26 
BULLETIN 933, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
The light-colored sapwood of black walnut used to be considered 
more of a defect than it is now. It is the present practice of most 
manufacturers to subject their lumber to a steaming process as soon 
as it comes from the saw. This steaming turns the sapwood to the 
same color as the heartwood and renders it equally salable. The 
sapwood of posts decays very much faster than the heartwood, and 
this renders the use of round walnut posts decidedly unsatisfactory. 
GROWTH OF STANDS (YIELD PER ACRE). 
It is difficult to estimate the yield on an acreage basis, of a species 
that characteristically grows so scattered as black walnut does. How- 
ever, the yields of pure, open, grovelike stands' are given here as 
examples of what may be expected of natural stands under the best 
conditions. 
The first example is that of a walnut stand covering an area of 
2.5 acres, located in Decatur County, Ind. The growth is scattered 
somewhat regularly over the whole area, except near the middle, 
where an area of perhaps one-quarter of an acre was cleared around 
a gas well. The stand is entirely of walnut, apparently even-aged and 
about 50 years old. The forest floor is covered by a bluegrass sod 
and is grazed by hogs and cattle. Naturally under these circum- 
stances there is no reproduction. The slope is slightly to the north, 
where a small permanent stream bounds the grove. The soil is a 
deep, rich loam, similar to that of the cultivated fields adjoining. 
(See Table 7.) 
Table 7. 
Diameter breast high. 
Number 
of trees 
per acre. 
Estimated 
yield per 
acre. 
Diameter breast high. 
Number 
of trees 
per acre. 
Estimated 
yield per 
acre. 
Inches. 
Below 8 
10.0 
.8 
1.6 
6.8 
8.4 
7.1 
,3 
Boardfeet. 
Inches. 
20 to 22 
6.0 
2.4 
1.6 
1.2 
.4 
i 
Boardfeet. 
960 
552 
512 
534 
246 
8 to 10 . 
22 to 24 
10tol2 
24 to 26 
12 to 14 
26 to 28 
28 to 30 
14 to 16 
336 
497 
1,023 
16 to 18 
Total per acre 
18 to 20 
55.6- 
4,660 
The larger merchantable trees on this area, together with some 
very large, short, " fence-corner " trees on another part of the farm — 
a total of 68 trees estimated to contain 15,000 board feet — were sold 
for $102.50 a thousand board feet on the stump. The above estimate 
of 4,660 board feet in this grove is believed to be low; but if it is 
accepted as it stands it gives a value of $477.65 an acre after 50 years, 
or an annual income of $9.55 an acre. In making comparisons it is 
imperative to remember that this stumpage price was exceptionally 
high even in a period of vastly inflated war prices. Before the war 
$40 a thousand would have been high. 
