140 JUGLANDACE.E. 



Previous to the introduction of the mahogany and other 

 beautiful exotic woods, that of the Walnut was held in 

 higher estimation than an}' other European tree, and 

 supplied their place in the manufacture of the most valu- 

 able and costly pieces of furniture, examples of which 

 are still occasionally to be seen in houses of ancient date, 

 whose beauty in grain, polish, and pattern, would even 

 bear a comparison with, and is scarcely surpassed by the 

 elegant and fashionable furniture of the present day. In 

 consequence of its superior properties as a cabinet and. 

 furniture wood, it appears formerly to have been cultivated 

 and planted to a considerable extent, with a view to its 

 timber alone ; thus we find from Evelyn that in Surrey 

 it was planted extensively near Leatherhead, also at Oar- 

 shalton and at Grodstone. It has never, however, been 

 propagated either as a timber or as a fruit tree to the 

 same extent in England as it has been in France and 

 other parts of the Continent, where every possible encou- 

 ragement from an early date has been bestowed upon 

 its increase and cultivation. Burgundy, in Evelyn's day, 

 abounded with Walnut trees, " where they stand in the 

 midst of goodly wheat lands, at sixty and a hundred 

 feet distance, and so far are they from hurting the 

 crop, that they are looked upon as great preservers by 

 keeping the ground warm, nor do the roots hinder the 

 plough ;" and he further adds, " that in several places 

 betwixt Hanau and Frankfort in Germany no young 

 farmer is permitted to marry a wife till he bring proof 

 that he is a father of such a stated number of trees, 

 and the law is inviolably observed to this day, for the 

 extraordinary benefit the tree affords the inhabitants. 1 ' 1 



Another important application of Walnut timber, and 

 for which it is peculiarly adapted on account of its strong 



