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ARBORETUM ANU FRUTICETUM.

PART 111.

Grenoble, “ of all others the most beautiful and esteemed.” To render thewood better coloured, Evelyn continues, “joiners put the boards into anoven after the batch is forth, or lay them in a warm stable; and, when theywork it, polish it over with its own oil, very hot, which makes it look blackand sleek; and the older it is, the more estimable : but then it should not beput in work till thoroughly seasoned; because it will shrink beyond expect-ation. It is only not good to confide in it much for beams or joists, becauseof its brittleness; of which, however, it has been observed to give timelynotice, like that of the chestnut, before it breaks.” (Hunt. Evel., p. 172.) Forfuel, according to Baudrillart, the wood, when dry, is of nearly the same valueas that of the common sycamore, burning with a mild flame ; but, as charcoal,it is not productive. In Britain, the chief uses of the timber are for gun-stocks (it being found lighter in proportion to its strength and elasticity thanany other), and for musical instruments, turnery, and toy-making.

The most valuable part of the walnut is its fruit, which is much in demand,throughout Europe and other parts of the world, for the table, and for variousother purposes. In a young and green state, it is pickled and preserved ; and,when mature, it is used as food for the poorer classes in the countries where itabounds, and at the dessert of the richer classes. In the north of Italy, in Swit-zerland, and in the south of France, the roads are lined for many miles togetherwith walnut trees ; and, during August and September, when the fruit is ripe,or nearly so, and the weather so warm that the shelter of a house is notrequired to protect the traveller from cold, he may walk under the shade ofthe tree, and eat its fruit during the day, and sleep under it during night. Wehave even known the case of a person who travelled by a public conveyancefrom Florence to Geneva, eating scarcely anything by the way but walnutsand heads of maize, which he gathered by the road side. About the end ofJune, walnuts are preserved, either with or without their husks : in the latterstate they are most agreeable, but in the former most strengthening to thestomach. Gerard says, “ The green and tender nuts, boyled in sugar, and eatenas suckarde, are a most pleasant and delectable meate, comfort the stomache,and expell poyson.” A fine stomachic liqueur is made from the young nutsabout the middle of June; and about this time, also, they are pickled. InAugust, before the shells become hard, they are eaten in what the Frenchcall en cerneaux, that is, with the kernel, while green, scooped out with a short,broad, brass knife, and seasoned with vinegar, salt, pepper, and shallots. Thenuts, for this purpose, should be taken at least a fortnight before they are ripe;they should be thrown into water as soon as they are separated from thehusk, and allowed to remain there till the moment when they are wanted tobe seasoned and set upon the table. The seasoning may be that alreadymentioned; or the juice of green grapes and salt, without anything else.Towards the end of September, or beginning of October, walnuts are eatenraw, and they are good as long as they continue fresh; that is, as long as it iseasy to detach the skin from them; but when this cannot be removed, the nutsbecome indigestible, and their acridity attacks the gums and the palate. Inorder to preserve them fresh, they ought to be buried, with their green shellson, in sand or in dry soil, beyond the reach of frost or surface heat, in whichstate they will continue fresh for six months. Of the dried kernels, a conservebrulee is formed; which, in France, is called nougat, and is considered veryagreeable. In Spain, Evelyn tells us, they strew the gratings of old and hardnuts over their tarts and sweetmeats. In London, young walnuts are muchused for pickles, and in making catchups, or adulterating soy, and other sauces.The nut of the large-fruited walnut (jauge, Fr.; the variety No. 1. above)is, in France, made into cases by jewellers, and furnished with trinkets, for theamusement of children. In Limerick, it is customary to put a pair of fineLimerick gloves into a walnut shell, and a dish of walnuts with this kind ofkernel is sometimes presented at table. Thus furnished, they are often sentas presents to England ; and gloves are sent in the same manner from France.

The most general use of the walnut on a large scale, in the south of Europe, is