t they would rather not live on the bitternut and have
died, either from incompatibility or winter-killing. Yet as a root
system, the bitternut is the hardiest and easiest to transplant of any
of the hickories and for these reasons it makes an ideal stock for the
amateur nut-grower to use. I did try, in 1926, to grow some shagbark
hickory stocks, which would be more compatible with those varieties I
could not get started on bitternut. I planted half a bushel of shagbark
hickory nuts from Iowa, but although they sprouted nicely, they were not
sufficiently hardy and were winter-killed so severely that, after twelve
years, the largest was not more than a foot high, nor thicker than a
lead pencil. Some of these, about 50, were transplanted into the orchard
and in other favorable locations. The largest of these, in 1952, is
about 4 inches in diameter, 1-foot off the ground, and about 15 feet
high. I have not grafted any yet and only one has borne any seedling
nuts so far. I am now reconciled to using my native bitternut trees for
most of my stock in spite of some disadvantages. A list of successfully
grafted varieties is appended, and indicates to what extent this stock
is a universal root stock for most of the hickories and their hybrids. A
successful union, however, and long life, does not mean that good
bearing habits will be established, since most of these trees grow in
the woods in dense shade and poor surroundings. Some varieties have not
borne many nuts, and some not at all. The following scions were cut this
fall (in 1952) from successfully grafted trees deep in the woods:

Bixby hiccan (pecan by shellbark) grafted in 1938
Burlington hiccan (pecan by shellbark) grafted in 1938
Green Bay hiccan (pecan by shellbark) grafted in 1938
Des Moines hiccan (pecan by shellbark) grafted in 1938
Burton hiccan (pecan by shellbark) grafted in 1939
McAlester hiccan (pecan by shellbark) grafted in 1938
Anthony Shagbark hickory grafted in 1938
Barnes Shagbark by mocker nut grafted in 1938
Brill Shagbark hickory grafted in 1936
Brooks Shagbark hickory grafted in 1938
Camp No. 2 Shagbark hickory grafted in 1938 (?)
Deveaux Shagbark hickory grafted in 1936
Fox