UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



jTL*P*^f«-ru 



Contribution from the Forest Service 

 WILLIAM B. GREELEY, Forester 



Washington, D. C. 



January 17, 1921 



UTILIZATION OF BLACK WALNUT. 



By Warren D. Brush, Scientific Assistant. 



Introduction 



Properties of the wood 



Insect and fungus attack- 



Supply 



Demand 



Utilization by industries- _ 



Lumber 



Veneer 



Ties 



Posts 



Furniture 



CONTENTS. 





Page. 



Utilization by industries — Continued. 



Page. 



1 



Musical instruments _ _ 



60 



2 



Planing-mill products 



67 



6 



Sewing - machines 



68 



7 



Firearms 



68 



21 





74 



22 



War-time utilization 



76 



22 



Summary of general market condi- 





44 



tions 



79 



58 



Marketing walnut timber 



80 



59 



Summary and conclusions 



85 



61 



Appendix : Detailed list of uses 



88 



The use of American black-walnut timber for various products 

 began in early colonial times. Probably its first extensive use was 

 for fence rails, for which it was chosen because it was easy to split 

 and resisted decaj T . Much of it was cut for fuel. Large quantities 

 of black walnut, which prefers rich agricultural land, were wasted 

 in clearing for cultivation. In the eighteenth century it was a favor- 

 ite wood for furniture, and was one of the two native woods (wild 

 cherry being the other) best adapted for fine cabinetwork. It was 

 also highly valued for gunstocks, The excellent stands in the fertile 

 valleys of eastern Pennsylvania, which furnished wood of a rich 

 dark color that was well liked, were the main source of supplies. 



During the first half of the nineteenth century there was a gradual 

 increase in the use of walnut, which was manufactured mainly into 

 furniture in eastern factories. In this period the region of the Ohio 

 Elver basin became the chief source of supply. 



From 1860 to 1880 the demand for walnut grew tremendously, 

 because of its use for rifle stocks during the Civil War, and also be- 

 cause of its popularity for making furniture. The maximum wal- 

 nut production was reached about 1875, when it is estimated that the 



7434°— 20 



