THE MINNESOTA HORTICULTURIST

- brought the nuts back from a trip to his old home near Clinton, Illinois Peter M. Gideon-Pioneer in the fall of 1878. The nuts were planted in the spring of 1879 in check rows "like corn in a field", where Nut Grower they grew to make a thick stand. The trees. were too crowded for best By W. G. BRIERLEY, Uni:versity Farm, St. Paul, Minn. development but Mr. Becker recalled ENTION of the name of Peter very large nuts were found. This tree that Gideon found some of them bearing nuts before he died in 1899. M M. Gideon in Minnesota U!iual­ 13 inches in trunk diameter and 35 As the site was sold only a few years ly recalls his interest in grow­ feet high, has been identified as a after the nuts were planted, and as ing seedling fruits and his introduc­ specimen of Carya laciniosa various­ Gideon became less active with in­ tion of the Wealthy apple and other ly knoWn as the Shellbark, Southern creased age, Mr. Becker said that less well known varieties. That he Shagbark, or King Nut hickory. (See Gideon did not pay much attention also was interested in growing nut cover picture.) This tree, although trees seems to have escaped mention. growing far north of its native range, to the trees after the site was sold. A search through reports of the Min­ was a vigorous, healthy specimen Possibly this explains the failure of nesota Horticultural Society publish­ and showed· no evidence of winter in­ Gideon to mention nut planting in ed in Gideon's time and later, failed jury. In the fall of 1945, another tree his reports. to reveal any comments or reports that did not bear in 1944 was found Further information obtained from by Gideon or any reference to his to be of the laciniosa species, and a Mr. Becker revealed more of Gid-e­ work ,with nut trees. Within the last third. tree has been identified as a on's interest in nut growing. The few years, however, an interesting hybrid. row of butternuts along the lake story has been gradually unfolding to From inquiries at neighboring cot­ shore drive and some black walnuts show that Gideon was one of the tages it was learned that the trees located not far distant on the west pioneers in the introduction and cul­ had been bearing for many years. side of the "Narrows" road were tivation of nut trees in Minnesota. This information and the siz·e of the planted by Gideon "At least as early trees indicated that they were not of as the seed that produced the The First Clue recent planting. The writer grew Wealthy apple". So they probably In the spring of 1937 a visitor at grew up where hickory trees were were planted about 1'860 and now are the Fruit Breeding Farm mentioned common and _knew the location of at least 85 years old. Thus, aft-er long having seen hickory trees growing nearly every bearing tree for several search, the story was completed and somewhere along ;the road to the miles ·around his old home. At that it was definitely established that the "Narrows" at Lake Minnetonka. ·The time little·. attention was given to hickories, black walnut and butter­ trees were said to be growing "Near trees of less than six inches in di­ nuts wer'e planted by Peter Gideon. a garage with a red roof" but a ameter as they were considered too search failed to locate them. A few young to bear. Based on this early years later the same visitor promised experience the trees at Manitou were to furnish a sketch of the location, :,_t_hought to be,around 60 years old, an. but this was not sent, and later ·age that would date them back with­ searches along the highway were in Peter Gideon's active years, or to fruitless. It had been known for about 1880. This estimate was not some time that a row of old butter­ shared by others. in the party that nut trees was growing· along a lake­ located the trees but has been veri­ shore drive on the old Gideon home­ fied by evidence obtained later. stead but it was not realized that the hickory trees might also be growing Age Established in the same locality. - Through a series of contacts with Another clue to the location of the people who had lived in the cottages long sought hickory trees was obtain­ on the site, information as to the age ed in February 1944 through a tele­ and origin of the trees was at length phone inquiry concerning the grow­ obtained from Mr. C. LeRoy Kim­ ing of hickory seedlings from nuts ports, now living ln Georgia. He that had been collected along the stated in a letter that when he pur­ "Narrows" road the previous fall. It chased the cottage site in 1908 there was too late at that time of year for was a "nicely laid out grove" that the dried nuts to be of value for already was bearing nuts. He was planting but the caller gave good di­ told that the trees had been planted rections for locating the site. In the by Peter· Gideon. When the cottages spring of 1944 the trees were readily were built many of the trees were located close to the high_way at Mani­ removed, but those that were left tou on the old Gideon homestead. showed some of the original rows. There were twelve large trees and So the story had partially unfold­ ed, but many missing items kept four smaller ones growing around Group of Shagbark Hickories (Carya ovata) cottages on the site. The older trees curiosity and interest active. Fre­ Planted by Peter M. Gideon in 1879. were in broken rows giving the im­ quent inquires finally led to a pression they might have been plant­ pleasant visit in the fall of 1944 at A sequel to the main story con­ ed originally in uniform rows. Some the home of Mr. E. W. Becker on the cerns the possibility of growing seed­ of the larger trees were 16 inches or Minnetonka shore near the Gideon lings from nuts borne by the Gideon more in trunk diameter and ranged homestead. Although 86 years old, hickories. It is variously reported up to at least 35 feet in height. All Mr. Becker readily recalled incidents that attempts to grow such seedlings but two of the trees were represen­ and dates relating to the time when have been without success. That the tatives