THE WALJ^UT. 



233 



Trees grow to an immense size, with deeply furrowed 

 bark ; wood dark colored, valuable f^r cabinet work, 

 inside finishing, gun stocks, etc. Common in deep, rich 

 soils, from western Massachusetts west to southern Min- 

 nesota, and southward to Florida. Most abundant west 

 of the Alleghany mountains, and especially in the rich 

 valleys of the Western States distant from railroads and 

 water communication ; elsewhere the trees have long 

 since been cut for their 

 timber. I have only one 

 synonym to record, and 

 this is scarcely worthy of 

 notice, viz. : WaUia nigra. 

 (Alefeld in " Bonplandia," 

 1861.) 



Varieties of the 

 Black Walnut. — As with 

 the butternut, there are no 

 varieties of the black walnut 

 in cultivation ; at least, 

 none propagated by means 

 which will insure the perpetuation of their varietal char- 

 acteristics. It is true that there are plenty of wild vari- 

 eties to be found, these varying widely in size and form, 

 and somewhat in thickness of their shell, as well as the 

 ease with which the kernels may be extracted, but none 

 of these have been perpetuated by artificial means. 

 Among the earliest varieties recognized by botanists, 

 one was called Oblong Black Walnut, Juglans nigra 

 oblonga, by Miller, 1754, and perhaps in earlier editions 

 of the "Gardener's Dictionarj-." He says this is from 

 Virginia, and only a variety of the common black wal- 

 nut. Marshal], in 1785, describes this "black oblong 

 fruited walnut," and adds : "There are, perhaps, some 

 other varieties." These oblong, or, more correctly 

 speaking, oval nuts, often sharp-pointed at both ends. 



PIG. 82. JUGLANS NIGKA, HUSK 

 KBMOVED. 



