16 



BL'LLETIN 933, IT. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Fig. 3. — Forest-grown black walnut tree. 



small end have been 

 cut, and heights of 

 125 to 150 feet are 

 on record, although 

 to-day trees 100 feet 

 tall are rare. The 

 average tree that is 

 cut at present con- 

 tains about 15 feet of 

 merchantable length. 

 When it has grown 

 in the open, black 

 walnut has the ap- 

 pearance of an or- 

 chard tree, with a 

 short, clear bole and 

 a round, spreading 

 crown, which in sum- 

 mer exhibits a mass 

 of beautiful foliage. 

 In the winter the 

 coarse branching 

 habit and the large, 

 dark twigs usually 

 make it easy to iden- 

 tify the tree even at 

 consider able dis- 

 tances, although 

 young and abnormal 

 trees may sometimes 

 be mistaken for ash 

 or hickory. In the 

 forest a typical 

 black- walnut tree 

 presents a tall, clean 

 bole of little taper 

 up to the lowest 

 branches. At this 

 point the identity of 

 the main trunk is fre- 

 quently lost, and a few 

 large limbs spread out 

 to form a rounded 

 crown at the level 



