194 FOREST TREES. 



made of this genus, the one embracing two species, viz. 

 the Black Walnut and Butternut ; - the other, all that 

 large class of trees known by the name of Hickory. In 

 several points, the black walnut and butternut bear a near 

 resemblance, and when young can hardly be distinguish- 

 ed, the bark and leaves being almost precisely alike. 



Their fruit is alike in having the outer husk in one 

 connected piece, so that it cannot be removed without a 

 fracture, in which they differ from all the species of hick- 

 ory. The shape of the fruit of the black walnut, is al- 

 most perfectly gobular, while that of butternut is oval. 



The timber of both these species, is valuable for many 

 purposes in the arts, and though somewhat alike in the 

 texture and appearance, the walnut is preferred for most 

 uses to which they are applied. Indeed, few kinds of 

 timber growing in this country, are more extensively 

 used, and better answer a great variety of purposes, than 

 the black walnut. It is of great value in numerous kinds 

 of cabinet work, and before the introduction of mahoga- 

 ny, it was perhaps more used in that work, than any 

 other material. It is also used for ship-building to some 

 extent, and answers well both for the knees and floors of 

 vessels of various sizes. Gun-stocks are made of this 

 timber almost exclusively, which use, at the national ar- 

 mories, especially those at Springfield and Harper's Ferry, 

 furnishes a large market for the timber, which is supplied 

 from Philadelphia. 



The black walnut grows in great abundance in Penn- 

 sylvania, Kentucky, Ohio and other western States, and 

 although it is not a native of New England, wherever it 

 has been introduced there, it grows with great luxuriance, 

 and might undoubtedly be cultivated in any of the north- 

 ern States, with great success. It is perhaps an article 

 of political economy worthy of attention. 



This tree resembles the common English walnut, both 

 in its timber and fruit. Where the two have been culti- 

 vated beside each other, as is the case in England, the 

 American tree outstrips the other in its growth. By 

 grafting the European, or rather the Asiatic walnut on to 

 the American, we may obtain the fruit of one and the 

 timber of the other. 



