

WALNUT. 15 



of 20 {/.. The cotyledons resemble in structure those of the almond. 

 The aleurone grains are somewhat irregular in shape and vary in 

 diameter up to 20 JA. 



WALNUT. 



(Juglans, Family Juglandaeece.) 

 CHARACTERISTICS AND USES. 



The name " walnut " is of Anglo-Saxon origin, meaning " foreign 

 nut," from the fact that the so-called English walnut was intro- 

 duced into Great Britain at an^early date from the southern part of 

 Europe. Walnuts are readily distinguished from hickories by the 

 fact that the outer pericarp does not split open regularly as the seed 

 matures, but usually dries up on the nut, necessitating a husking 

 process before the nut is put on the market. 



Walnuts are marketed whole, or the meats are removed from the 

 shells and sold for use in confections, cakes, etc. All the species are 

 rich in oil, which is sometimes extracted by pressure, but is not much 

 used except in certain parts of Europe. Green walnuts are pickled 

 or used in making walnut catsup. 



Finally, it is worthy of note that among the nuts those of the 

 order Juglandacese are peculiar from the histological standpoint in 

 the possession of stomata on the epidermis of the seed coat, and this 

 is one of the most characteristic features used in distinguishing the 

 species by means of the microscope. 1 



VARIETIES. 

 PERSIAN OR ENGLISH WALNUT. 



(Juglans regia L.) 



This nut was known to the ancient inhabitants of the Mediter- 

 ranean region, who obtained it from its supposedly native country, 

 Persia, and named it accordingly. In point of priority, therefore, 

 the name Persian walnut should take precedence over the more popu- 

 lar name of English walnut. It has been grown for ages in the 

 milder parts of Europe for the sake of its timber and nuts. Trees 

 were planted in this country at an early date ; but the climate of the 

 northeastern States being unfavorable, it remained for the Pacific 

 coast States to develop walnut growing on a commercial scale. 



In this species the outer pericarp breaks more or less irregularly 

 when the nuts mature and the nuts fall to the ground or can be 

 easily shaken from the tree. The outer pericarp, or husk, may or 

 may not fall with the nut, but in case it does it is usually split to 



1 Godfrin. Loc. cit., p. 138. 



