NURSERY AND PLANTING. 



129 



prices, particularly during the late war, for the purpose of 

 making gun-stocks. The tree is hardy, and we do not recol- 

 lect to have seen, even in the north of Scotland, a disposition 

 in this tree to become stinted in growth, where the soil was 

 at all good and the situation sheltered. It thrives in almost 

 all soils that are not too wet, but it attains the greatest bulk 

 in such as are rich and deep; but the timber on such as 

 are thin and poor, is far more valuable, although less in 

 bulk. In loamy or light clayey soils, it attains a good timber 

 size within a century ; and for gun-stocks, for which it is prized 

 above all other woods, it is fit at fifty years' growth or sooner. 

 As an ornamental tree, the walnut has very just pretensions ; 

 the general habit of the tree, as well as the beautiful lobed 

 leaves, associate well with garden scenery. It is fit for the 

 decoration of the lawn or the park as a single tree, but when 

 valuable timber is in view, it should be planted in the grove 

 fashion, so that one tree may draw the other up. The best 

 specimens of this tree that we have observed, have, to all 

 appearance, been so drawn up ; and when cleared, at a proper 

 age, of the surrounding trees, have become magnificent objects. 



Walnuts produce their seeds in most seasons in this country, 

 and by that means are readily increased. The nuts or seeds 

 ripen in October, and should be gathered, and either sown 

 immediately or packed in boxes of sand till the spring. Upon 

 this subject Miller observes: "All the sorts of walnuts which 

 are propagated for timber, should be sown in the place where 

 they are to remain • for the roots of these trees always incline 

 downwards, which being stopped or broken, prevent them 

 aspiring upwards, so that they afterwards divaricate into 

 branches, and become low spreading trees. But such as are 

 propagated for fruit are greatly improved by transplanting, for 

 thereby they are rendered more fruitful, and the fruit is, there- 

 fore, larger and better. It being a common observation, that 

 downright roots greatly encourage the luxuriant growth ot 

 timber in all sorts of trees, but such trees as have their roots 

 spreading near the surface of the ground arc always the most 

 fruitful and best flavored." Evelyn, who wrote previously, 

 says, that those who plant nuts for the sake of the fruit, should 



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