October 22, 1981 - This Is the Year for NutsOctober 22, 1981 Tide NNW- Aebieb) Page 11
This Is the Year for Nuts
It seems to me that this year has been a
bumper year for nuts. Don't get me wrong.
I'm talking about the nuts that come off
our trees. At our house we have to walk
with caution because so many hickory nuts
have fallen along the pathway. Even the
grey squirrels can't keep up with them.
They tried, as the raining of shells and
debris filtered down through the trees can
vouch for, yet they haven't even put a dent
in them.
Of all our edible nuts I think the hickory
nut is the most difficult to get the meat out
of. The shell really has to be hit hard to
crack it and when it does usually the blow
is so violent that you merely get a mess of
meat and shells together. I'll try to crack
them with a gentle hit but nothing happens
so a bit harder and a bit harder, 'til there
you have it -- another complete disaster. It
really takes an expert to get into hickory
nuts.
We have had a continual bombardment
of these hard heavy nuts on our roof. It's
almost like a wind indicator for the
stronger the wind the more we're under
attack. Our roof can take it but not our
greenhouse. This year so far three panes of
glass have been shattered by falling nuts.
This is the most damage we've had in one
year and surely reinforces my idea that
this must be a bumper year for nuts.
Black Oaks Produce Biggest Acorn
Even the black oak, one of our most
common trees, seems to have outproduced
itself this year. Out by the stable there's a
black oak whose acorns are at least an
inch across and their caps are the largest
I've ever seen.
Our white oak has already dropped its
crop of large, long brown acorns. They fell
all over our patio and were such good
looking acorns everyone passing by had to
bend down and pick up a few. They felt
good in your hand. Their smooth sleek
shell seemed to invite fondling. These
acorns, as I've mentioned before, are the
edible nuts of the oak and when eaten are
usually cooked to take some of the
sharpness out of them.
Our other oak that has an equally sleek
looking nut is the chestnut oak which is
common in a few places on the North Fork
and Shelter Island. Its leaf doesn't even
look oakish. It has a long toothed leaf.
It seems odd that one of our most
abundant nut trees in the northeast a half
century ago is no longer with us. The
American chestnut is only a memory to
most. Yet its wood and nuts were building
blocks of this country in its early years.
There are still houses whose rafters and
beams were hewn of these mighty trees.
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Yet a blight very similar to the Dutch elm
disease literally wiped them out.
The only other chestnut tree we have is
the horse chestnut from the Far East. Its
fruit is not edible but I must say it is
extremely good looking. The nut is protect-
ed by a bristly covering that when ripe
makes easy access to the nut. The
American chestnut was a great delicacy
and chestnuts roasting on an open hearth
was a tradition from early times.
Beech Nuts Found in Village
I had to visit my doctor last week and as
I got out of the car I paid particular
attention to where my feet were being
placed because I was hobbling on crutches
with a sprained ankle. Right under my feet
on the busy sidewalk outside his office
were the shells and nuts of another one of
our native nut trees, the beech tree. Often
we see this handsome tree but seldom do
we see its small, bristle - covered nuts.
These triangular nuts are much sought
after by birds and animals alike. Proof of
this was a squirrel doing a tight rope along
a telephone cable just after raiding the
heavy -laden tree.
The beech tree is often called the lovers
tree for on its smooth silvery bark we often
see carved initials in cupid's hearts. I
frown on such things as carvings on tree
trunks but I must admit of all the trees this
puts forth the best tablet of all.
Years ago I nurtured a beech tree from a
seedling just outside my bedroom window.
It's now 20 feet tall. Beech trees have
delicately long leaves on wide sweeping
branches that make them stand out among
other trees. What more pleasant sight to
greet me in the morning as I gaze out the
window to check the early morning
weather.
Trees to many of us are so common out
here on the East End that we often take:
them for granted. Yet there are so many
different trees each with its own virtue
that I find them pleasant companions no
matter where I go. Some are graceful and
tall, others scrawny and almost stunted.
