The Iiitternut. or Swamp Hick ory, //icor/a mininm, the most rap idly growing tree in the genus. readies its finest proportions in swampy land, though it grows into a goodly tree even on dry sandy soil. It is one of the handsomest of the hickories. Its bark is gray and rough on the trunk, lint (lark and smooth on the branches. A distin guishing mark of the tree is its tapering, flat yellow buds. The specific name, minima, meaning least or smallest, refers to the extreme slenderness of the leaflets, buds, and twigs of this species when compared with other hickories. No animal eats the thin-shelled bitter nut. It is inclosed in a thin husk, which is winged along its hair unequal sutures. The flittering is widely distributed, but is most abundant in the Mississippi valley.
The Pecan, fficoria Pecan, is the most important fruit tree among the hickories. Its nut is a staple article of commerce. The tree grows in the southwest, where it is highly esteemed as a shade and ornamental tree. It is graceful and slender of habit, and in rich soil often attains a height of one hundred and sixty feet. Its wood hits little value. Horticulturists are gradually improv ing this species, reduoing the reddish, astringont lining of the shell, increasing the size of the nut, ;(nd producing paper-shell" varieties. The Pecan grows sparingly is far north as Iowa, though it scarcely can he called hardy there.
The wood of all our northern hickories is hard, heavy and extremely tough. It is very slow of growth. It is not used as an ornamental wood, but where strength and supple ness are called for, hickory is found to he exactly the thing. It has the strength of wrought iron. is tests have clearly shown. The handles of pitch forks and axes, and parts of many (idler agricultural implements, are best made of hickory timber.
The characteristics of the wood are suggested by the tough. close hark of hickory trees. The sway of its twigs, even, express their strength, as the soft maple's twigs in their motion confess their weakness. One needs hut to try to break off a hickory twig to find that even the young fibers are like threads of steel.
The annual supply of sliel]bark hickory nuts has heretofore conic to market from the wilds. The demand increases and the supply diminishes as forest areas are cut. Nurserymen and others interested in plant-breeding have been earnestly studying methods of improving and propagating. these trees. Several hybrids have shown marked improvement over parent sorts. One variety of pignut with a sweet, edible mit has been obtained by careful selection. and promises to improve rapidly. llickory trees are raised from seed planted where the tree is to grow, or in nursery rows from which they are transplanted to their Derma .
neat places. Transplanting is very hard to do success fully-. The cutting off of side roots is a new and successful method of getting young plants. The roots are left in place. and the cut end is uncovered. On this exposed surface a leafy top grows. When it is well started the whole tree is transplanted.
At present the grafting of hickories is successfully Acme, only 1%-v but the .End of tlic smhitavt proceeds, new mid better suceess is coming. It is only a matter of time Nv hen nurserymen will offer in their catalogues hickory nut trees of many varieties, and orchards of these trees will he commonly planted and carefully tended. Even now, some nut orchards are as remunerative to their owners as are apple and each orchards.