THE WALNUT. 137 



spring. In many parts of this country, it thrives well 

 as a tree, and wherever it thrives it is valuable. 



As is the case with all trees and plants that have 

 been long known, esteemed, and cultivated by man, 

 the original country of the walnut is not recorded. 

 Some are of opinion that it is the " Persian nut" 

 mentioned by Theophrastus ; and that, therefore, 

 Persia is the country from which it was first intro- 



WalnutJuglans regia. 



duced into Europe. It is found indigenous in the 

 more northern parts of that country, toward the moun- 

 tains of Caucasus; sometimes, though more rarely, 

 in the Russian territory on the north of those moun- 

 tains ; and in China. In all these situations, it 

 grows, according to the best authorities, in a state of 

 nature, and continues itself without ^cultivation. In 

 the east of France, the south of Germany, and Swit- 

 zerland, it is very abundant, more especially in Ger- 

 many; in many parts of which, such as the plains of 

 the Bergstrasse, which run parallel to the Rhine, be- 

 VOL. IK 12* 



