132 A TREATISE ON NUT CULTURE. 



at the first coming in September, they are brought in their husks and sold by 

 the sack or bushel; but afterwards, cleared of the outer husk, they are sold both 

 by measure and by the thousand. The larger portion of the Walnuts coir 

 sumed in England are of foreign growth, and average in quantity about two 

 hundred and fifty thousand bushels. The bulk of these come from France and 

 Belgium, and small quantities from Germany, Holland and Italy. 



The aggregate exports from Bordeaux are about sixty-five thousand hundred 

 weight yearly. Small quantities find their way from Chili to Europe. Wal- 

 nuts are a notable production of Perigord, in France, the annual product there 

 being estimated at ,40,000 in value. The best, which are large, are called 

 " Marrons," come from the Canton of Luc, in Provence. To obtain first-class 

 fruit the tree is grafted. in France. 



The culture of the common Walnut (Jitglans reg'ia) is diffused all over 

 Italy, from the Alpine to the Sicilian valleys; however, the number of these 

 trees has lately somewhat diminished, on account of the incessant demand for 

 its timber, which is much used in carpentery but in general, the tree is more 

 valued on account of its fruit. When the nuts are fully ripe, which is in Sep- 

 tember and October, the kernel, deprived of its investment skin, is eaten in 

 great quantities. As long as the skin can be easily removed, they are a nutri- 

 tious and healthy article of diet, bvit when they get dry, so that the adhering 

 skin sticks to them, they become indigestible. 



Walnuts in the shell yield about one-third their weight of picked kernels, 

 which are the crumpled cotyledons or seed leaves. In some northern districts, 

 particularly in Piedmont, the Walnut tree has always been held in high esti- 

 mation for the production of oil, which, when newly made, has a very agree- 

 able taste, and can be employed in cookery, as well as in the preparation of 

 varnish. 



The Canadian Walnut, although double the size of the English Walnut, 

 contains a much smaller kernel, with a different flavor, being strong and 

 slightly pungent. The seeds of the Black Walnut of North America (/. nigra] 

 are more oily than those of the European Walnut. A large tree will yield 

 fifteen to twenty bushels in a season, selling at four shillings per bushel. 



The Butternut, or Grey Walnut of America (J. cinerea] has a taste similar 

 to the Brazil Nut. The kernel of /. sieboldianum of Japan has a taste like the 

 Butternut, but less oily, and the shell is not so thick as that of the Black 

 Walnut. 



The nuts of J. mandschuria, allied to J. cinerea, are also available for the 

 table. The kernels of the Butternut in former times were pounded by the 

 Indians of North America and boiled; this operation separated the oily sub- 

 stance, which was used by them as we use butter, hence its common name. 



The Persian Walnut is about a third, or a half, larger than the English 



