UTILIZATION OF BLACK WALNUT. 61 



FURNITURE. 



The extensive use of walnut for furniture dates back to the latter 

 part of the seventeenth century, when walnut furniture replaced 

 oak in Europe. England was the first to appreciate the value of 

 American walnut, and it was used there at that time and often pre- 

 ferred to the English or Circassian walnut of Europe. Elaborately 

 carved pieces, often with highly figured veneer, were well liked. Ex- 

 ports to England reached fair proportions by the end of this period, 

 and large shipments for that purpose have gone to European coun- 

 tries ever since. Walnut furniture (including chairs and chests of 

 drawers) was made in New England in the latter part of the seven- 

 teenth century, and at about the same time it was used in Virginia. 

 In the eighteenth century wild cherry and walnut were the principal 

 native cabinet woods. During the first half of the eighteenth cen- 

 tury much furniture was made of walnut in eastern Pennsylvania 

 and New Jersey; probably the best was made in and near Phila- 

 delphia. The walnut grown in this region had a uniformly dark and 

 rich color which was well liked. Mahogany also was much used. 

 The " lowboy," a very low dresser with one or two drawers, and the 

 " highboy," a dresser of six or seven drawers, were characteristic 

 pieces of furniture at that time. 



In the latter part of the eighteenth century walnut as a furniture 

 wood went out of fashion in England. During the first half of 

 the nineteenth century, however, walnut was utilized in large quan- 

 tities for furniture in this country. The source of supply of the 

 timber was now farther west than the region of supply during the 

 eighteenth century, and large amounts were obtained from Ohio 

 and Indiana for shipment to eastern factories, mainly in Phila- 

 delphia, New York, and Boston, where furniture of the better quality 

 was produced. Veneer was much used at that time. During the 

 third quarter of the nineteenth century heavy, cumbersome walnut 

 furniture of grotesque and ungainly patterns came into vogue in 

 this country. The dark stain with which the wood was generally 

 covered gave it a uniformly dull, lifeless appearance, which, together 

 with the unattractiveness of these styles, resulted in so discrediting 

 the wood that by the latter part of the nineteenth century it became 

 extremely unpopular. Its employment in large quantities during the 

 earlier part of the nineteenth century served to reduce greatly the 

 best of the available supply in eastern United States, and that fact 

 in time helped to discourage its use. 



During the past several years there has been a revival in the 

 demand for walnut furniture in this country. This is mainly because 

 of the adoption of lighter finishes and figured effects, which are in 

 contrast with the dark, somber finishes in earlier use, and because of 



