144 CONNECTICUT GEOL. AND NAT. HIST. SURVEY. [Bull. 



Sweet Fern. 



Comrrton. Dry or sterile ground. May ; fruit July — Aug. 



The leaves and the tops have some reputation for medicinal 

 properties. 



JUGLANDACEAE. WALNUT FAMILY. 

 JUGLANS L. Walnut. 

 Juglans cinerea L. (ashy). 



Butternut. White Walnut. Oil Nut. 



Frequent. Roadsides and rocky woods, generally in dry 

 ground. May; fruit Oct. 



The nuts are edible and are much gathered. The husks 

 were formerly used in dyeing cloth yellow. The bark is some- 

 times used in tanning, and sugar can be obtained from the sap. 

 The wood is employed in the interior finish of houses and for 

 furniture. The bark of the root is medicinal and is officinal. 



Juglans nigra L. (black). 

 Black Walnut. 



Rare. Roadsides and rocky hillsides, in most localities 

 derived from planted trees: Norwich (Mrs. E. E. Rogers), 

 East Hartford (H. S. Clark), Newington (Bissell), Southing- 

 ton (Andrews & Bissell), Seymour and Southbury (Harger), 

 Trumbull and East on (Eames). Probably native at North 

 Canaan (Bissell). May; fruit Oct. For the most part adven- 

 tive from the West. 



The nuts are edible. The wood is valued for cabinet work, 

 for the interior finish of houses, for gunstocks and in ship- 

 building. 



CARYA Nutt. Hickory. 

 A very important group of trees on account of the value of 

 their timber and nuts. Hickory wood has great strength com- 

 bined with elasticity and is extensively used in the manufac- 

 ture of carriages, wagons and farming implements ; also for axe, 

 pick and other tool handles. When exposed to the weather, how- 

 ever, it should be painted, as otherwise it is liable to quick decay. 

 Carya ovata (Mill.) K. Koch (egg-shaped). 

 Carya alba Nutt. 

 Hicoria ovata Britton. 



