ity and root development to withstand transplantation. This was a
result not only of the crowded condition under which the stocks had
grown but also of the poor soil which had nourished them. The soil was
heavy blue clay underlaid with limestone within two feet of the top of
the ground. Enough trees were set out in orchard formation which are
growing well and bearing annual crops, to give us the proof we need in
drawing conclusions of superiority among these varieties.

Black walnuts will keep for several years if they are properly dried and
then stored in a cool, but not too damp, place. Storing nuts in attics
which are likely to become excessively hot in the summer time, causes
rancidity sooner than any other method. Nuts keep very well in attics
during the winter but they should be transferred to a basement during
hot weather. If the basement is very damp, though, nuts will mould
there. For general storage, without having to move them from one place
to another for different seasons, nuts can be kept most practically in a
barn or outside shed. The only precaution necessary under such
circumstances is that they should be in a box or steel barrel to prevent
squirrels and mice from feeding on them, since barns and sheds are
easily accessible to these animals.

The kernels of black walnuts need not be discolored if the hulls of the
fresh nuts are removed as soon as the nuts are ripe. At my farm, we have
done this with an ordinary corn-sheller. The nuts, having been hulled
this way, are then soaked in water for a few hours to remove any excess
coloring matter left on their shells, after which they are dried for
several days out-of-doors, although not exposed to the sun since this
might cause them to crack open. Thorough drying is necessary before
sacking to prevent moulding. Kernels extracted from nuts treated this
way are very light in color like English walnuts. This enhances their
market value and they command a higher price when they are to be used
for culinary purposes such as cake frosting and candies where there is
exposure of large pieces or halves of the nut kernel. I find black
walnuts are exceptionally delicious when used in a candy called divinity
fudge. The strong flavor of the black walnut kernel although appreciated
by many people, is not as popular as that of the butternut, of which
more is said in another chapter.

The food value of black walnut kernels is high since they are composed
of concentrated fat