1436

ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.

PART III.

Araer.,t 8. f. 20; Catesb. Car., 1. t. 67. ; Wats. Dend. Brit., t. 158; our Jig. 1260., and the plateof this tree in our last Volume.

Spec. Char., fyc. Leaflets, in a leaf, 13—17; cordate-acuminate, unequal atthe base, serrated, somewhat downy; lateral ones upon short petiolules.Fruit globose, roughish with minute prominent points, situated upon ashort inflexible peduncle. Nut globose, somewhat compressed at thesides, ridged and furrowed. ( Michx. North Amer. Sylva, i. p. 153.) A nativeof fertile soil in woods in North America, from New England to Florida.Introduced in 1656, and growing to the height of from 60 ft. to 100 ft.;flowering in April or May, and ripening its fruit in October.

Description,Sfc. Theblack walnut, in theUnited States is of-ten seen from 60 ft.to 70 ft. in height,with trunks of from3 ft. to 4 ft. in diame-ter; and occasionallymuch higher, withtrunks of from 6 ft. to7 ft. in diameter. Ac-cording to Michaux,when it stands insu-lated, its branches ex-tend themselves ho-rizontally to a greatdistance, and spreadinto a spacious head,which gives the tree avery majestic appear-ance. The leaves are about 18 in. in length, composed of 6, 7, or 8 pairsof opposite leaflets, with an odd one. They are acuminate, serrated, andsomewhat downy; and, when bruised, they emit a strong aromatic odour.The male catkins are simple, pendulous, and cylindrical; unlike those ofthe hickories, which are always compound. The fruit is round, odoriferous,and of rather an uneven surface: it is sometimes 7 in. or 8 in. in circum-ference when fully grown; and it always appears at the extremity of thebranches. The husk is thick, and is not, as in the hickories, divided intosections; but, when ripe, it softens and gradually decays. The nut ishard, somewhat compressed at the sides, and furrowed. The kernel isdivided by firm ligneous partitions. According to Michaux, it is of a sweetand agreeable taste; but Catesby says that it is very oily and rank; and,when fallen from the tree for some months, or gathered and laid by, isonly eaten by squirrels or Indians. The wood is of a dark colour, approach-ing to black. In Kentucky, the nut is nearly as large as the European wal-nut ; but in Genessee, where the climate is colder, it is not above half the size.Michaux says that the differences in the moulding of the fruit are so various,as to induce Europeans to consider the variations, in this respect, as indica-ting distinct species. In England, the tree attains as great a height as inNorth America, but the fruit is not quite so large. In the garden at thepalace at Fulham, abundance of fruit is produced every year ; and the nuts aresent to table, but scarcely considered eatable. The growth of the tree is re-markably quick, more so than that of the European walnut: the leaves comeout, in Pennsylvania, in the second week of May; and, in England, about thebeginning of June, before those of the common walnut. At 8 or 10 years ofage,./. nigra begins to bear, and age increases its fertility. No tree will growunder its shade, and even grass is injured by it. In 40 years it will attainthe height of from 50 ft. to 60 ft.

Geography. This tree is found in all parts of the United States, as far