THE WALNUT TREE. 



feet apart, and the Ash seeds in 

 between. Walnuts make a much better 

 growth if planted where they are to 

 remain. An alluvial or a deep rich 

 loamy clay soil suits the Black Walnut 

 best. Little pruning will be required, 

 but the land should be cultivated for 

 8 or ID years. A good deal of judg- 

 ment will be required in thinning the 

 grove, as only a very small percentage 

 of the trees will be allowed to occupy 

 the land at the end of forty or fifty 

 years. 



Passing on to consider its 



VALUE AS AN " ORNAMENTAL " 



we would discourage as far as possible 

 its use in private gardens, except those 

 of an extent rare in this country, as it 

 will get to be too large and will take up 

 too much room. It has also a tendency 

 (either from the bitter principle in its 

 leaves souring the ground or because it 

 is a great feeder) to impair the vigor of 

 surrounding vegetation, a consideration 

 that must never be forgotten wherever 

 we plant this tree or for whatever pur- 

 pose. To this the poet refers in the 

 lines : 



" The walnut — whose malignant touch impairs 

 All generous fruit — ". 



On the other hand in parks standing 

 alone in a wide open space, we can im- 

 agine few embellishments 



OF GREATER ULTLMATE EFFECT, 



graceful and elegant in its youth, noble 

 and majestic in its age. 



Very closely resembling the Black 

 W^alnut in appearance is 



THE BUTTERNUT OR WHITE WALNUT 



(y. cinerea). 

 The foliage of the butternut is, however, 

 in early summer a lighter green and 

 towards autumn it wears a more faded 

 aspect than that of the Black Walnut. 

 The leaves of the butternut when passed 

 through the hand give off no odor 





Fig. 1425.— JtJOLAN'^ o-inerea— Butternut. 

 whHst those of the Black Walnut have a 

 strong scent. The nuts of the former 

 are more conical and are of a better 

 flavor than the latter 



•' the dark fruit 



That falls from the grey butternut's long 

 boughs." 



The butternut should bear some fruit 

 within loyearsfrom planting and mature 

 individual trees will yield sometimes 15 

 or 20 bushels. It has some possibilities 

 as a commercial nut, if marketed in larger 

 quantities, or if some easy way of prepar- 

 ing its meats were found. As the nuts 

 vary a good deal in size and cracking 

 qualities, an improved variety might be 

 found if it were experimented with Its 

 ch'ief value, however, is as a timber tree, 

 but it must be crowded to secure a 

 straight upright growth. Its rather 



Fig. 1426.— Butternut. 



sprawling habit, when in an isolated 

 position renders it much inferior to the 

 Black Walnut as an ornamental tree. 

 Though if all trees were as beautiful as 



379 



