[Illustration: Habitat.] HABITAT: (See map); best in western North Carolina and Tennessee. [Illustration: Leaf.] CHARACTERISTICS OF THE TREE: Height, 90'-120', even 150'; diameter, 3' to even 8'; clean of branches for 50' to 60'; bark, brownish, almost black, deep fissures, and broad, rounded ridges; leaves, 1'-2' long, compound pinnate, 15 to 23 leaflets, fall early; fruit, nut, with adherent husk, and edible kernel. APPEARANCE OF WOOD: Color, chocolate brown, sap-wood much lighter; diffuse-porous; rings, marked by slightly larger pores; grain, straight; rays, numerous, thin, not conspicuous. PHYSICAL QUALITIES: Weight, medium (31st in this list); 38 lbs. per cu. ft.; sp. gr. 0.6115; strong (32d in this list); elastic (23d in this list); hard (21st in this list); shrinkage, 5 per cent.; warps little; very durable; easy to work; splits with some difficulty, takes and holds nails well. COMMON USES: Gun stocks (since 17th century), veneers, cabinet making. REMARKS: Formerly much used for furniture, now scarce. Plentiful in California. Most valuable wood of North American forests. Wood superior to European variety. [Illustration: Radial Section, life size.] [Illustration: Cross-section, magnified 37-1/2 diameters.] [Illustration: Tangential Section, life size.] 31 MOCKERNUT. BLACK HICKORY. BULL-NUT. BIG-BUD HICKORY. WHITE-HEART HICKORY. KING NUT. Mockernut refers to disappointing character of nuts. _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. [Illustration: Habitat.] HABITAT: (See map); best in lower Ohio valley, Missouri and Arkansas. [Illustration: 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 shaggy in old trees; leaves, 8"-12" long, compound, 7-9 leaflets, fragrant when crushed; fruit, spherical nut, thick shell, 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 shellbark hickory. [Illustration: Radial Section, life size.] [Illustration: Cross-section, magnified 37-1/2 diameters.] [Illustration: Tangential Section, life size.] 32