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JTTGLANS. ( Walnut). 



Trees with alternate odd-pinnate leaves of many serrate leaflets, from 

 naked buds — sterile flowers in long simple lateral catkins — fertile, solitary or 

 several together on a peduncle at the end of the branches — fruit a kind of 

 dry drupe, with a fibrous-fleshy indehiscent epicarp, and a rough, irregularly 

 furrowed bony endocarp, or nut shell — bark, strong scented, or resino-aro- 

 matic — pith in plates. The name is contracted from Jovis glans, the nut of 

 Jupiter, from its excellence. 



JTTGLANS CINEREA. {Butternut— WMU Wahmt). 



Leaflets fifteen fo nineteen, oblong-lanceolate, pointed, rounded at the 

 base, downy, especially underneath, not always directly opposite^ like the 

 ash — petioles and branchlets downy with clammy hairs, from which it de- 

 rives the specific name {cinerea) ashy^rmt, oblong, clammy — nut pointed — 

 shell deeply sculptured and rough with ragged ridges — kernel sweet, rich and 

 very oily, from which it takes Its English name, huttermct ; ripens in Septem- 

 ber. The tree grows from 80 to 60 feet high with wide spreading branches ; 

 light colored bark and smooth until the tree becomes very old, and then it is 

 slightly furrowed. 



The wood is fine grained, of a light brown color, rather soft and easily 

 worked with tools, receives a good polish, and is much admired in cabinet 

 furniture in its natural color. By means of stains which the cabinet maker 

 knows how to employ it is made to take the colors and shades of mahogony 

 and black walnut, and from which it can scarcely be distinguished. As these 

 woods increase in value, the butternut must come into requisition ; and it 

 already commands a heavy price equal to one-half that of black walnut, and 

 is rapidly rising in value. It seasons readily, and no wood lays in place bet- 

 ter, when put into work, forming the best of wood as a basis for laying 

 veneers. Though a light wood and splitting freely, it possesses considerable 

 strength and durability, lasting well for top rails to fences. 



The butternut requires a rich soil, as it sends its roots near the surface as 

 well as deep and to a great distance for food. It is therefore one of our 

 most rapid growing trees, its leaflets are not apt to be blown far, and It en- 

 riches the soil instead of exhausting it. For timber it might be planted at 

 the rate of 640 to the acre and thinned down at 16 or 20 years. Such plant- 

 ing would give a fair length and straightness to the body of the tree. As 

 fuel it burns freely when dry and is easily prepared for the fire. 



If few shall think of planting the butternut for timber, who may be induced 

 to plant trees of far less value for that purpose, every farm should have a 

 few trees to produce nuts, which they will seldom fail to bear. Many a man 

 can look back to the time in his youthful days, when the cracking of butter- 

 nuts was the main feature of the evening enjoyment in the old homestead. 

 Farmers should remember those days, and also that a few trees if planted 

 only by the road side, where their sparce shade will' do no damage to the 

 track, and where their long arms will have abundant room to stretch them- 

 selves, and produce a surplus of nuts for the upgrowing children and perhaps 

 children's children — may cause those sons and daughters to send back a 



