126 PRACTICAL ARBORICULTURE 



Thus from Quebec, through New York and Pennsylvania, southward to- 

 Florida and the Gulf, along all water-ways, at the favorite camping places, we 

 find the walnut growing in profusion. 



Probably from the enmity which existed between the far eastern tribes 

 and those to the westward, there were no walnuts planted by Indians in New 

 England, although they were abundant upon the Hudson and in the West 

 along the valleys of Eastern Nebraska and Kansas. 



THE FOOD VALUE OF THE NUTS. 



Commercially the American walnut has no such value as the European 

 walnut possesses. The meat is strong and very oily, while the shell is rough, 

 coarse and bulky compared with the meat within. 



The brown-stained hands of the schoolboy at nut-gathering time shows 

 his love for this fruit, but more, however, for the pleasure of an outing in the 

 country while gathering them. The green hulls surrounding the nuts contain 

 a powerful coloring matter, and in removing these the boy's hands are stained 

 indelibly, only being removed as the epidermis is gradually worn off. 



While a comparatively few are collected for home use, and a very small 

 number find their way into the country store, the vast majority of walnuts re- 

 main on the ground beneath the trees until by drying in the sun, after the 

 leaves have fallen, the germ is destroyed and the nuts decay. 



PROFUSION OF SEED. 



Enough seed are produced by a single tree each year, if properly planted 

 to produce from one to five acres of walnut forest, and it would not require a 

 very large expenditure of money or length of time in waiting to re-clothe a 

 goodly portion of land with forest. 



TRANSPLANTING WALNUT. 



Owing to the root character of the walnut, it having a hard woody tap 

 root, with but few fibrous roots near the trunk, the trees (as are all nut trees) 

 are difficult to transplant, and this should not be attempted except with one 

 year's growth and probably not at all. The nut should be planted where the 

 tree is expected to remain. 



True, nut trees are occasionally removed, and some, nursery grown, with 

 roots pruned to increase fibrous rootlets, are sent out from the nurseries, but 

 this is not practical with the walnut. 



The same root character gives to the walnut a power possessed by few 

 trees, that of penetrating hard soils, breaking them up and admitting air and 

 moisture, thus hastening soil fertilization to a great depth. 



The walnut never grows in very poor soil with satisfaction. If it happens 

 to be planted in such locations, it improves the soil, enriches it by deposit of 

 leaves which contain great fertilizing power, as well as by loosening the sub- 

 soil and carrying fertility to a great depth. 



