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White Oaks and Red Oaks 



Editor's Note 



In Hakdwihii) Uecohd of June li."), 11(12. appeared an 

 cjition of red and whiti- oak based on wood characteristics 

 '1 lie following article treats of the same question in t 



I; is custoii.arv for lumbermen to separate oaks in two classes, 

 white oak and red oak, and they do not usually carry the subdivision 

 farther. Occasionally, however, other names are used, such as post 

 oak, chestnut oak, yellow oak, bur oak, and others. The two general 

 classes usually suffice, and few dealers attempt to make any finer 

 distinctions. Nevertheless, it is pretty generally understood that there 

 are .several kinds of white oaks and fully as many kinds of red oaks. 

 Milhnen are sometimes in doubt as to where a certain oak should go, 

 whether it belongs with the white oaks or with the red oaks. 



If the exact species is known, it is not very difficult to determine, 

 from the botanist 's standpoint, whether it is a red oak or a white oak. 

 The two groups are well defined; if a certain oak does not belong in 

 one grouji it must of necessity belong in the other. 



The oaks of the United States have certain habits in regard to their 

 acorns. Son,'e of them bear bloom and mature their acorns the same 

 year, while others blossom one year and mature the acorns the follow- 

 ing year. That is, one group of oaks produces one-year fruit, the 

 other produces two-year fruit. If that habit is taken as a basis for 

 separation into groups, the matter is not 'difficult, provided it can 

 be ascertained in each case whether the tree produces its acorns in 

 one year or two. That is not always easy to determine from individ 

 ual observation, for a man cannot watch a particular tree a year or 

 two in order to find out how it manages its acorn crop. Besides, some 

 individual oaks do not bear acorns every year, and some seldom or 

 never do. Neither is it always easy to see the two-year acorns the 

 first year. It often takes close observation to make them out. Even 

 after the leaf falls, the acorns may escape casual examination, be- 

 cause they may be very small and may sit close to the twig. Even 

 after they are found they may be disappointing, because in some 

 instances the acorn at that stage is only a small, flat cup, and does 

 not seem to have any acorn in it. However, if there are any, practice 

 will usually enable one to see acorns on the bare limbs. 



Jf they are found, the tree may be set down as a red oak, for the 

 red oaks have two-year fruit, and the white oaks one year. It is bet- 

 ter to speak of trees with the two-season acorns as black oaks. 

 Botanists prefer to call them so, because of the general blackness 

 of their bark. Besides, there is a particular tree whose proper name 

 is "red oak."' and it belongs to the black oak group, being simply 

 one of several belonging to that group. 



Speaking generally, Imt not absolutely in every instance, the trees 

 which produce acorns in one year are good for white oak lumber at 

 the sawmill; while those which ripen their acorns the second season 

 make red oak lumber. This is true only if it is admitted that all oak 

 lumber is either white oak or red oak. Most millmen so separate it. 

 It might be chestnut oak, or post oak, or live oak, or pin oak in the 

 woods, but when cut into lumber ajid sent to market, it would be 

 either red oak or white oak. 



Sawmill men and woodworkers usually determine from the color of 

 the wood to which group it Ijelongs. Several of the red oaks have 

 heartwood of decidedly reddish tinge, and several white oaks have 

 whitish wood. It often happens, however, that Imnbermen judge 

 white oaks by their bark rather than their wood. Some oaks might 

 fall in the doubtful class, whether judged by the wood or bark. Is a 

 live oak a white oak or a red oak, and where do chestnut oak and 

 blue oak belong? The color of the wood alone, or the color of the 

 bark alone, might leave doubt in the millman's mind, whether he 

 should stack the lumber on the white oak or the red oak side of the 

 mill yard. In doubtful eases like that — and there are several doubt- 

 ful ca'-e-: — it is well to let the acorns decide. It the tree ripens its 

 crop the first year, put the lumber with the white oaks, if not, it 

 shovdd go with the red oaks. 



