18 BULLETIN" 909, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Wisconsin, likewise, the tree has a scattering growth, and in fertile 

 woodlands it sometimes occurs in sufficient quantities for exploita- 

 tion. The restricted region of commercial importance in southeastern 

 Minnesota is continuous with the walnut area of Iowa. 



QUALITY OF TIMBER FROM DIFFERENT REGIONS. 



Walnut timber varies greatly in quality throughout the region of 

 its growth. Climatic conditions have a large influence in producing 

 this result, but the character of the soil seems to be the greatest fac- 

 tor. On poor, sandy, or shallow soils where there is little moisture 

 the trees are usually undersized and def ectrre ; but on deep, rich, and 

 moist agricultural land the timber grows to large size and is gen- 

 erally sound and of excellent quality. 



On the agricultural lands of Ohio and Indiana walnut seems to 

 reach its best development and is generally considered to be the best 

 so far as the soundness and texture of the wood are concerned. 

 The logs now obtained from this section naturally run small in size, 

 but are, as a rule, sound and comparatively free from defects. A 

 very great part of the walnut timber is now of the shade-tree kind, 

 and generally produces only one log to a tree. Unless they have 

 suffered some injury, trees of this kind are usually sound, often of 

 large size, and suitable for manufacture into lumber or veneer if the 

 sapwood is not too thick for the latter use. 



If forest-growth timber of good size can be obtained it is gener- 

 ally of the best quality, and the logs are as a rule straight and sym- 

 metrical. Each tree usually yields several logs, and the top logs 

 are often of good quality and comparatively free from defects. The 

 heartwood is very dark and uniformly of good color. In these logs 

 the sapwood is thin, and this makes them very valuable for veneer. 

 Decay in trees of this kind generally occurs at the butt only and does 

 not usually extend more than a few feet upward in the center of the 

 log. Sawing off 2 or 3 feet from the butt log is generally sufficient 

 to remove the worthless part. 



The color of the heartwood of Ohio walnut is often ashen brown, 

 and this is well liked for veneer. Heartwood from Indiana is apt 

 to be dark or blackish brown. In the extreme northern and south- 

 ern parts of these two States, which are regions not well adapted to 

 walnut, the trees are likely to be limby and defective. 



The walnut of central and eastern Illinois on good lands does not 

 differ appreciably from that of central Ohio and Indiana. Where 

 conditions are not so favorable for the tree, especially in the northern 

 and southern parts of the State, it is of inferior quality. 



Throughout central Kentucky and Tennessee the timber, taken as 

 a whole, is good in quality but somewhat more defective than that 



