II. 1. THE BLACK OR YELLOW -BARKED OAK. 143 



resembling those of the scarlet oak, from which it cannot easily 

 be distinguished but by the color of its inner bark. The third 

 has leaves very broad at the extremity, and tapering much 

 towards the base. These trees seem to be as different as the 

 several varieties or species of the chestnut oak group. There 

 are, probably, corresponding differences in the qualities of the 

 wood. 



For ship-timber, the wood of the black oak is next in value 

 to that of the oaks of the first division ; and it is much used 

 as a substitute for white oak. For floors and floor -timbers, it 

 answers well, but is liable to decay, about iron. The grain is 

 close and rather fine ; the pores between the circles of growth 

 are not large ; the plates of silver grain rather wide and near 

 together. It has, therefore, great strength, and is extensively 

 used by wagon-makers and other manufacturers in wood, being, 

 for some purposes, superior to white oak. 



The bark is highly valued by the tanner, as it abounds in 

 tannin. It is liable, however, to the objection, that it gives a 

 yellow color to leather, which is communicated to articles which 

 remain long in contact with it. 



The bark is also much used in domestic manufactures, for 

 dyeing. With various preparations, it gives a great variety of 

 shades of fawn color and yellow. From the inner portion of 

 the bark is obtained the substance called quercitron, which was 

 first brought to notice by Dr. Bancroft, and is used as a substi- 

 tute for weld, in dyeing on a large scale. The colors given are 

 fast colors. By a mixture of other dyes, as cochineal, several 

 other shades, all rich and delicate, are given by quercitron. 



This bark is not so highly valued as it should be. By means 

 of it and the sumac, alders, birch, and some other barks, nearly 

 all the colors necessary in dyeing might be obtained without 

 cost, as the time of those who would prepare it is not commonly 

 applied to any productive object, at the season when the prepa- 

 ration might be made. 



Upon the leaves of the black oak, as also those of the red 

 and scarlet, are often found smooth, round, light excrescences, 

 called oak apples, one or two inches in diameter. They are 

 formed by an extension of the cuticle of the leaf, which they 



