Newspaper Page Text
January 25, 2023
Page 6C
MONROE OUTDOORS by Terry W. Johnson
Beporter
Black walnut trees produce valuable wood & nuts
To reach the tasty black walnut meat, one must first remove
the outer hull, crack the very hard nut and then use a tool
like a needle to pick out the nut. (Photo/Terry Johnson)
I am a fan of the black
walnut. In fact, I think
so highly of it, some
four decades ago my
wife and I brought a black
walnut sapling from her
family home in Alabama to
Monroe County and trans
planted it in our
backyard.
Since then we
have been vainly
awaiting the
tree to produce
its first crop of
nuts. I had not
given this much
thought until
this past De
cember. During
this years
Christmas Bird Count,
I found a dozen or so
frost-covered black walnuts
scattered along a country
road in eastern Monroe
County; these were the first
black walnuts I had seen in
years.
I am sure that many of the
folks who had driven past
them did not realize what
they were. Each nut was
encased in a nondescript
blackish brown, shriveled,
leathery husk, They are defi
nitely not something most
people have ever seen.
If black walnuts did not
taste so good, I doubt most
people would ever attempt
to open them—there is no
simple way to tackle this
task. The only method I
have used is to scrape off
the husk and expose the
extremely hard nut. (Here
is a word of caution: if you
do not want to stain your
hands, wear gloves when
removing the husks.)
I then place
the nut on
a rock and
pound it with a
hammer. Once
I crack the nut
open I use a nail
or large needle
to extract the
tasty meat.
Some of the
other methods
I have heard
about range from squeezing
the nuts in a vice to running
a car or truck over them.
Supposedly, walnut meat
is easier to remove from the
shell if the cracked nuts are
allowed to dry for a couple
days.
The meat of the black
walnut tree has the high
est protein content of any
tree-grown nut in the entire
world.
The meat is used to pre
pare countless mouth-wa
tering dishes, such as cakes,
cupcakes, stuffing and coffee
buns.
The hulls were used to
make dyes for cloth. In days
long past, they were em
ployed as hair dye.
Black walnuts have long
been used to concoct folk
medicines. This had led to
research of the potential
value of the black walnuts
to treat a variety of ailments
such as digestive problems,
regulating high blood sugar
levels, and parasitic infec
tions.
At one time, folks living in
the Ozarks scattered black
walnut leaves about their
homes to thwart fleas and
bedbugs.
Black walnut trees also
produce some of the most
highly-prized wood in the
world. Much to the chagrin
of Georgia tree farmers, the
best black walnut timber is
grown in the northern por
tions of the trees range. For
example, the black walnut
is rated as the most valuable
tree grown in Missouri.
In the Midwest, a single
tree can demand a price of
$20,000 or more.
With trees this valuable,
black walnut tree poaching
is a problem. In one case,
law enforcement officers
used DNA testing to catch
two poachers that illegally
cut down a $28,000 walnut
tree.
Black walnut’s rich, dark,
beautifully patterned wood
is used for a variety of
purposes, such as making
gunstocks, fine furniture,
flooring, and veneers.
The black walnut is also a
valuable wildlife plant. It is
the host plant for more than
100 species of butterflies
and moths, including Lima,
imperial moths and royal
walnut moth, and banded
hairstreak.
White-tailed deer will
browse black walnut leaves.
Black walnuts are also eaten
by a number of small mam
mals, like chipmunks and
squirrels. Studies have found
that black walnuts comprise
up to 10 percent of the fox
squirrel’s diet.
A number of birds eat bits
and pieces of black walnut
meats. For example, it is a
choice food of the cardinal,
Carolina chickadee, blue jay,
brown-headed nuthatch,
white-throated sparrow,
tufted titmouse, eastern
towhee and woodpeckers
(downy, hairy and red-bel
lied).
In Monroe County, this
native tree is most often
found growing along the
edges of woods, fields and
roads. Black walnuts can
be located alongside the
remains of old home sites.
Black walnut trees pro
duce something known
asjuglone. This chemical
compound stunts or pre
vents the growth of many
plants. Consequently, you
will not find plants such as
hydrangeas, blackberries or
potatoes growing under the
canopy of a black walnut
tree.
The black walnut can
live upwards of200 years
and can attain a height of
150 or more feet (average
70-80 feet tall). The largest
black walnut growing in
the United States is rooted
on Sauvie Island, Oregon.
