SUITED FOR PLANTING. 287 



the proportion of 12 to 11). For all building purposes the 

 timber is little inferior to that of Q. j^ccb/nculata. The latter 

 prefers the valleys and outlying hills of mountain ranges, while 

 the former is at home on the mountains themselves. They often 

 occur in company, but Q. sessiliflora ascends the slopes to a greater 

 height, although it does not grow so far north. Q. iicdunculata 

 grows best in warm, sunny valleys, plains, and hilly land; in 

 mountainous districts it grows best on south and west slopes. 

 Q. sessiliflora prospers in hilly, mountainous districts in every 

 aspect, but at a great elevation it also seems to prefer the south 

 and west slopes. 



As already remarked, the oak is not by nature intended to form 

 extensive unmixed timber forests, but requires the aid of a shade- 

 enduring and soil-improving tree ; for the growth of oak depends 

 less on the kind of soil than on its quality, depth, and fresh- 

 ness. No tree is better qualified to perform these functions than 

 the beech. 



In coppice wood with standards — for which the term coviposi- 

 tion forests may be used, as such forests consist partly of large 

 stems and partly of coppice. The expressive German words are 

 Jiochioald, high timber forest; mittchoald, composition forest; 

 and niederivald, coppice wood. The oak finds a suitable place, 

 as it enjoys the sunlight, and does not throw much shade on the 

 coppice below. Here it soon acquires moderate thickness, but 

 at the expense of its length and freedom from branches. The 

 oak becomes fully developed at two hundred to two hundred 

 and forty years if growing in high timber forest, but standards 

 exposed to the sun may be felled sooner. In order to obtain 

 valuable timber, in such cases, the trees must, ere they grow too 

 old, be stripped of their lower branches as far as practicable. 



The oak reproduces itself from the stool, and hence is suitable 

 for coppice. Coppice woods of oak yield a good income, for the 

 young bark is sought after by tanners. Such woods have gene- 

 rally a term {turnus) of sixteen years, and produce bark of better 

 cjuality than that obtained from older trees before the time of 

 felling (a custom still practised around Hildesheim). This bark 

 is most prized when grown on strong mineral soil on hillsides in 

 sunny situations (south side), where the oaks have not been too 

 closely planted, but have had room for development. It also 

 possesses a higher value if gathered before the age when the bark 

 begins to split. In higher situations Q. sessiliflora is said to 

 yield bark in greater quantity and of better quality than Q. 

 pedunculata. 



We have remarked that the thriving of the oak depends less 

 on the kind of soil than on its quality, the amount of humus, 

 and, above all, the amount of moisture contained in it. The 

 best growth occurs in a deep, somewhat loose, loamy sand, or 