Each has its own place because of the
various soils, temperatures and moisture
requirements. All this gives us a wide
variety of trees here on Long Island.
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Saturday: Mac Davis in Cheaper To Keep Her
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BLACK OAK ACORNS - -White oak and chestnut oak have sleek long
brown acorns. But the black oak comes to us with the biggest most
robust of all acorns here on Long Island. Photo by Paul Stoutenburgh
Trees from the time of our first settlers
to the present have been an integral part of
our lives: To some they provide heat from
their wood, to others nuts for winter's
feasts and yet to others an endless array of
esthetic wonder. Whether it be spring
when the new green leaves awaken us to a
growing world, or in summer when shade
comes from the spreading limbs of a tree,
or when fall colors celebrate the harvest or
winter when bare limbs tell us the world is
asleep and resting, trees make our lives
richer and fuller.
PAULSTOUTENBURGH
IOT voT
THURSDAY 22
MORNING
7:00
6:00
PICTURE SHOW MAN (PG)
7:30
THE ISLAND OF NEVAWUZ (G)
8:30
THE LION IN WINTER (PG)
11:00
JUDY GARLAND (SP)
MIDDAY
COME (PG)
12:00
SEEMS LIKE OLD TIMES (PG)
2:00
BOBBY VINTON (SP)
3:00
THE CHILDREN OF THEATRE
LITTLE MISS MARKER (PG)
STREET (SP)
4:30
PICTURE SHOW MAN (PG)
6:00
FREAKY FRIDAY (G)
EVENING
8:00
PORTRAIT OF GRANDPA DOC (SP)
8:30
SHOOT THE SUN DOWN (PG) '
10:30
AIRPLANE (PG)
12:00
THE IDOLMAKER (PG)
LATE NIGHT
2:00
SEEMS LIKE OLD TIMES (PG)
4:00
KILL OR BE KILLED (R)
FRIDAY 23
MORNING
6:00
FREAKY FRIDAY (G)
8:00
MY SON, MY SON (NR)
10:00
ELECTRIC ESKIMO (G)
11:00
THE CHILDREN OF THEATRE
JUDY GARLAND (SP)
STREET (SP) '
MIDDAY
12:30
AIRPLANE (PG)
2:00
LOOK BACK IN ANGER (NR)
4:00
ZERO TO SIXTY (PG)
6:00
1 LOVE YOU, ALICE B.
TOKLAS (NR)
EVENING
8:00
KILL OR BE KILLED (R)
10:00
THE NUDE BOMB (PG)
12:00
MY BODYGUARD (PG)
LATE NIGHT
2:00
PRIVATE BENJAMIN (R)
4:00
THE OUTSIDER (R) '
SATURDAY 24
MORNING
6:30
EDDIE BABBITT (SP)
8:00
LOOK BACK IN ANGER (NR) '
10:00
THE NUDE BOMB (PG)
MIDDAY
12:00
ZERO TO SIXTY (PG)
2:00
THE IDOLMAKER (PG)
4:00
MAN WITH BOGARTS FACE (PG)
6:00
MY BODYGUARD (PG)
EVENING
8:00
CHEAPER TO KEEP HER (R)
10:00
PRIVATE BENJAMIN (R)
12:00
SHOCK WAVES (R)
LATE NIGNT
1:30
THE CHILDREN (R) '
3:00
CHEAPER TO KEEP HER (R)
5:00
AMERICAN GIGOLO (R)
1:30 THE INTERNATIONAL ALL STAR
FESTIVAL- (SP)
2:30 THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO
