Peculiar Growth in Black Walnut. 233 



Note on a Peculiar G-eowth in Black Walnut. 



By T>. P. Pbnhallow. 



The specimen herewith described, was handed to me by 

 the Hon. Senator Murphy, it having been sent to him by 

 the Huntingdon Organ Company, who purchased the lum- 

 ber from which it was cut, in the United States. The block 

 is one-half inch thick by three by four inches. As the 

 board to which it originally belonged was being cut up, a 

 portion, occupying the space D 1 (Fig. 3), fell out, disclos- 

 ing a cleft made by an axe, evidently the result of an aban- 

 doned effort to cut the tree down many years before that 

 event actually occurred. 



Upon examination it appears that the block occupying 

 the space D 1 was oi'iginally continuous with the shaded 

 areas E, E 1 , from which it became separated by the action 

 of the saw — the line of fracture appearing as shown in the 

 6gure. This block also completely filled the space D 1 , and 

 evidently extended — in the entire tree — much above and 

 below the limits of thickness in the specimen. The entire 

 surface of the intruded mass, where brought in contact with 

 the surfaces of the cleft, is covered with a thin layer of 

 carbonized material, showing the effects of decay in the 

 first formed tissues, under exclusion of air — a result always 

 to be observed in similar cases; while the grain is found to 

 run at various angles — chiefly right angles — to that of the 

 surrounding parts. 



The intruded mass is the result of growth following in- 

 jury, and an effort on the part of the plant to repair it — a 

 result commonly observed, as in the obliteration of sur- 

 veyors blazes, and as illustrated in the case of a remarkable 

 blaze described a few years since. 1 This case offers nothing 

 new, but presents some features of interest as showing the 

 extent to which an injury may be repaired under the ordin- 

 ary conditions of growth. This will be more obvious from 



1 Science, iii, 354. 



