THE NATIVE TREES OE RHODE ISLAND. 
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branchlets take a drooping habit. The limbs being long and 
slender, the whole tree has a light, airy appearance, which is 
heightened by its long-stemmed, deeply-cut leaves. It is the first 
of our trees to blossom, only a few warm days in March or April 
being needed to open the buds. It is a rapid grower, but speci- 
ally subject to injury from ice-storms. It is the opinion of the 
writer that the tree is not desirable, at least in large numbers, for 
Rhode Island. 
The Hickories. 
The hickories are important trees in Rhode Island. There are 
certainly four species native, and two of them appear in such 
numbers and distribution as to mark them as common. The name 
“ walnut” should not be applied to these trees, as that term 
belongs to trees quite different. The word “ hickory ” has become 
a synonym for that which is steadfast and unyielding, especially 
as a human trait of character. A “ hickory ” stick means strength, 
tenacity, and defiance. “Old Hickory,” as a pseudonym for 
Andrew Jackson, still personifies the iron will and heroic actions 
we so much admire in men. 
THE SHAGBARK HICKORY. 
Shagbark hickory trees are found scattered in woods and open 
lots in most parts of the State. It is the only hickory native here 
of much value for its nuts. Different trees of this kind vary con- 
siderably in respect to the size of their nuts, the thickness of the 
shell and sweetness of the meat. The time is coming for the 
selection of the best, and propagation from such parentage. 
Rhode Island should be a home for hickory orchards. Hickory 
ranks first of all our woods for fuel, especially for the open fire. 
What home picture is more alluring than the open fireplace, aglow 
with hickory sticks and backlog, the pleasant aroma of the wood 
mingling with mild, steady heat from the livid coals ? 
As a tree, the shagbark is the least attractive of either of the 
hickories. The loose strips of the outer bark, upon the trunk, 