of the northern shagbark as a youth he worked for Peter native species (C. ovata) is able to hickory, Carya ovata, native of Wi­ Gideon. Many missing items furnish reproduce under the prevailing local nona and Houston Counties but not ed by Mr. Becker completed the condition is shown by presence in commonly found elsewhere in the story of the Gideon hickories. the grove of four seedling trees vary­ state. Under one tree, however, some Mr. Becker told how · Gideon ing from about 6 to 20 years of age. 138 THE MINNESOTA• HORTICULTURIST As the trees of the "King Nut" hick­ about 10 per cent appear·ed to be im­ April 1945, 27 of the nuts were ory are growing more than 200 miles perfectly filled, . as often is the case planted in large pots in a greenhouse north of their native range there was with nut species grown well north of · to record their behavior. The re­ some ooubt about ability of the nuts their native r~nge. There were to germinate. So a fairly large sam­ enough well filled nuts, however, to mainder of the nuts, 117 in number, ple of them was collected in the fall justify an attempt to grow them. were planted at the Mayo Forestry of 1944. Pos·sibly because the fall was Consequently many of the nuts col­ and Horticulture Institute at Roch'­ very favorable for nuts to mature lected were stratified in sand and ester. they may have been in better con~ held until spring in a fruit cellar at a By the end of June, 24 of the 27 dition than usual. On examination temperature just above freezing. In nuts planted in pots, or 92 per cent, had sprouted and emerged from the soil. As the pots were too small for the long tap-roots the s·eedlings were set out in several selected locations. Some were planted by Professor J. D. Winter on his place at Mound; some by Dr. J. J. Christensen at Lakeville, some on the campus at University Farm and others at the Fruit Breeding Farm. A number also were planted by the genial nut en­ thusiast, R. E. Hodgson, at the South­ east Experiment Station, Waseca. As weather during the growing season was favorable all appeared to be doing well by fall so it seems likely that many seedlings from the original tree will become established. Those who are growing them will find an added interest in their seedlings of this introduced nut tree species be­ cause of their direct relationship to one of the trees that evidence Peter Samples of Nuts from the Gideon Trees. Above-Carya Jaciniosa, Shellbark or King Gideon's early interest in nut grow­ Nut Hickory. Below-Carva ovata, Native Shagbark Hickory. ing.

ALICE M. TISDALE, Editor for that prejudice to pass. Wild fruits and nuts grew 'in profusion in Native Foods for the Holiday Dinner the New World, blueberries being re­ ported near Lake Huron jn 1615 by THE first Thanksgiving Day was a Although the birthplace of cacao is Champlain. The cranberries found celebration of thanks for the not known, Brazil, Venezuela and in northern U. S. were a much larger New England colonists' first har­ Central America claim its origin and variety than the ones found in vest. Many of the foods they gathered it was certainly a native of one or Europe. Other native fruits of North th~n had been grown her-e ·before the all of those places. It was cultivated America are the red raspberry, cd!.onists' arrival, by ingenious agri­ very early in Mexico, but is thought blackberry, huc}{leberry. Tropical culturists, the Indians. to have been brought there from America furnished pineapples (later Perhaps the most outstanding na­ South America. It was used as a taken to Hawaii), avocados, guavas tive American food plant was corn drink, the bean was a medium of and many other fruits. Pecans grew or ·maize, said to be the oldest of all exchange, and both the tree and the in southern U. S. and Mexico, while cereals. The Indians developed it bean were part o~ the Indians' reli­ cashews and Brazil nuts grew in from its wild ancestor and it became gious 'rites. Brazil. Spaniards found in Mexico a food staple from Canada to J;'ata­ The well known · manioc root an orchid from which the Indians gonia. Several kinds of squash are (known also as yucca, mandioca and made vanilla. They used it as a American natives, as are lima, kidney cassava) is an important item of diet flavoring for cocoa. Wild rice was and some other types of beans. Both in many tropical countries. It is said native both to America and to sweet and Irish potatoes are also na­ to yield six times as much food .per Europe. tives. The first "Irish" potatoes were acre as wheat. In the U. S. it is used found by a white man in Colombia for starch, tapioca, and also in the All these native plants and more and he called them a "kind of ground manufacture of certain chemical have their places in our holiday nut, which when boiled became as products. feasts of today; but another native of soft as a boiled chestnut." By way Peanuts are another "local plant the Americas figures largely, the tur­ of Spanish ships, potatoes reached that has made good." A native of key. First found in Mexico, it was Germany and England and finally Brazil and Uruguay, the nuts have valued more for its fine feathers than Ireland in the seventeenth century. been found in prehistoric graves in for its meat. The early New England From there they were brought back Peru. In present times, we all know birds often weighed sixty pounds or to the New World. The sweet potato, how many dozens of uses have been more. a cousin of the morning-glory, was found for this popular nut. And after the turkey, potatoes, first found in the West Indies. When The tomato, greeted at first with vegetables, fruits and nuts, don't for­ the natives gave some boiled roots to hostility, came from western South get the after-dinner cigar, a West the Columbus expedition, the men America. Taken to Europe, it was Indies contribution. Columbus found called them "not unlike chestnuts in considered a garden ornament but natives smoking crude rolls of leaves taste." poison for eating. It took 300 years which had been thrust into hollow