The Hickory -Niit. 265 



Many varieties of the walnut exist one, very orna- 

 mental, with the leaflets finely laciniated ; another, called 

 from its weeping habit, pendula. In the fruit, also, there 

 is diversity. The variety macrocarpa, or " double French," 

 ripening well near London, and fetching six shillings per 

 dozen in the markets, furnishes the handsome shells used 

 in France for making ladies' glove-cases, and by the jewel- 

 lers for jewel-caskets. The " Titmouse walnut " is that 

 pretty tender-shelled one so greatly appreciated by the 

 titmice. Having either more skill or a lighter task than 

 the rooks, they pierce the husks and shells while the fruit 

 is still seated upon the bough, eating the contents then 

 and there, and leaving the residue behind. The titmouse 

 walnut is the most delicate of all sorts ; it is more oily 

 and keeps longer, but the produce of the tree is less 

 abundant. The import of walnuts, which takes place 

 chiefly from France and Holland, is believed -to be about 

 eighty thousand bushels per annum. 



THE HICKORY-NUT AND THE PECUAN-NUT. 



IN the shops are commonly seen the nuts produced by 

 two other species of the Juglandaceae Hickory-nuts, 

 furnished by the Gary a alba, and Pecuan-nuts, the fruit 

 of the Gary a olivctformis. The Caryas, ten in all, are 

 deciduous trees of the banks of the Ohio, the Mississippi, 

 and other great North American rivers, growing also 



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