Page:Timber and Timber Trees, Native and Foreign.djvu/63

 CHAPTER VIII.

THE OAK TREE (Quercus).

The Oak is found to be more widely spread than perhaps any other tree. It has been met with in Europe in about 35° N., and is known to extend to 60°, or over 25° of North latitude. It is also found in the north of Asia, North America, and in Africa.

The Oak exists in very great variety, and England produces two, if not three, distinct species, in addition to numerous others, not native, but which are cultivated for ornamental purposes. The botanical names of those which are indigenous to this country are the Quercus Robur pedunculata, the Quercus Robur sessilifiora, and the Quercus pubescens, or Durmast Oak.

In the former, which is our best species, the footstalks of the flowers and acorns are long, while those of the leaves are short. In the Quercus sessilifiora this order is reversed, the footstalks of the fruit being short and those of the leaves long; while the distinguishing character of the Quercus pubescens consists in its having the under sides of the leaves somewhat downy, the footstalks of the fruit and leaves nearly resembling those of the sessilifiora variety. It is also peculiar to the leaves of the Durmast or pubescent species that they hang longer on the tree than those of either of the others.

It is the prevailing opinion that the wood of the Quercus Robur pedunculata is the best in quality, and that the Quercus Robur sessilifiora is slightly inferior to