctna has scaly buds, which are more than 

 1 iu. in length before they unfold. The inner scales, which are large and 

 reddish, do not fall off till the leaves are 5 in. or 6 in. long. The leaves 

 generally consist of three pairs 

 of leaflets, and an odd one. 

 The leaflets are 4 in. or 5 in. 

 long, acuminated, serrated, 

 nearly sessile, and glabrous on 

 both sides. On vigorous trees 

 which grow in shady exposures 

 the petiole is of a violet colour. 

 The catkins arc about 2 in. 

 long, smooth, flexible, and pen- 

 dulous. The female flowers 

 are greenish, and situated at 

 the extremity of the shoots: 

 the fruit which succeeds them 

 is frequently produced in pairs. 



The husk U thin, of a beautiful 



green; and, when ripe, it opens 

 through half its length for the 



passage of the nut, which is 



Small, smooth, and very hard, 

 on account Of the thickness 

 of the shell. The kernel is 

 sweet, but neagre, and difficult to extract, from the firmness of the partition. 

 I nuts, IB America, are never carried to market, but serve for food for 



•, racoons, and numerous squirrels which people the forests. (Michx. 

 A'. Anifi. Si//.,\. p. 169.) This tree; is found in the middle, western, and 

 ■ out! M , on the borders of swamps, and in places which are wet, 



without being marshy. It hai been observed, that the mocker-nut is always 



