In 1792, William Bartram reported in his book, Travels, the discovery of a native shagbark hickory nut that he called ‘Juglans exaltata.’ Today, shagbark hickory is called ‘Carya ovata.’ Bartram reported that this shagbark hickory grove was cultivated in groves by the Indians west of Augusta, Ga.
Bartram documented that he saw 100 bushels of shagbark hickory nuts that were stored at just a single Indian family home. The nuts were pounded into a mash, and then boiled in water, where a white, oily liquid separated called ‘hickory milk.’ The liquid was described to be as sweet and rich as a fresh cream and was an active ingredient used by the Indians in cooking corn bread and hominy grits.
There remains some question whether or not the Indians near Augusta on the Altamaha River hickory groves as described by Bartram were actually planted as orchard trees or just harvested at a naturally located site. Many such productive groves occur along tidal creeks in Coastal Georgia, a few are left intact by land developers for the recreational value of the trees and the food value of the nuts that are gathered at one such Episcopal camp near Brunswick, Ga. along a tidal basin aquifer ‘Honeycreek,’ a tributary of the Satilla River.
The hickory cream that was recovered by the Indians for cooking purposes was also described by Indians from the Algonquian tribe in Virginia who called this cream “pawcohiccora,” thus the word ‘hickory’ was adapted, modified, and abbreviated by the English colonists.
The shelled nuts of hickory are greatly sought after and appreciated for the unique flavor, not only by birds and animals, but by cooks and gourmet nut fanciers as well. The shagbark hickory nut, when added to chocolate fudge, leaves a pleasurable, indelible memory to all who are lucky enough to have experienced this delicious encounter.
A group of entrepreneurs out West offer shagbark syrup made from a top secret recipe that is made from a white inner bark extract of the juice obtained in the spring from shagbark hickory trees. The extract is obtained by pressure cooking and straining the juices from the pulverized and shredded bark. The demand is so great for this bottled hickory flavoring, that it has never satisfied the market to chefs throughout the United States. Julia Child reports that one of her favorite gourmet preparations includes mixing the bark extract with bourbon as a marinade for ribs.
Every backyard chef with a grill appreciates the fine flavoring that hickory tree wood smoke transfers into meat, fish, and many other food items. Early colonists used hickory tree wood smoke to flavor, cure, and preserve meats in the famous smokehouses of Virginia.
In the natural state of hardwood forests, hickory trees have hybridized easily and readily within species to produce numerous variations and combinations of characteristics that possess the traditional vigor displayed in scientific intercrosses of species by academic professionals.
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Because of their relative ease of planting and growing, bulbs of all kinds are a popular flower choice. A wide variety of flower bulbs are available today. Tulips, lilacs, daffodils, crocuses, irises, dahlias, and gladiolus are just a few of the flower bulbs available. Even within one flower family, there are often many variations. For example, there are over one hundred tulips available for fall planting alone.
It would be difficult to house all of the different bulbs in one store, and even more overwhelming for a customer to try to decide which one is right for them. Luckily, stores don’t even have to try. Consumers can simply open a flower bulb catalog and see pictures of all of the different varieties available. Many of the catalogs will give all of the pertinent information to consumers—name of flower, colors available, water requirements, sun requirements, geographic area, price, etc. These flower bulb catalogs make it easy for customers to decide at a glance what type of bulb they need.
Jackson and Perkins is a well-known flower bulb catalog company. John Scheepers, Inc. offers a catalog of Dutch flower bulbs. Old House Gardens bills itself as “American’s only source devoted to antique flower bulbs.” Finally, Van Dyck’s offers a catalog of flower bulbs and perennials.
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For many, choosing the right colors for the ceiling, trim and walls when painting a room for the first time can be a daunting household task. But, just like learning how to cook a great meal, creating the perfect room can be achieved with the right ingredients and a good recipe.
“Spicing up the home with color is a great way to brighten the indoors-but the actual color selection process often can be quite overwhelming,” said Barbara Richardson, director of color marketing for ICI Paints and a licensed interior designer. “Follow these simple, sensible tips, and you’ll paint like a pro to create a delectable treat of a colorful new home–and have fun in the process.”
Consult a color “cookbook”
You wouldn’t attempt to whip up a gourmet meal without consulting a cookbook or an experienced chef. Similarly, take advantage of the design assistance that is available to you. For computer-savvy do-it-yourselfers, free design advice is available with the simple click of a computer mouse.
For example, the Glidden Online Color Consultant, located at www.glidden.com, combines individual tastes with direction from color experts to determine a user’s ideal paint palette through a step-by-step guided process.
Color chips of shades chosen online can be ordered and sent free of charge. Since it’s preferable to make paint selections surrounded by the furniture, lighting and accessories of a room, reviewing color chips in the comfort of home provides the extra confidence needed to proceed with a paint project.
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Just like other crimes, a burglary can be a totally random event. However, when it’s planned, there are certain things a burglar will look for when staking out a possible break-in, and there are steps the homeowner can take to minimize this risk.
This is a good checklist before leaving your home empty or for beefing up your protection against theft:
Study your house from the street, and look for any valuables that may be visible from the street. Don’t give thieves a reason to show up.
Before leaving for any length of time, ensure that all windows and doors are locked, including the door to your garage. Many home invasion robberies come through garage doors and inner doors to the houses. Doors should have deadbolt locks with a one-inch throw and reinforced strike plate.
Place a piece of wood or metal in the track of any sliding doors to prevent opening.
Don’t leave your house in darkness when you’re away, create a sense of activity by using timers on lights, radios and televisions.
Install low-voltage lighting outdoors to keep your surrounding yard well lit. Install motion detectors in dark areas along the sides and back of house to alert you of any intruders.
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29 Jun 2011
