UTILIZATION OF BLACK WALNUT. 61 
FURNITURE. 
The extensive use of walnut for furniture dates back to the latter 
part of the seventeenth century, when walnut furniture replaced 
oak in Europe. England was the first to appreciate the value of 
American walnut, and it was used there at that time and often pre- 
ferred to the English or Circassian walnut of Europe. Elaborately 
carved pieces, often with highly figured veneer, were well liked. Ex- 
ports to England reached fair proportions by the end of this period, 
and large shipments for that purpose have gone to European coun- 
tries ever since. Walnut furniture (including chairs and chests of 
drawers) was made in New England in the latter part of the seven- 
teenth century, and at about the same time it was used in Virginia. 
In the eighteenth century wild cherry and walnut were the principal 
native cabinet woods. During the first half of the eighteenth cen- 
tury much furniture was made of walnut in eastern Pennsylvania 
and New Jersey; probably the best was made in and near Phila- 
delphia. The walnut grown in this region had a uniformly dark and 
rich color which was well liked. Mahogany also was much used. 
The " lowboy," a very low dresser with one or two drawers, and the 
" highboy," a dresser of six or seven drawers, were characteristic 
pieces of furniture at that time. 
In the latter part of the eighteenth century walnut as a furniture 
wood went out of fashion in England. During the first half of 
the nineteenth century, however, walnut was utilized in large quan- 
tities for furniture in this country. The source of supply of the 
timber was now farther west than the region of supply during the 
eighteenth century, and large amounts were obtained from Ohio 
and Indiana for shipment to eastern factories, mainly in Phila- 
delphia, New York, and Boston, where furniture of the better quality 
was .produced. Veneer was much used at that time. During the 
third quarter of the nineteenth century heavy, cumbersome walnut 
furniture of grotesque and ungainly patterns came into vogue in 
this country. The dark stain with which the wood was generally 
covered gave it a uniformly dull, lifeless appearance, which, together 
with the unattractiveness of these styles, resulted in so discrediting 
the wood that by the latter part of the nineteenth century it became 
extremely unpopular. Its employment in large quantities during the 
earlier part of the nineteenth century served to reduce greatly the 
best of the available supply in eastern United States, and that fact 
in time helped to discourage its use. 
During the past several years there has been a revival in the 
demand for walnut furniture in this country. This is mainly because 
of the adoption of lighter finishes and figured effects, which are in 
contrast with the dark, somber finishes in earlier use, and because of 
