POMEROY — George Wright has always been somewhat of a conservationist at heart, so it was no surprise to see him transplanting king-sized hickory nuts into a tub of dark soil.
“King hickory nut trees are scarce here,” he says. “My goal is to help get them re-established in this part of the country.”
Asked where he got his “seed” hickory nuts, he said a couple of places, one being underneath a tree near Annie Chapman’s Morgan Rest Bed and Breakfast on Lincoln Hill in Pomeroy.
The whole process of starting King hickory nut tree starters began a number of months ago. George said it takes storage of the nuts in a cold place six to eight months in order for them to germinate. So they remained refrigerated until the weather began to warm a few weeks ago at which time he planted them in a tub and then waited and watched until little sprouts finally came up and growth began.
His goal has always been to plant enough so he could keep a few for himself and have enough left to give away to others interested in propagating the king-sized hickory nuts.
The plants have now grown into little trees four to six inches high and are ready to be planted in areas large enough to accommodate a tall tree which in a dozen or more years from now will yield hickory nuts.
George is ready to give them away to someone like him who wants to see the King Hickory Nut trees more plentiful in Meigs County.
Anyone interested in getting one of the dozen or so tree plants can leave their name and telephone number with his daughter, Susan Clark Dingess, at Clark’s Jewelry Store and George will get in touch with them. He has some specific instructions on how to handle the planting and care for the delicate plants so that they will survive.