Why did Sam think hickory trees were wonderful?

Out there in the wilderness, Sam needs all the help he can get from Mother Nature. He's a resourceful young man, but if he's going to survive, then it's essential that he learns how to live off the land. Fortunately for Sam, the Catskill Mountains are positively bursting at the seams with plant life. Eating birds and small mammals is all very well, but it's nice to have a change in diet once in a while.
Sam discusses at length how he uses wild garlic and onions to season his food. He also uses the boiled bark of a hickory tree for salt. As well as their salty bark hickory trees are also valuable for their nuts. Hickory nuts are packed with nutrients, vitamins, and minerals, and so come in very useful for Sam when the weather starts getting cold in the Fall.