July 2, 1908.] Agincidtural Gazette of N.S. W. 525 



it is realised we shall pi()bal)ly only have one, that is to say we shall have 

 experience of only one district. 



Meantime, if gentlemen will favour nie with a list of the planted trees on 

 their properties, with notes on their experience of them, I shall be glad (with 

 their permission) to quote such notes in the present series of articles. If 

 they can state age and size, including girth of trunk at 3 feet from the ground, 

 such inforination would be of real value. 



QUERCUS. 



(The Oak.) 

 The genus Qiierciis belongs to the family Cupulifer;e, and its best known 

 member is the British Oak {Q. rohur, including (^>. pedunculata, and Q. sessili- 

 flora). There are about 350 oaks scattered throughout the world, the principal 

 countries of which they are native being North America, Europe, China, 

 Japan, and other parts of Asia. They extend from Japan to the Himalaya, 

 and occur in the Malay Archipelago. Darwin's dictum that variation is most 

 observed in the largest genera finds no exception in Quercus. 



In Australia the term oak has been loosely applied to a numbei* of trees 

 whose timbers reminded the early settlers of that of the British oak, in its 

 fissile nature and blotched gi-ain ; tlius we have the Forest, Swamp, and other 

 8he Oaks (Casuarina), and the Silky and other oaks belonging to the 

 Proteaceie. 



As a matter of convenience, I have grouped them into the three great 

 divisions of the world, in (a) America, (6) Europe, (c) China and Japan, etc., 

 and for easy reference I will arrange the spe<;-ies in alphabetical order of 

 species names. 



Speaking generally, the oaks thrive best in strong, deep, njoist soils. The 

 acorn soon loses its germinating power, so that it is desirable to sow it as soon 

 as possible after it becomes ripe, and it is best, if it can ha managed, to plant 

 the acorn where it is desired that the future oak shall grow. Failure can 

 be guarded against by planting two or three acorns near each other and 

 preserving the strongest plant should more than one survive. 



Oaks are valuable as ornamental trees ; they have special merits for both 

 avenue and specimen planting.* 



The acorn cups of some, and the bark of others, are valuable tanning agents, 

 supplementing the dark-coloured tannages of our wattle-bark. At present 

 these oak products are imported into Australia. The foliage of some has some 

 merit as stock feed. 



Then the value of oak for timber has passed into a proverb. Not all oaks 

 are, iiowever, valuable in this respect, but the oaks are so diverse, and our 

 climates and soils are so diverse, that we should expeiimeut freely. 



Oaks usually form round-topped trees with symmetrical heads, and are 

 divided into two groups — the deciduous and the evergreen. 



* Oaks are planted on boulevards, avenues in parks and cemeteries, and more recently in 

 the cities. They make a permanent tree, veiy free from insects, and unsurpassed by any 

 shade tree. (Meehan, speaking of Pennyslvanian and temperate American conditions.) 



