in botany: A genus of the monoeic order, belonging to the polyandria class of plants; and in the natural method ranking under the 50th order, Juglans Amentacea. The male calyx is monophyllous, and squamiform; the corolla divided into six parts; there are 18 filaments: the female calyx is quadridif, superior; the corolla quadripartite; there are two styles, and the fruit a plum with a furrowed kernel. There are five species, the most remarkable of which is the regia or common walnut. This rises 50 feet high or more, with a large upright trunk, branching into a very large spreading head, with large pinnated leaves, of two or three pair of oval, smooth, somewhat serrated lobes, terminated by an odd one; and monoeious flowers, succeeded by clusters of large green fruit, including furrowed nuts of different shapes and sizes in the varieties, ripening in September and October. Other two species, called the nigra and alba, or black and white Virginian walnut, are also cultivated in this country, though they are less proper for fruit, having very small kernels.

Culture. All the sorts are propagated by planting their nuts, which will grow in any common soil. The nuts being procured in the proper season, in their outer covers or hulls if possible, they should be preserved in dry sand until February, and then planted. After two years growth in the seed bed, they are to be taken out, and planted in the nursery, where they must remain till grown five or six feet high, when they must be transplanted where they are finally to remain; but if intended for timber as well as fruit trees, they ought to be finally transplanted when they have attained the height of three or four feet.

Uses. The fruit is used at two different stages of growth; when green to pickle, and when ripe to eat raw. As a pickle, the nuts may be used when about half or three-fourths grown, before the outer coat or shell becomes hard; such nuts should be chosen as are most free from specks, and for this purpose they must be gathered by hand. Walnuts are ready for pickling in July and August. They are fully ripe in September and October; and are then commonly beat down with long poles, especially on large trees; for as the walnuts grow mostly at the extremities of the branches, it would be troublesome and tedious to gather them by hand. As soon as gathered, lay them in heaps a few days to heat and sweat, to cause their outer hulls, which adhere closely, to separate from the shell of the nuts; then clean them from the rubbish, and deposit them in some dry room for use, covering them over close with dry straw half a foot thick, and they will keep three or four months. They are always readily sold at market, especially in London; where, at their first coming in, they are sold with the hulls on, by the sack or bushel; but afterwards are bought clean, and sold both by measure and by the thousand. The wood of the walnut-tree is also very valuable; not indeed where strength is necessary, it being of a very brittle nature; but the cabinet-makers and joiners esteem it highly for several sorts of household furniture and other light works; for being beautifully veined, it takes a fine polish, and the more knotty it is, the more it is valued for particular purposes. Walnut-trees are also well adapted for planting round the borders of orchards, where, by their large spreading heads, they will also guard the lesser fruit-trees from boisterous