Wood and Forest Part 19

_Hicoria alba_ (Linnaeus) Britton. _Carya tomentosa_ Nuttall.

_Hicoria_, shortened and latinized from _Pawcohicora_, the Indian name for the liquor obtained from the kernels; _alba_ refers to the white wood, _carya_, the Greek name for walnut; _tomentosa_ refers to hairy under surface of leaf.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Habitat.]

HABITAT: (See map); best in lower Ohio valley, Missouri and Arkansas.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Leaf.]

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE TREE: Height, 75', rarely 100'; diameter, 2'-3'; rises high in forest; bark, dark gray, shallow, irregular interrupted fissures, rough but not s.h.a.ggy in old trees; leaves, 8"-12" long, compound, 7-9 leaflets, fragrant when crushed; fruit, spherical nut, thick sh.e.l.l, edible kernel.

APPEARANCE OF WOOD: Color, dark brown, sap-wood nearly white; ring-porous; rings, marked by few large regularly distributed open ducts; grain, usually straight, close; rays, numerous, thin, obscure.

PHYSICAL QUALITIES: Very heavy (3d in this list); 53 lbs. per cu. ft.; sp. gr., 0.8218; very strong (11th in this list); very elastic (14th in this list); very hard (3d in this list); shrinkage, 10 per cent.; warps ..........; not durable; very hard to work; splits with great difficulty, almost impossible to nail.

COMMON USES: Wheels, runners, tool and axe handles, agricultural implements.

REMARKS: Confounded commercially with sh.e.l.lbark hickory.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Radial Section, life size.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Cross-section, magnified 37-1/2 diameters.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Tangential Section, life size.]

32

Sh.e.l.lBARK HICKORY. s.h.a.gBARK HICKORY.

_Hicoria ovata_ (Millar) Britton. _Carya alba_ Nuttall.

_Hickory_ is shortened and latinized from _Pawcohicora_, the Indian name for the liquor obtained from the kernels; _ovata_ refers to oval nut; _carya_, the Greek name for walnut.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Habitat.]

HABITAT: (See map); best in lower Ohio valley.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Leaf.]

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE TREE: Height, 70'-90' and even 120'; diameter, 2'-3', even 4'; straight, columnar trunk; bark, dark gray, separates into long, hard, plate-like strips, which cling to tree by middle, on young trees very smooth and close; leaves, 8"-20" long, compound 5 or (7) leaflets; nuts, globular, husk, four-valved, split easily, thin-sh.e.l.led, edible.

APPEARANCE OF WOOD: Color, reddish brown, sap-wood whitish; ring-porous; rings, clearly marked; grain, straight; rays, numerous, thin.

PHYSICAL QUALITIES: Very Heavy (1st in this list); 51 lbs. per cu.

ft.; sp. gr., 0.8372; very strong (5th in this list); very elastic (7th in this list); very hard (5th in this list); shrinkage, 10 per cent.; warps badly; not very durable under exposure; hard to work, very tough; hard to split, very difficult to nail.

COMMON USES: Agricultural implements, handles, wheel spokes.

REMARKS: American hickory is famous both for buggies and ax handles, because it is flexible and very tough in resistance to blows.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Radial Section, life size.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Cross-section, magnified 37-1/2 diameters.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Tangential Section, life size.]

33

PIGNUT.

Nuts eaten by swine.

_Hicoria glabra_ (Miller) Britton. _Carya porcina._

_Hicoria_ is shortened and latinized from _Pawcohicora_, the Indian name for the liquor obtained from the kernel; _glabra_ refers to smooth bark; _Carya_ the Greek name for walnut; _porcina_ means pertaining to hogs.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Habitat.]

HABITAT: (See map); best in lower Ohio valley.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Leaf.]

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE TREE: Height, 80'-100'; diameter 2'-4'; trunk often forked; bark, light gray, shallow fissures, rather smooth, rarely exfoliates; leaves, 8"-12" long, compound 7 leaflets, sharply serrate; fruit, a thick-sh.e.l.led nut, bitter kernel.

APPEARANCE OF WOOD: Color, light or dark brown, the thick sap-wood lighter, often nearly white; ring-porous; rings marked by many large open ducts; grain, straight; rays, small and insignificant.

PHYSICAL QUALITIES: Very heavy (4th in this list); 56 lbs. per cu.

ft.; sp. gr., 0.8217; very strong (15th in this list); elastic (27th in this list); very hard (2d in this list); shrinkage, 10 per cent.; warps ..........; hard to work; splits with difficulty, hard to drive nails into.

COMMON USES: Agricultural implements, wheels, runners, tool handles.

REMARKS: Wood not distinguished from sh.e.l.lbark hickory in commerce.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Radial Section, life size.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Cross-section, magnified 37-1/2 diameters.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Tangential Section, life size.]

34

BLUE BEECH. HORNBEAM. WATER BEECH. IRON-WOOD.

Blue refers to color of bark; the trunk resembles beech; horn refers to h.o.r.n.y texture of wood.