THE WALNUT. 251 



considered a fair average. The treatment of the Cob-nut 

 is the same as that of the Filbert-tree. 



The nuts exposed for sale under the name of Barcelona 

 or Spanish nuts are the produce of a tree differing little 

 from the varieties known in this country. They are im- 

 ported from different parts of France, Portugal, and Spain, 

 and especially from Tarragona, in the last-named country, 

 from whence no less than 25,000/. worth are annually 

 exported for the English market alone. M'Culloch states 

 that the entries of nuts (from all quarters) for home con- 

 sumption amount to from 100,000 to 125,000 bushels a 

 year. 



THE WALNUT. 



JUGLANS REGIA. 



Natural Order — Juglandace^. 



OZass— MoNCECiA. Orrfer— Polyandria. 



This noble tree, though not a native of Europe, was 

 extensively cultivated in Greece and Italy at a very early 

 period. Its most ancient names were Persicon (Persian- 

 tree) and BasQicon (Kingly-tree), both indicating its 

 eastern origin. The Greeks also caU it Caryon, from kara 

 a head, because its powerful odour was supposed to cause 

 headache, or from some fancied resemblance between the 

 nut and the human brain. The Eomans, to mark the 

 estimation in which they held it, gave it the. name of 

 Juglans, or Jupiter's mast, from its being as much 

 superior to other kinds of mast as their false god was 

 supposed to be superior to men. 



Its shade was thought, in Pliny's time, to be injurious 

 not only to the human body, but to all kinds of vege- 

 tables ; nevertheless its nuts were highly prized, both as 

 an article of food, and for numerous medicinal properties, 

 especially as an antidote to poison and the bite of a mad 



