3o6 THE TIMBERS OF THE WORLD 



During the European War black walnut, besides being largely used for 

 rifle stocks, was employed to a great extent for propeller blades for aircraft 

 work. The demand was so great that supplies rapidly diminished. A 

 movement was set on foot at Washington, however, to appeal to owners 

 of such trees throughout the country to sell the timber to the Government 

 in order to aid in the more vigorous prosecution of the war. This scheme 

 was carried out with great success, and a sufficient supply became avail- 

 able both in America and in this country. A similar plan took place in 

 England with regard to English ash (q.v.). 



The pores are very irregular in size, and are evenly distributed. 

 They are larger in the spring growth than in the autumn, and this 

 variation causes the concentric layers to be distinctly marked. The 

 medullary rays are clear and fine cut; they are somewhat irregular, 

 and are crossed at right angles by innumerable fine lines, the whole 

 presenting a pattern as of lace work. They show on the radial section 

 in very fine, light-coloured flecks. 



Walnut, East Indian. Albizzia Lebbek, Gamble. Weight, 47 lbs. 

 (Troup) ; my sample, 65 lbs. India. 



This timber is known in England by the name of East Indian walnut, 

 but in Burma and the Andaman Islands it is called " kokko." It is 

 not quite clear whether the shipments of East Indian walnut, most of 

 which has been sent to America, have been the produce of Albizzia 

 Lebbek only, or that the produce of A. procera and A. odoratissima have 

 also been included with the consignments. 



It is a hard, dense, close-grained wood of a dark brown colour, with 

 black and grey streaks. It usually has a curly, wavy grain, often contain- 

 ing the characteristic figure of mahogany, which is commonly known as 

 roe and mottle ; it sometimes has a very pronounced and strongly- 

 marked fiddle mottle. When planed it has a fine, glossy and rather 

 lustrous surface. It is imported in logs hewn square, in lengths of from 

 8 to 20 feet and in squares from 16 to 30 inches, with waney edges. " It 

 seasons, works, and polishes well, and is fairly durable. It is used for 

 sugar-cane crushers, oil-mills, furniture, well-curbs, and wheel-work ; 

 in South India for boats. In the Andamans, where trees of large size are 

 procurable, it is used for building, but more usually for house-posts " 

 (Gamble) . 



A small quantity has been used for decorative furniture work in 

 England, but it is not yet very generally known or appreciated. It has 

 been used very effectively for parquet flooring. The dining-room at 

 Government House, Port Blair, in the Andaman Islands, which was 

 panelled in East Indian walnut twenty years ago, is still in splendid 

 condition, as is a magnificent partition screen carved by convicts, which 



