Augusta Blog

Pat Malcolm asked:


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.

The difficulties that have delayed commercial orchard development basically lies in the extreme difficulty in successfully grafting 130 cultivar selections for nursery distributors.

Some hickory nuts have smooth, thin shells that can be easily cracked by squeezing two together in the hand, but other hickory nut shells are so thick and hard that they must be cracked by several vigorous hits from a heavy hammer.

Since hickory nuts are difficult to shell out into large pieces, it is beneficial to soak the nuts in water overnight before cracking. The shelled nuts then should be dried and placed in a cool, dark location until they are to be used in recipes.

Even though some cultivars can produce kernels up to 47% by weight, most nuts only shell out about 30% kernel. There is a great variability in hickory flavor from one cultivar to the next, however, they all have a high unsaturated fat content with strong medical antioxidant properties that transmits that characteristic spicy, sweet, buttery taste from the kernels.

A mature shagbark hickory tree is unmistakable in its shaggy, unkempt trunk appearance and its bright green, shiny leaves constantly moving in the breeze at the globular treetop. Young trees have a shiny, smooth bark that only begin to shred hair-like at an age of about 25 years.

Shagbark hickory trees are easy to transplant until about 4-5 feet tall, when a long taproot begins to anchor the tree to the ground with very few lateral roots. Because of these sturdy, deep growing taproots, and dense wood, the trees are among the best lawn specimens to plant in hurricane locations, since they appear invulnerable to wind damage with very straight trunks.

Several observations have been made on natural state hybridization between shagbark hickory ‘Carya ovata,’ and pecan trees, ‘Carya illinoinensis.’ The resulting nuts seem to have flavor and nut characteristics somewhere in between the two species and are being planted by nut hobbyists and some have found a place within some commercial pecan orchards to insure pollination of this genetic marvel named, ‘Hican.’

The many uses of shagbark hickory trees include fuel, wood, and furniture products and as a supplement to charcoal cooking as a smoking agent for taste and preservation of meats. Because of the dense wood, hickory is used in tool handles such as hammers and axes, as well as chairs, ladders, golf clubs, baseball bats, and skis.



GRACES

Pat Malcolm asked:


Many of the berries grown today commercially were recently hybridized from wild berry plants and bushes that grew as native plants on many continents since ancient historical times, such as the strawberry plants, blueberry plants, raspberry plants, and leading to the development of hybrid berries grown today such as the Boysenberry plant, Loganberry plant and Youngberry plants that are crosses between, blackberry, rubus spp., and the red raspberry, Rubus idaeus, the latter hybrid berry plants have only been in existence for a short time. Most modern blueberry hybrid bushes have only been available as USDA releases for about 50 years, and the enormous berry plant production has created huge agricultural fortunes for modern growers of raspberry plants, blueberry bushes, blackberry bushes and vines and endless fields of strawberry plants.

It is well known that the raspberry plant was used as food in ancient cultures, and parts of raspberry bushes were used to make a medicinal tea. The strawberry tree, Arbutus, was described by the Roman writer, Pliny, in the first century A.D. Pliny also described the strawberry ground plant that was being grown for food to be used as a medicinal tonic in the first century A.D. Many Romans were not enthusiastic about eating berries from vines that grew near the ground, because of their fear of plague contamination by rats and snakes. Strawberry fruits were depicted in European paintings during medieval times, and were cultivated in gardens during the 1300s in Europe. Henry the VIII, King of England purchased some strawberry fruits to eat in the year 1530.

During the 1600s a strawberry plant shipment was received in England from the American colonies and planted in backyard gardens. These Virginia strawberries, Fragaria virginiana, were tasty and delicious growing larger in size than the European strawberries. After growing side by side, the two species of strawberry plants inter-hybridized and grew into an improvement, remarkably, larger and sweeter berries than either of the parents. The offspring vines of these natural selections of strawberries were used to breed modern cultivar’s that led to the extensive commercial growing of strawberry plants in the United States.

The noted founders of the first Botanical Garden in the United States, John Bartram in 1728 and was sent along with his son, William Bartram, in his book, Travels, were sent to explore the U.S. Southern colonies and to compile an inventory of useful native plant life. His encounters with “Brier vines…..rambling ….over fences and shrubs” records his familiarity with wild berry plants in the New World if the American colonies.

The first plant and tree nursery to be established in the United States was in Flushing, New York in the year 1737, by Willian Prince, who offered raspberry plants for sale, and in 177, he offered 500 white mulberry trees, Morus alba, for sale. General Oglethorpe in 1733 imported 500 white mulberry trees to Fort Frederica near Sea Island Georgia to suggest to the colonists, that there was an economical future for silk production. Mulberry trees lined the entrance to President Thomas Jefferson’s home in Monticello, Virginia and were planted 20 feet apart.

The President of the U.S. Continental Congress, Henry Laurens, a native of Charleston, South Carolina, after the year 1755, introduced “olives, limes, ginger, (lilies) ever-bearing strawberry, red raspberry and blue grapes from the South of France, and he also introduced “Apples, pears, plums, the white Chasselus grape, which bore abundantly.” The fruit that he raised from the olive tree was prepared and pickled “with a quality equal to those imported”.

George Washington in 1761 moved to his Mount Vernon, Virginia, home where his gardeners cultivated berry bushes and berry vines.

William Bartram in his book, Travels, pg. XV, reports that mulberry trees were planted along the Georgia Coast, extending from Savannah, Georgia to Augusta, Georgia, and in 1766, “Every landowner was required by Law to grow silkworms and produce silk, but only a colony of Germans at Ebenezer, just up the river from Savannah were successful with this crop.”

