UTILIZATION OF BLACK WALNUT. 67 



mill. In this way a very close utilization is effected, and much small- 

 sized and low-grade lumber may be made use of. Mahogany" and 

 walnut are sometimes used interchangeably in the manufacture of 

 these cabinets, a light stain being used to give a walnut finish and a 

 dark stain to give a mahogany finish. By this method one wood may 

 be used for the solid parts and the other for tho panels, walnut being 

 generally used for the former and mahogany veneer for the latter. A 

 cabinet made in that way does not give so good an appearance as if 

 all walnut or all mahogany had been used. Moreover, each wood 

 should be given a finish particularly suited to it. 



Piano cases are sometimes finished in walnut. There was formerly 

 a good demand in Europe for walnut-finished pianos, but this busi- 

 ness was interrupted by the late war. There has recently been a 

 large demand from Australia, Mexico, and South America for pianos 

 finished in walnut. Exports to these countries were, in fact, in- 

 creased by the war, because the supply of German-made pianos was 

 cut off. The United States is the largest manufacturer of pianos; 

 before the war Germany was second, and England third. Figured 

 walnut is now largely used for walnut piano cases. The figured 

 '■' butt " or stump wood is quite generally used to form a panel for 

 the front. The figured ends are matched together in the middle, and 

 the figured wood generally runs out into plain wood on either side. 

 Walnut cases are sometimes given a very light finish, resembling 

 maple. The different streaks and shadings in the figured walnut 

 are regarded as giving more character to the wood than the figured 

 maple does. Walnut is sometimes used for the core wood on which 

 the veneer is placed, because under varying moisture conditions it 

 shrinks, swells, and warps very little. 



Piano benches are made of walnut to match the finish of the 

 piano. The seat is usually a panel of figured veneer which is 

 veneered with walnut on the edges also, in order to give the appear- 

 ance of solid walnut. 



Walnut was formerly much used in the manufacture of reed or- 

 gans, but very few of these instruments are now made. The proper 

 finish of a pipe organ depends entirely upon the finish of the wood- 

 work of the room in which it is to be placed, and the two should 

 be in harmony, 



PLANING-MILL PRODUCTS. SASH, DOORS, BLINDS, AND GENERAL MILLWORK. 



Black walnut is manufactured into many products that go to make 

 up the finish of houses, offices, and stores. A large proportion con- 

 sists of planing-mill products, such as flooring, ceiling, molding, 

 baseboards, and those other dressed and matched materials that are 

 considered finished when they leave the planer. Walnut was formerly 

 much used for borders and designs in floors laid mainly in other 



