VARNISH WALNUT. 337 



Wallang-unda (Mondtoca elUptica E. Br. : Order Epamddcece). 

 Eastern Australia. Known also as "Beech." Height 2030 

 ft. ; diam. small. W 37 44*5. Resembling Beech, sometimes 

 with a beautiful silvery grain, working well across the grain and 

 taking a polish. Excellent for planes, etc., but not answering 

 for engraving. 



Walnut (Juf/1nns reffia L. : Order Jtiglandtic&i'). A native of 

 Northern China and Persia, introduced into Greece and Italy in 

 early times from Persia, and thence into the rest of Europe. 

 Pers. " Jaoz, Charmagz, Akrot." Greek " Carua, Persicon, 

 Basilikon." Latin "Juglans." French "Noyer." Germ. "Wal- 

 nuss." Height 3050 ft. ; diam. 23 ft. W 58-5 when green, 

 47 46'5 when dry. Sapwood broad, greyish-white, very liable 

 to become worm-eaten ; heart brown to black-brown, often 

 "watered," i.e., showing dark wavy lines and zones, moderately 

 heavy, hard, fine and close in grain, splitting very little in 

 seasoning, but readily split artificially, taking a beautiful polish 

 and durable, if kept dry, especially when dark in colour and 

 figured : pith large, chambered : pith-rays fine, indistinct ; rings 

 distinct ; vessels uniformly distributed, few, very large and open, 

 single or in pairs. (Fig. 65.) Burrs, often 2 3 ft. across and a 

 foot or more in thickness, weighing 5 6 cwt., occur, and being 

 generally beautifully mottled are highly valued for veneers. The 

 sapwood may be rendered more durable by smoking over a fire of 

 Beech or by boiling in the juice of the green fruit ; but the 

 liability to worm- attack prevents Walnut being used in building. 

 English-grown Walnut, coming mostly from rich plains, is pale, 

 coarse, little figured, and perishable ; French is better; that from 

 the Black Sea, sometimes known as Austrian and Turkish, which 

 is imported in waney logs 6 9 ft. long, squaring 10 18 in., is 

 still more valuable ; whilst that from Italy, which comes in planks 

 49 in. thick, 10 16 in. wide, and 5 12 ft. long, is the best. 

 At the beginning of the 18th century W^alnut became very 

 fashionable as a furniture wood, marking the first departure from 

 the previous universal use of Oak. The severe winter of 1709 

 killed most of the Walnut trees in Central Europe, the dead trees 



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