84 FARM FORESTRY 



removed from the pods and soaked in hot water. The seed 

 should be planted in rows in the farm nursery and the little 

 trees cultivated for a year. The following spring they will be 

 large enough to plant out in the field. Where it is impossible 

 to grow the black locust on account of the borer, the honey 

 or thorny locust can often be grown. 



Black Walnut (Juglana nigra). Black walnut grows well 

 in the Eastern portion of the country, especially throughout 

 the Central Hardwood Region. It grows to be a tree no feet 

 in height and 4 to 6 feet in diameter. Usually trees grow 

 from 70 to 90 feet in height and 2 to 2 l / 2 feet in diameter. 

 It attains its best development in deep, rich bottomlands or 

 on fertile hillsides. It demands a moist, fertile soil. Black 

 walnut is not a very rapid grower, but in good soil the growth 

 is fairly rapid. It will take 60 to 80 years to grow to lumber 

 size. It begins to bear fruit at 12 to 15 years. Trees 20 years 

 of age on good soil have often reached a diameter growth 

 of 5 to 6 inches and a height growth of 20 to 25 feet. Under 

 the best conditions it often grows an inch in diameter every 

 year. The wood is heavy, hard, strong and of coarse texture. 

 It shrinks and warps moderately in drying. It has many 

 uses. The heartwood is very durable in contact with the 

 soil. It makes a fine fence post. Small trees, however, are 

 all sapwood and should be creosoted when used as fence- 

 posts. 



For raising seedlings to plant the walnuts should be gath- 

 ered in the fall, freed from the outer husk and stratified in 

 moist sand over winter. The seed should be planted where it 

 is desired to have the trees grow, because of the deep tap root 

 produced. To prevent destruction by rodents the seed should 

 be treated with red lead before planting; 2 or 3 seeds should 

 be planted in each spot in the field so as to insure a full stand. 

 The seedlings can be thinned out after the first year. The trees 

 in the plantation should be spaced 6 to 8 feet apart. Being an 

 intolerant tree, older plantations should be underplanted with 



