THE HICKORIES.
There are four species of Hickory native to Canada. The shagbark, the bitternut, the pignut and mockernut.
The shagbark hickory (Carya ovata) is the chief one of value for the production of edible nuts. It is confined to the St. Lawrence valley from Montreal westward and along Lakes Erie and Ontario for a distance of 40-50 miles back from the shore. It reaches a height of fifty to ninety feet and a trunk diameter of one to three feet and grows best on deep, fertile loams.
BITTERNUT HICKORY (Carya cordiformis)
This species has a wider range than the shellbark and is found in southwestern Quebec and throughout Ontario from the Quebec border to the Georgian Bay district. It grows best on low wet soils near streams but is also found on higher well-drained sorts. There are two fair sized trees on such a soil on the O. A. C. campus. This species may prove to be of value as a stock for grafting with the shellbark kingnut and some of the good hybrid hickories.
The mockernut (Carya alba) and the pignut (Carya glabra) occur along the north shore of Lake Erie and along Lake St. Clair.
The mockernut is not of much value as a nut tree but the wood is considered to be superior to other species of hickory.
The pignut is generally a small tree which produces nuts of variable size, form and flavor. The kernel may be bitter or it may be sweet and the nuts vary from round to pear-shape.