338 



WOODS OF COMMERCE. 



being bought up by the Dutch, who thus secured a " corner " in 

 this wood. So scarce was it in France that its exportation was 

 prohibited in 1720, and Mahogany, imported by the Dutch and 

 Spaniards, largely replaced it for furniture. No wood, however, 

 equals it for the manufacture of gunstocks, so that the wars of 

 the 18th century created a great dearth of this timber, and we 

 read of France consuming 12,000 trees a year in 1806, and of as 



FIG. 65. Transverse section of Walnut (Jtiglans rfyia). 



much as 600 being paid for a single tree. European Walnut is 

 still in use for the best gun-stocks. The burrs have realised .50 

 60 per ton, and veneers, some of which are of a beauty unsur- 

 passed by any other wood, as much as two or three shillings per 

 square foot. These are used in the pianoforte and furniture 

 trades. Swiss carvings are mostly in Walnut, and the wood is 

 also used in turnery, for screws for presses, musical instruments, 

 sabots, etc. 



Walnut, American or Black (Juglans nigra L.). Eastern 

 North America. Height 60150 ft. ; diam. 38 ft, S,G. 611, 



