squirrels in America. I
cover some of the choice varieties with stove pipe. They seem to take
the hint and don't bother the nuts. One more thing, there does
not seem to be enough nuts to go around, that is, enough for both the
squirrels and ourselves. So let's plant more trees so that the squirrels
can't possibly eat them all and when we have done that, then let's plant
a lot more.

We now have many species of nuts and many varieties of each species,
many of which have proven hardy in cold climates. It is very encouraging
to note the good work that is being done to produce better and more
varieties. One very fine nut that doesn't seem to have had much work
done on it is the hard shell almond. It does very well for me, is
self-pollinating, bears very heavily, and can be grafted on peach stocks
with good results. I have also had very good success with Persian
walnuts, heartnuts, filberts, chestnuts, hickories, pecans, hazels and
black walnuts.

Natural Variation Observed in Shagbark Hickory, _Carya ovata_ (Mill.) K.
Koch. in Central New York

DAVID H. CALDWELL, _N. Y. State College of Forestry, Syracuse, N. Y._

The shagbark hickory has been extremely important in the economy of the
United States during its period of early development. The handles of the
axes which leveled extensive forested areas in Colonial days were
frequently made from sturdy hickory wood. The nuts furnished food for
man in the form of oil or nutmeats and often hogs were fattened on
hickory nuts, beechnuts and chestnuts. As settlement progressed, the
demand on hickory as wood for wagon parts increased while the use of the
thick-shelled nuts for food decreased except by the country boy or girl
who wandered from tree to tree in the fall collecting nuts for cracking
by the fireside in the wintertime.

The author remembers bounding out of bed as a child in the fall before
dawn on the nights when there had been a frost or a heavy wind, in an
effort to beat the squirrels in the race to obtain the rich harvest of
hickory nuts to be found lying beneath the fine old trees near Herkimer,
N. Y. By some coincidence, both the boys and the squirrels knew of the
same trees which were most sought after for their crops of nuts. It was
at this time that the variability of hickory nuts was first observed.
Thus it was that the nuts of certain trees were never gathered, while
the grass beneath other favorite trees was gleaned carefully for all
fallen nuts.