This giant has a diameter at
breast height (DBH) of 8’7”
and soars 112-feet above the
ground.
Black walnut trees are
purported to produce nuts
when they are as young as
20 years old. The largest
crops are produced when
the trees are at least 3o years
old. Once they start bear
ing nuts large crops appear
every other year.
My wife and I are still wait
ing for our first crop of black
walnuts. In the meantime,
if I have a hankering for a
black walnut, I can always
check The Georgia Farmers
and Consumers Market
Bulletin for shelled black
walnuts. Then again, I can
buy them online for $16.99
per pound.
Terry Johnson is retired
Program Manager of the
Georgia Nongame-Endan
gered Wildlife Program. He
has written the informative
column Monroe Outdoors
for the Reporter for many
years. His book, “A Journey
to Discovery’’ is available at
The Reporter. Email him at
tjwoodduck@bellsouth. net.
TERRY W. JOHNSON
Hot Dawgs face off
with grandson of
Forsyth’s Greens
The Georgia basketball team is having a surprisingly good
year in basketball under first-year coach Mike White, sitting at
13-6 as of this writing. The biggest win of the year was a 76-
64 win over 16th ranked Auburn in Athens on Jan. 4. Above,
Bulldog star Terry Roberts goes for the layup against Auburn
starter Wendell Green, from Detroit, who is the grandson of
James and Jackie Green of Forsyth. The junior guard from
Detroit averages 13 points and 3 rebounds per game for the
Tigers (15-3). (Photo/Russ Campbell)
MCMS beats Gray Station
The MCMS Bulldogs
travelled to Gray Station
on Jan. 17. After a sluggish
start, the game was 9-8 at
the end of the first quarter.
The Bulldogs rebounded
in the second quarter with
a 16-3 rim, once their
pressure defense began to
pay off. Point guard Champ
Castlin led the team with
20 points and the team
cruised to a 50-26 victory.
The boys will be back in
action at Clifton Ridge on
Jan. 19.
MP Swim Dogs finish strong
By Schon Wood
schon.wood@mcschools.org
The Mary Persons Swim
Team competed in their
last meet of the regular
season last Friday at the
Stockslager Pool in Macon.
The MP girls team finished
fourth overall out of nine
teams with 254 points and
the boys earned 174 points
to finish fifth out of nine
teams.
The 200-yard Medley Re
lay was the first event and
the Girls led the way with a
first place finish. Not to be
outdone, the Boys placed
third posting a best time of
2:13.48.
The MP swimmers re
corded many personal best
swims and event winners.
A few team members even
opted to attempt events for
the first time this season.
Kailee Ray, the only
senior on the team and
a first-year competitive
swimmer, finished her
season with a personal
best time in the 50-yard
Freestyle with a time im
provement of .18 seconds.
She was also very close to
a personal best time in the
100-yard Breaststroke.
Campbell Atkinson
swam personal best times
in her two events, the 500-
yard Freestyle (5:46.06),
an improvement of 10.40
seconds and the 100-yard
Freestyle (59.26). She
placed second in the 500
Free and third in the 100
Free.
Caleb Horne also swam
personal best times in both
his events. He finished his
50-yard Freestyle with a
time of 31.23, an improve
ment of 1.45 over just last
week. Horne, also a first
year competitive swimmer,
achieved the largest time
improvement not only of
the meet but of the entire
season in the 100-yard
Breaststroke. He swam this
event early in the season
with a time of4:23.77; he
swam the same event last
Friday and finished with a
time of 1:48.21 which was
an improvement of2:35.56.
An amazing performance
which demonstrated the
benefits of practice and
determination. Horne
stated he intends to contin
ue swimming with Swim
Macon now that the regu
lar high school season has
concluded. He is already
looking forward to the
swim season next year.
In the Boys 100-yard
Butterfly race, Cason Cole
not only achieved a per
sonal best time of 1:22.57
improving by 1.05 seconds,
he was also the winner
of the entire event. Cole
has worked this season
to achieve this goal. His
participation on the MP
Swim Team was his return
to competitive swimming;
he plans to continue
swimming with Swim
Macon year round and will
be even more prepared to
compete his Junior year.
Alanna Wood also swam
a personal best time in the
event in which she was the
winner. Wood has been
chasing the individual State
Qualifying time in the 100-
yard Breaststroke; however,
it was not to be this year.
