OR, PLAIN TEACHING. 



215 



Previous to the introduction of mahogany and 

 other beautiful exotic woods, that of the walnut 

 was held in higher estimation than the wood of 

 any other European tree, and supplied their 

 place in the manufacture of the most valuable 

 and costly pieces of furniture, examples of 

 which are still occasionally to be seen in houses 

 of ancient date, whose beauty in grain, polish, 

 and pattern would even bear a comparison 

 with, and is scarcely surpassed by, the elegant 

 and fashionable furniture of the present day. 

 In consequence of its superior properties as a 

 cabinet and furniture wood, it appears formerly 

 to have been cultivated and planted to a con- 

 siderable extent, with a view to its timber 

 alone ; thus we find that in Surrey it was 

 planted extensively near Leatherhead, also at 

 Carshalton, and at Godstone. Another im- 

 portant application of walnut timber, and for 

 which it is peculiarly adapted on account of its 

 strong lateral adhesion, lightness, and little 

 liability to split or warp in working, is the 

 making of gun-stocks. In England, till of late 

 years, from the high price of the material, its 

 use was almost restricted to the stocking of 

 fowling-pieces, and other high-priced firearms — 

 our muskets being stocked with beech or other 

 woods of inferior value. This deficiency of so 

 necessary an article, the demand for which was 

 daily increasing, led to the establishment of a 

 trade in timber. The timber of American 

 walnut, which 'was found to possess similar 

 properties, as well as to the importation into 

 Great Britain of the wood of the common walnut 

 from the coast of the Black Sea, from whence it 

 appears any quantity that may be required can 

 at all times be obtained.* 



Few insects appear to feed upon 

 the foliage of the walnut, the 

 leaves of which therefore have 

 generally a clean and perfect ap- 

 pearance. In America the black 

 walnut is attacked by a splendid 

 moth, the great yellow underwing.^ 

 The caterpillar of this moth is of 

 large size, and nearly the colour 

 of the bark of the tree, which it 

 lies closely against, when it has 

 done feeding upon the leaves. 

 In this way, the caterpillar can 

 scarcely be detected, except by 

 close observation. 



Birches comprise a genus of 

 hardy trees or shrubs, some of 

 the former of which are among 

 the most useful plants of north- 

 ern latitudes. They belong to 

 the botanical sub-order betulaceo?. 



*■ c i»lby's Historv of British Forest Tree*. 

 1 Phaluina neogama 



The principal species are the 

 betula alba, or common birch, 1 ; 

 l 



589. 



the betula pendulata, or weeping 

 birch ; the betula varia, or dwarf 

 birch. There 

 are several 

 other spe- 

 cies, found 

 in America 

 and Asia. 

 The name 

 is derived 

 from betu, 

 ^ which is 

 Celtic ; or, 

 a c c o r d i n g 

 to others, 

 from the 

 590. Latin word 



batuere, to beat, from the birch 

 rods which were used to drive 

 back the people.' 



The leaves of the birch, 2, are 

 simple, sometimes serrated, other- 

 wise entire ; flowers, 3, whitish, 

 in cylindrical catkins. The flow- 

 ers are barren, 2a, or fertile, 3a ; 

 the seeds are contained in ova- 

 ries, 4, and the ripe fruit in scales 9 



