TRANSACTIONS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY OF NORTHERN ILL. 281 



eight years alike, and since no culture. The trees in the basin have a 

 diameter of four to six inches, and height of twenty to twenty-five feet; 

 those on the common prairie have a diameter of two to four inches and a 

 height of fifteen to twenty feet, and the average amount of wood-growth 

 is about one-fifth of those in the basin. The soil in these basins is equally 

 dry, and the only advantage they possess over the common prairie is the 

 depth of vegetable mould collected in them. 



The French walnut veneerings that adorn our furniture are cut from 

 the 7-oots of the American black walnut, which, in many instances, are of 

 greater market value than the trunk of the tree itself; therefore, to secure 

 this, the seed of the tree should always be planted on very deep, rich, dry 

 land, and never transplanted, so that the straight tap root which nature 

 provides shall not be destroyed. 



Fifth Experwiefit. — This is in a belt, running east and west, of five 

 rows of t^ees, in the following order, beginning with the south row : 

 1st, one row Norway spruce ; 2d, one row European larch; 3d, silver 

 (or soft) maple; 4th and 5th, rows black walnut (transplanted). At the 

 north of the walnut rows, and twelve feet distant, stands a plantation of 

 larch and Norway spruce, which were four feet apart, and the trees stood 

 four feet apart in the rows. This belt was cultivated about five years, 

 when, owing to the dense shade of the Norway spruce and the early leaf- 

 ing of the larch and maple, together with the direction of the rows being 

 east and west, all prevented the growth of grass. But at the end of ten 

 or twelve years, and when the maple had a height of about twenty feet, 

 and a diameter of four to six inches, as in the former case, they all died. 

 But in this case the height and density of the shade of the larch and 

 spruce trees on the south, and near the two rows of walnuts, and the 

 proximity of the larch plantation on the north, all together, \vith the 

 fallen leaves, have entirely kept out the growth of vegetation, except a 

 few raspberry bushes among the walnuts. These walnut trees have a 

 height of twenty to thirty feet, and a diameter of four to seven inches, 

 and are fully equal to, and many of them excel, the trees in the basins 

 where the grass grew among them. The largest growth of walnut I have,, 

 in diameter, is ten inches, which occurs on this dry or common prairie, 

 under these most favorable circumstances. 



Sixth Experiment. — This is on the farm of Mr. Benjamin Cox, one 

 mile from my plantation, and the same quality of soil in all respects. 

 Mr. C. planted the seed (walnuts) in 1844, and transplanted them twice, 

 when they were young. He cultivated the ground for garden purposes 

 the first twenty-five years, the trees standing twenty feet apart. Those 

 which have received no cultivation since have a diameter of seventeen 

 (17) inches, two feet from the ground ; one tree has continued to receive 

 cultivation on one side to the present time, and has a diameter of twenty- 

 three inches, and height of forty feet. All of them have large spread- 

 ing heads, and bear fruit in abundance. The bodies of these trees are 

 seven to eight feet in height below the limbs. 



The above experiments demonstrate : ist, that the black walnut will 

 succeed well on rich dry soil, provided the cultivation is continued till 



