256 THE WALNUT. 



In the south of Franco, especially, the fruit, oil, and wood 

 form some of the principal articles of commerce ; and 

 here, as well as in the north of Italy and in Switzerland, 

 the roads are lined for miles together with Walnut-trees. 

 During August and September, when the fruit is ripe or 

 nearly so, and the weather so warm that the shelter of a 

 house is not required to protect the traveller from cold, he 

 may walk under the shade of the tree, eating the fruit by 

 day, and sleeping under it by night. 



Walnuts in their young state are both pickled and pre- 

 served. For this purpose they should be gathered at the 

 end of June or beginning of July. If intended for pick- 

 ling, they should be soaked in salt and water for a fort- 

 night before they are placed in the vinegar. " They may be 

 preserved," says Loudon, " either with or without their 

 husks ; in the latter state they are the most agreeable, but 

 in the former most strengthening to the stomach." Gerard 

 says : " The green and tender nuts, boyled in sugar, and 

 eaten as suckarde (sweatmeat), are most pleasant and de- 

 lectable meate, comfort the stomache and expelle poyson." 

 A fine stomachic liqueur is made from the young nuts 

 about the beginning of June ; and in August, before the 

 shells become hard, they are eaten (what the French call) 

 en cernaux that is, with the kernel while green scooped 

 out with a short brass knife, and seasoned with vinegar, 

 salt, pepper, and shallots. When ripe, they are considered 

 wholesome as long as the skin can easily be separated from 

 the kernel, soon after which they become oily and indi- 

 gestible. When they have been kept for a few months, 

 they are in a fit state to be converted into oil, which is 

 either used for culinary purposes and burning, or, more 

 generally, is employed by artists in the preparation of fine 

 colours : it is preferred to any other kind of oil for this 

 purpose, on account of its fluidity and the rapidity with 

 which it dries. 



As a timber-tree, the Walnut holds a high rank: in 

 young trees the wood is white and comparatively soft ; 



