Our native trees are and have always been one of the most valuable resources of this country, and one of the greatest heritages ever to fall to a nation. Wood has been used by our people since the landing of the Pilgrims, for almost every comfort and purpose in life, from the making of cradles to caskets. Wood is still one of the principal materials in building homes and furniture, and is used for railroad ties, for paper, and in so many other ways that we could scarcely get along without wood. The United States is the native home of many species of trees, of which a number are superior in some certain ways for some special purposes. The hickory has no equal for ax handles. As a building-timber where strength and durability are needed the oak ranks among the first. Other species are equally as important for some other uses. Not to be overlooked are nut trees. They serve the twofold purpose of producing both food for man and wild life, and valuable timber. +Black Walnut Has Great Value+ Of the nut tree group, the black walnut is one of the most important. It ranks among the first for lumber, furniture, cabinets, and finishing material. It has no rival in use for gun stocks and airplane propellers; as walnut wood is light, strong, will not get rough, but wears smoother with use. Neither will it splinter when pierced by a bullet. Walnut wood has been largely responsible, at times, for keeping us a nation of free people. The black walnut tree is an aristocrat of forest and field. It can justly be proud, for no other tree can fill its place. As the late author A. H. Marks said, "Who has not noticed the look of contended usefulness which a nut-bearing tree wears? It is of use to the world and knows it." Walnuts, like other species of trees, are not all alike, either as to nut production or in the grain of the wood. +The Lamb Black Walnut+ Several years ago an unusually highly figured, and very valuable, black walnut tree was discovered by Mr. George N. Lamb, then Secretary-Treasurer of the American Walnut Manufacturers Association of Chicago, Illinois. When the logs from this tree came into the mill, and their value was realized, Mr. Lamb went to the place where the tree had grown. He secured some twigs from the branches of this top and sent these, as I have been informed, to Dr. Robert T. Morris and Mr. Willard G. Bixby, knowing of their interest in propagating better varieties of nut trees. This wood had been taken from the top many days after the tree was felled, and so was dry and nearly dead. I believe Dr. Morris succeeded in getting only one graft to grow, and Mr. Bixby two. This variety was then named in honor of Mr. Lamb.