Near Mobile, Alabama, Bartram reported seeing in the year, 1773, “the forests, consist chiefly of Oak, Hiccory, (hickory) Ash, Sour Gum, (Nyssa sylvatica) Sweet Gum (Liquidamber styraciflua,) Beech, Mulberry, scarlet Maple, Black Walnut, Dogwood, Cornus Florida, Aescullus Pavia, Prunus Indica, Ptelea, and an Abundance of Chestnut, (Fagus castanea) on the hills with Pinus taeda and Pinus lutea.”

Bartram reported that, (page 306) “visiting a plantation at Jacksonbug, that he saw a large orchard of the “European mulberry Tree (Morus Alba) some of which were grafted on stocks of the native Mulberry (Morus rubra) that were used to grow silkworms” for the making of silk garments. Bartram also found in 1773 red mulberry trees growing at Wrightsville, Ga. 30 miles from Augusta, Ga.

Reports of William Bartram discovering “fruitful strawberry fields, that he later enjoyed eating cream and strawberries served by his very agreeable, female Indian host. William Bartram discovered various wild species related to blueberry bushes, “Vaccinium varietas”, growing in the Souther U.S. Colonies in great numbers.

Berries occur naturally in most areas of the world, even in the Arctic areas of North America; blueberry plants being the most cold hardy. Berries are known as being small fruits, and in ancient civilizations and were largely ignored to cultivate as a garden plant in favor of larger fruits, except for use as a health remedy. The flavor and size of wild berries was unpredictable and extremely variable in quality. Wildlife animals and birds owed much of their existence to food coming from berry plants, vines and trees. Mulberry trees are perhaps the best known ancient, historical tree berry, but even though the Babylonians loved the berries, the Chinese grew silkworms on the leaves. A great Oriental Silk trade development then opened up the Western products to the East and resulted in Mulberry trees that can begin bearing red, black or white berries the first year of planting, and the berry yields of these is so phenomenal, that they became a treasured economic fixture for ancient farmers. Such inventive plant hybridizers as Luther Burbank, USDA George Darrow, W.T. Brightwell, Otis Woodard and Max Austin have left a giant heritage of agricultural progress and national riches to those who love to eat, blackberries, raspberries, blackberries, dewberries, blueberries, and tree mulberries. These hybrid berries offer freshness, aroma, taste, and high yields of antioxidants that fight, strokes, heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer’s memory loss and has transformed blueberries into a famous health fruit item; followed by blackberries, raspberries, and strawberry, because of the high berry content of ellagic acid, Vitamins and minerals.

Berries don’t have an extended shelf life in grocery stores like most fruits, but they offer berry farmers great future profits from the expected high yields and early productiveness. Refrigeration improvement has extended marketability. Fast shipping improvements and harvesting advancements make berries a desirable inventory for stores to buy and sell. Pick-your-own fields of berries offer and opportunity for families to save on fruit buying and recreational enjoyment. Some pick-you-own berry operations will preharvest the fruit and berries for sale at roadside fruit and berry stands and at farmer’s markets. Wildlife animals and birds sustain their growth by feeding on berries from the wild, native berry patches. Blueberries are available for wildlife, animal and bird food for many months, and wild berry plants growing on vines, bushes and trees, offer inexpensive wildlife food for hunters of wild birds and animals. Birds such as quail, dove and ducks can enjoy the cover and protection offered by the thorny blackberry bushes and from vines that climb and wind along fences at the forest edge. Since these berry plants are perennials, they regrow predictably and reliably every year. The berry seed when eaten by wildlife birds and animals can be spread by droppings and often will grow into new berry plants. Raspberry plants are usually rarely found in the wild state, but hybrid raspberries grow in many shades of colors of red, yellow, purple and black. Black raspberries are delicate and tasty but do not have the yields, cold hardiness or extended shelf life of the red raspberry. Most fresh red raspberry, commercial production in the United States has been dramatically increased because of the soaring demand by millions of satisfied berry tasters.



NERIO

CJ Carter asked:


No matter what kind vehicle you have you must constantly remember that the three classiest colors you can own are black, gray, and white. They are conservative and conservative is always classy. If you must enjoy a “true color” you may get a navy blue vehicle.

Classy not only appreciate the conservative, but also the inconspicuous, hence, navy blue may arguably be the superior choice to the color white. White has a tendency to draw the eyes toward it like a moth to the flame. If you are looking for the pinnacle of class you will want to choose black as it is the ultimate color in virtually any décor. Black vehicles are often overlooked, move slower, and will accessorize with anything on your person.

Now that you have staunchly asserted yourself regarding the color of your vehicle you must decide on a make and model. The make of your car is classier if it is European, such as the Bentley, Rolls Royce, Aston Martin or Jaguar (pronounced “Jag-u-ah”). A European vehicle is decidedly classier if only for the sake of it being European.

If you might stray away from such makes you may go American with a Ford Model T which is classy not only because it comes only in black, but because it is antiquated. The classy also appreciate antiquity. Unfortunately, the Model T does have its drawback. It is extremely conspicuous and would be best contained on your compound behind the walls, at exclusive trade shows, parked near the Eisenhower tree at Augusta, or within a structure especially built to keep prying eyes away. This structure may be as modest as a single car garage or as decadent as a hanger.

For those who appreciate the orient, the Honda Accord passes the inconspicuous test and is conservative if given a respectable color. Unfortunately it fails the “common test”, which is selectively applied where application can gratuitously fashion a smaller population. Of course, the uncommon tends to be very conspicuous, so you have to decide on which side you will be after the trade off. One way you can have the best of both worlds is with a non-convertible, black, BMW M6. Bar antiquity, it fits all criteria and looks nice too.



GROSSER