CALIFORNIA WALNUT. 129 



monds, and the gentle zephyrs murmur milder music among 

 the birches, there is a sense of cheery glee not easily described 

 which appeals to the sense of sight and sound, and is greatly 

 enhanced by the spicy aroma that so often perceptively ex- 

 hilarates the inspiration. And when the final farewell 

 Autumn airs come down from their high abodes upon the 

 mount, and begin to sigh their sad adieu over all the glen, 

 the birches don their bright rich creamy mantles and gleam 

 and glow along the mountain vales, every one in his own 

 rank— banners joyfully flying — the closing scene is one alto- 

 gether charming. 



CALIFORNIA WALNUT. 



(Juglans Californiea.) 



* * - ; - " Mighty trees — 

 In many a lazy syllable repeating 

 Their old poetic legends to the wind." 



— Longfellow. 



THIS tree, like its congeners, is rather deep than heavy 

 foliaged ; more clouded and graceful than the grosser 

 English Walnut (/. regia); not so heavy as the great 

 Black Walnut of the West (J. nif/ra), nor so open, light, and 

 airy as the White Butternut of the eastern United States (J. 

 dnerea). 



The California Walnut forms a very handsome soft vel veted 

 tree, often in age lightly clouded, usually rather symmetri- 

 cal, with rounded head, not so much storied and tiered, but 

 an exceedingly quiet harmonious tree in its native haunts, 

 or in the vicinity of buildings, along road-sides, in parks or 

 lining avenues; from sixty to seventy-five feet high, about 

 two to four feet in diameter; the dark bark thick water-line 

 furrowed; branches duller gray and never smooth, or only 

 traced and slightly marked where these channels are to be 

 later on in life. The large compound leaves, a foot to a foot 

 and a half long, composed of eight or nine (rarely more) 

 pairs of leaflets terminated an odd strictly lance-shaped one, 

 the other eighteen or more lanceolate-ovate with a sharp 

 elongated point, sharply toothed on the margin, about three 

 inches long. The softened light yellowish-green hue of the 

 foliage is very pleasing to the eye, and its sober contrast with 

 other sharper and more sprightly trees, during the Summer 

 and Autumn months, produces a fine effect. The tree well 

 expresses elegant dignity, but we have never met with it of 

 such proportions as to warrant the title majestic, in a com- 

 parative California sense. 

 17 