COME (PG)
4:30 FROM HELL TO VICTORY (PG) '
6:30 AIRPLANE (PG)
LONG ISLAND
CABLEVISION
ROUTE 58 RIVERHEAD 727.6300
EVENING
SUNDAY 25
MORNING
7:00
MAN WITH BOGARTS FACE (PG)
9:00
THE CORSICAN BROTHERS (NR)
11:00
TALKING PICTURES (Short Subject)
11:30
THE IDOLMAKER (PG)
MIDDAY
THE STUNT MAN (R) '
1:30 THE INTERNATIONAL ALL STAR
FESTIVAL- (SP)
2:30 THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO
COME (PG)
4:30 FROM HELL TO VICTORY (PG) '
6:30 AIRPLANE (PG)
LONG ISLAND
CABLEVISION
ROUTE 58 RIVERHEAD 727.6300
EVENING
8:00
LITTLE MISS MARKER (PG)
10:00
THE LION IN WINTER (PG)
LATE NIGHT
12:30
AMERICAN GIGOLO (R)
2:30
CHINATOWN (R)
5:00
THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO
THE STUNT MAN (R) '
COME (PG)
CHAPTER TWO (PG)
MONDAY 26
MORNING
6:30
DEADMAN'S FLOAT (PG)
8:00
LITTLE MISS MARKER (PG)
10:00
AIRPLANE (PG)
11:30
THE LION IN WINTER (PG)
MIDDAY
MORNING
2:00
ECHOES OF A SUMMER (PG)
4:00
DEADMAN'S FLOAT (PG)
5:30
THE ISLAND OF NEVAWUZ (G)
6:30
THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF
FRACTURED FLICKERS (Short Subject)
JOE 90 (G)
EVENING
8:00
THE STUNT MAN (R) '
10:30
CHAPTER TWO (PG)
LATE NIGHT
1:00
AN EVENING OF MAGIC AND
JUDY GARLAND (SP)
COMEDY (SP)
2:30
MY BODYGUARD (PG)
4:30
IT'S MY TURN (R)
BASKERVILLES (PG)
TUESDAY 27
MORNING
6:00
ECHOES OF A SUMMER (PG)
6:00
PORTRAIT OF GRANDPA DOC (SP)
8:30
THE AMAZING ADVENTURE OF
BEN VEREEN (SP)
JOE 90 (G)
10:00
1 LOVE YOU, ALICE B.
TOKLAS (NR)
MIDDAY
12:00
CHAPTER TWO (PG)
2:30
MY BODYGUARD (PG) '
4:30
PICTURE SHOW MAN (PG)
6:00
SEEMS LIKE OLD TIMES (PG)
EVENING
8:00
JUDY GARLAND (SP)
9:00
1 LOVE YOU, ALICE B.
TOKLAS (NR) '
11:00
A SMALL CIRCLE OF FRIENDS (R)
LATE NIGHT
1:00 ITS MY TURN (R) '
2:30 PRIVATE BENJAMIN (R)
4:30 CHEAPER TO KEEP HER (R)
12:30 PRIVATE BENJAMIN (R)
2:30 SHOCK WAVES (R)
4:00 THE JERK (R)
5:30 KILL OR BE KILLED (R)
* Final showing this month
SP Special
WEDNESDAY 28
MORNING
6:30
PORTRAIT OF GRANDPA DOC (SP)
7:00
SEEMS LIKE OLD TIMES (PG) '
9:00
FRACTURED FLICKERS (Short Subject)
9:30
TOBY It THE KOALA BEAR (G)
11:00
PICTURE SHOW MAN (PG)
MIDDAY
12:30
BEN VEREEN (SP)
1:30
JUDY GARLAND (SP)
2:30
ZERO TO SIXTY (PG)
4:30
THE HOUND OF THE
BASKERVILLES (PG)
6:00
THE NUDE BOMB (PG)
EVENING
8:00
AIRPLANE (PG)
9:30
CHEAPER TO KEEP HER (R)
11:30
BEN VEREEN (SP)
LATE NIGHT
12:30 PRIVATE BENJAMIN (R)
2:30 SHOCK WAVES (R)
4:00 THE JERK (R)
5:30 KILL OR BE KILLED (R)
* Final showing this month
SP Special