Even so, Wood swam a
season personal best with
a time of 1:16.05 which
was an improvement of .69
seconds. Although not an
individual state qualifier
this season, Wood is on all
three State Qualifying relay
teams.
Both Isaac McKallip and
Maela McKallip won both
of their individual events at
this meet. Isaac McKallip
won both the Men’s 100-
yard Backstroke and the
100-yard Breaststroke. He
will be competing in the
individual 100-yard Back-
stroke at the upcoming
State Championships.
Maela McKallip won
both the Women’s 200-yard
Individual Medley Relay
and the 50-yard Freestyle.
M. McKallip has qualified
for the State Champion
ships in seven individual
events but will only be able
to compete in two events;
she is determining which
two events that will be. She
will also be a member of
two of the three State Relay
teams.
Team members said
they’ve enjoyed the compe
tition and the friendships
made on the first MP swim
team. The next meet is the
State Championships at
Georgia Tech on Feb. 4.
Come and support the MP
Bulldogs Swim Team.
Sponsors needed for MC Sports Hall of Fame
The Forsyth-Monroe County
Sports Hall of Fame will hold its sixth
annual induction banquet on Friday,
June 16,2023 at the Monroe County
Conference Center.
The event will feature the enshrine
ment of up to eight new Hall of Fame
members. Nomination forms are
available online at www.forsyth-mon-
roecountysportshalloffame.com The
deadline for submitting nominations
is Wednesday, March 1. The 2023
selections will be chosen soon after
all nominations are received.
The public is invited to attend the
June 16 ceremony, and tickets, which
are $40 in advance, will be on sale in
the coming months. A seated dinner
prepared by Forsyth’s own Her Maj
esty catering service will be included
with your ticket.
Along with this year’s inductees, an
historic team will also be recognized
at this year’s banquet. Also, the third
annual Dan and Mary Linda Pitts
Extra Mile Award will be awarded
to a significant community contrib
utor to local sports. In addition, two
MP 2023 graduates will receive the
Marcus Whitehead Scholar-Athlete
Award for their efforts in the class
room and on the playing field. The
Scholar-Athlete Award, which has
been given since the Hall of Fame’s
establishment in 2017, is named in
memory of Whitehead, an original
Hall of Fame board member who
died in 2019.
Sponsors are needed for this year’s
banquet. A gold sponsorship of
$1,000 includes: eight banquet tickets,
a full-page ad in the banquet pro
gram and signage at the banquet. A
silver sponsorship of $500 includes:
four banquet tickets, a half-page ad
in the banquet program and signage
at the banquet. A bronze sponsorship
of $250 includes: two banquet tickets,
a quarter-page ad in the banquet
program and signage at the banquet.
Also, a patron who donates $100
will receive name recognition in the
banquet program.
For more information about
sponsoring the event or attending
the banquet, please contact a mem
ber of the Forsyth-Monroe County
Sports Hall of Fame board. Members
include: K.B. Ayer, Mary Frances
Chambliss, Steve Coleman, Richard
Dumas, Herbert Gantt, Jim Hardin
(chairman), Bob Harris, Nolen How
ard, Bobby Melton (vice-chairman),
Ralph Moore and Penny Mitchell
(secretary/treasurer).
Past Forsyth-Monroe Coun
ty Sports Hall of Fame inductees
include: 2017 - Joe Chambers, Bill
Fields, Jeff Harper, Bobby Jackson,
James Love, Dan Pitts, Frank Red
ding, Oreatha Sewell and Alvin Toles.
2018 - Latoya Davis, Charles Dumas,
Rhonda Griffin Hardy, Sonny Marsh,
Steve Melton, Annie Ree Brantley
Summers, Rodney Walker, and Peppi
Zellner. 2019 - Tra Battle, Lloyd Bo
hannon, Richard Chambliss Sr., Har
old G. Clarke, Geraldine Ham, Edgar
Hatcher, Bobby Melton, and Jimmy
Watts. 2021 - Danny Adams, Rose
Colvin Brinkley, Jep Castleberry, J.P
Evans, Jr., Mario Harvey, Vernon
Sanders, Jr., Si Simmons, and Phil
Walker. 2022 - Bill Bazemore, Shawn
Bostick, April Willingham Cassell,
Cyrus Davis, Benson Ham, Alvin Jef
ferson, Reggie Mays, and Lee McGee.
Bios of all past inductees are available
to view at wwwforsyth-monroecoun-
tysportshalloffame.com