34 TREES 



cellent nuts in the warm countries of Europe and Asia. 

 It was a tree of great reputation when Linnaeus gave it the 

 specific name that means royal. Indeed, this is the tree 

 which gave to all the family the name ^'Juglans,^' which 

 means, "Jove's acorn," in the writings of Roman authors. 

 Kings made each other presents of these nuts, and so the 

 range of the species was extended, even to England, by the 

 planting of nuts from the south. 



It became the fad of gardeners, before the fifteenth 

 century, to improve the varieties, and to compete with 

 others in getting the thinnest shell, the largest nut, the 

 sweetest kernel, just as horticultiu-ists do now. In 1640 

 the herbalist Parkinson wrote about a variety of "French 

 wallnuts, which are the greatest of any, within whose shell 

 are often put a paire of fine gloves, neatly foulded up to- 

 gether." Another variety he mentions "whose shell is so 

 tender that it may easily be broken between one's fingers, 

 and the nut itsself is very sweete." 



In England, the climate prevents the ripening of the 

 fruit of walnut trees. But the nuts reach good size, and 

 are pickled green, for use as a relish; or made into catsups — 

 husks and all being used, when a needle will still puncture 

 the fruit with ease. 



In America, the first importations of the walnuts came 

 from the Mediterranean countries, by way of England, 

 "the mother country." In contradistinction to our 

 black walnuts and butternuts, these nuts from overseas 

 were called by the loyal colonists "EngUsh walnuts," 

 and so they remain to this day in the markets of this 

 country. 



It was natural and easy to grow these trees in the South- 

 ern states. But little had been done to improve them, or 



