THE BUTTERNUT The butternut trees are stripped of their fruit in October by boys who have visions of long evenings, such as Whittier describes in " Snow Bound," with nuts and apples and cider, by a roaring fire. Some boys leave the black walnut trees to others, and fill their bags entirely from the low, broad butternut trees, that have more nuts in each cluster, and they are not so hard to reach. Many will say that they are much sweeter and richer than black walnuts. Others do not care for them because they are so oily. Indeed, they are called " oil-nuts," and woe to the youngster who has eaten " all he wanted " ! The butternuts are oblong and pointed at one end, and sticky to the touch, differing in this particular from the globular fruits of the black walnut. The same clammy feeling makes it un pleasant to touch the leaves of butternut tree.
The resinous sap seems to ooze out through pores along the hairy leaf veins.
In summer time, when the fuzzy, green butter nuts are scarcely larger than olives, and their shells are so soft that a knitting-needle goes through without any trouble, the time for making pickled nuts has come. The gathering of the clustered green fruit is fun, but as soon as they are scalded, the " fur " has to be rubbed off of each, before the nuts, husks and all, are put down in spiced vinegar, to be used as a relish for serv ing with meats the following winter. The " fur ring " usually falls to the children, and they get very tired, for it is a slow and monotonous job, whether one uses a coarse towel or a brush. However, it would be unpleasant to eat a furry nut, no matter how carefully the spicing was done.