Handbook of TsEiES of the Northerx States and Canada. 49 



The Black Walnut attains the height of 100 

 to 150 ft. in the forests, with a trunk 4-6 ft. 

 in diameter, vested in a prominently ridgsd 

 dark brown bark. When growing apart from 

 surrounding objects it develops a symmetrical 

 rounded top of beautiful foliage. Once an 

 abundant tree and constituting a considerable 

 portion of large tracts of forest, particularly 

 in the great Mississippi Basin, its valuable 

 wood has caused its almost complete destruc- 

 tion as a commercial product. The value of 

 its timber was early recognized, as history 

 tell us that it was an article of export to Eng- 

 land early in the seventeentli century. Of 

 late years new trees are being propagated 

 which eventually will in a measure take the 

 place of the natural forests. 



The heart-wood is of a rich dark brown 



color, very durable in contact with the soil, 



and highly prized for furniture, gun-stocks, 



interior finishing, etc. A cubic foot, when ab- 



solutelj' dry, weighs 38.11 lbs. Occasional 



"figured" trees are of almost fabulous valu '.i 



The nuts of this tree were an important arti.le 



of food with the Indians and are still gathered 



for domestic use and the local market. 



Leaves 1-2 ft. long with puberulent petioles and 

 13-2.3 ovate-lanceolate inequilateral leaflets, 

 rounded or subcordate at base, serrate, acuminate, 

 pubescent beneath ; petioles puberulent. Floirers 

 (May-.Tune) : staminate aments stout. 2-4 in. Ions; 

 calyx with 6 nearly orbicular lobes, pubescent out- 

 side ; bracts nearly triangular, rusty tomentose ; 

 stamens 20-30 ; pistillate in 2-.5-flowered spikes, 

 elandular-hairv bracts and pale reddish green 

 plumose stigm'a. Fruit solitary or in clusters of 

 2 or 3, subglobose, light yellow-green, papillose ; 

 nut round-oval, compressed, sculptured, 4-celled at 

 base ; seed oily, edible. = 



1. A. W., II, 35. 



2. For genus see p. 4."53. 



