CHAP. CII.

juglanda'ceas ,/u'glans.

1437

north as lat. 4(P 50". It is abundant in the forests about Philadelphia; and,with the exception of the lower parts of the southern states, where the soilis too sandy, or in the swamps, where it is too wet, it is met with from Go-shen to the banks of the Mississippi, throughout an extent of 2000 miles. Itgrows in the forests with Gymnocladus canadensis, Gleditschio triacan-thos, Robima Pseiid-dcacia, itfdrus rubra, 6’arya alba, d'cer saccharinum,t/'lmus rubra, and Celtis crassifolia. It is always found in good deep soil.

History. The black walnut seems to have been one of the first trees thatwere introduced from America into Europe; having been cultivated by Trades-cant, jun., about the middle of the seventeenth century. As it ripens its nutsin this country and in France, it has been very generally introduced in artificialplantations; and it thrives as far north as Sweden, though it will not bearfruit there. In America, Jacqnin informs us, it is much planted near housesfor its shade, and also for its fruit; being there, as here, considered hardierthan the common walnut.

Properties and Uses. The heart-wood remains sound for a long period,when exposed to heat and moisture; but the sap-wood speedily decays.When properly seasoned, the wood is strong, tough, and not liable to warpor split. It is never attacked by worms, and has a grain sufficiently fine andcompact to admit of a beautiful polish. It is made into cabinet-work, usedin building houses, and also split into shingles 18 in. long, and from 4 in. to6 in. wide, which are employed instead of tiles or slates for covering houses.Its most appropriate use, however, is for furniture, which, when made frompieces selected from the upper part of the trunk, close below the first ramifi-cation, is marked by highly beautiful curlings of the grain; though for cabinetpurposes it is inferior to the wood of the wild cherry. It is employed for thestocks of military muskets in America, as the wood of the common walnut isfor those of Europe ; but for fowling-pieces, the wood of the red maple ispreferred, as being lighter. Posts made of the black walnut have beenknown to last in the ground undecayed for from 20 to 25 years. It makesexcellent naves for wheels; and, in Philadelphia, coffins are universally madeof it. It is well adapted for naval architecture, being more durable, thoughmore brittle, than the wood of the white oak; and not liable, like thatwood, to be attacked by sea worms in warm latitudes. On the river Wa-bash, canoes are made of it, some of them 40 ft. long, and 2 ft. or 3 ft. wide,hollowed out of a single trunk, which are greatly esteemed for their strength anddurability. The wood is frequently exported to Europe, in planks of 2 in. inthickness, where it is used for cabinet purposes. As compared with the woodof the European walnut, which it more nearly resembles than it does anyother of the American species, it is heavier, much stronger, susceptible of afiner polish, and not so liable to be injured by worms. The husk of the fruitis used, in America, for dyeing woollen stuffs yellow. In Europe, Michauxthinks that this tree might be advantageously employed along high roads, tosucceed the elm; for experience has proved, he observes, that, to insuresuccess in the continued cultivation of either ligneous or herbaceous plantsin the same soil, species of different natural orders must be made to succeedone another.

Propagation and Culture. In Europe and in America, the tree is uni-versally raised from the nut, which, after being imported, ought to be sownimmediately, as it seldom retains its vital power more than six months afterit has ripened. Nuts of Juglans regia and nigra have been planted at thesame time, and in the same soil; and the latter have been observed to growmore vigorously, and to attain a given height in a shorter time, than the formerMichaux suggests that, by grafting the European upon the American walnut,at the height of 8 ft. or 10 ft., their respective advantages in quality of woodand fruit might be united: but we have not heard of this having been done.In Europe, as we have already observed, the black walnut is almost univer-sally raised from the nut; and, if the nut is planted where the tree is finallyto remain, it will grow up with greater vigour, and not be retarded by that