There are from fifty to sixty species of oaks in the United States. 

 Botanists do not agree among themselves on the exact number. What 



article in whicli was sulimitted a discussi if the identifi- 



and written from tin; practical woodsman's viewpoint. 

 e same manner, but is l)ased on botanical diaracteristics. 



one authority may call a specie^, another may regard only a form or 

 variety. Nevertheless, there is agreement concerning fifty or more, 

 and they are the most important. Some are very scarce and of little 

 importance to lumbermen. In the lists which follow, some of the 

 principal oaks are separated and are placed in respective groups, 

 either white oaks or black oaks. For convenience, the botanical 

 namea are first given, followed by one or more of the common names 

 by which the trees are known, and these are followed by information 

 concerning the range of the tree, where it is most abundant. The 

 white oak group is properly headed by the common white oak, and 

 the iilack oaks by the common red oak. 



THE WHITE OAKS 



Qunciis alba — White oak : range in eastern half of the United States. 



Qiierciis minor — Post oak, iron oak. box oak. brash oak: range from 

 Massachusetts to Texas, scarce in the upper Mississippi valley. 



Quercus macrocarpa — Burr oak. moss.vtup oak, overcup white oak; in 

 most parts of the countr.v east of the Uock.v mountains. 



Quercus li/rala — Overcup oak, swamp post oak. water white oak. 

 swamp white oak: south of Potomac river, and generally south of Ohio 

 river to Florida and Texas. 



Quercus lobntu — California white oak. valley oak, weeping oak ; range in 

 California. 



Quercus ijarrjiana — Pacific post oak, Oregon white oak, western white 

 oak : range Pacific coast. 



Quercus itlatauoUlcs — Swamp white oak. swamp oak; range from Maine 

 to Missouri and Arkansas ; not in extreme South, or In northern Lake 

 states. 



Quercus michauxH — Cow oak, basket oak. swamp chestnut oak : range 

 from Delaware to Florida and west through Gulf states to Texas, and 

 north to Missouri and southern Indiana. 



Quercus primus — Chestnut oak. rock oak. tanbark oak, mountain oak : 

 range from Maine to Maryland and along the mountains of Georgia, west 

 to Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee. 



Quercus acuminata — Chinquapin oak. chestnut oak, pin oak, rock oak; 

 range from Now York to Nebraska, south to' Texas. 



Quercus ririjimana — Live oak: range from Virginia to Florida and in 

 the Gulf states west to Texas. 



THE RED OAKS (OR BLACK OAKS) 



Quercus rubra — Red oak, black oak ; range from Sew England to the 

 Lake states, south to middle Tennessee, and along the mountains to 

 Georgia. 



Quercus Icxana — Texas oak. Texas red oak, southern red oak, spotted 

 oak : range from the Ohio valley to Texas. 



Quercus palustris — Pin oak, swamp Spanish oak, water oak, swamp 

 oak : range from Massachusetts to Missouri, south to Virginia and Ar- 

 kansas. 



Quercus relutina — Yellow oak. black oak. quercitron oak, yellow bark 

 oak, spotted oak ; range from New England to Florida, west to Minne- 

 sota and Texas. 



Quercus coccinea — Scarlet oak, red oak. black oak, Spanish oak ; range 

 from New England to Nebraska, south to North Carolina and Tennessee. 



Quercus Californica — California black oak, mountain black oak. Kel- 

 logg's oak ; range, Oregon and California. 



Quercus digitata — Spanish oak. red oak, Spanish water oak ; range 

 from New Jersey to Florida, west to Missouri and Texas. 



Quercus marilandicu — Black jack, jack oak. iron oak, black oak, scrub 

 oak : range from New York to Nebraska, south to Florida and Texas. 



Quercus nigra — Water oak, duck oak. possum oak, punk oak ; range 

 from Delaware to Florida, west through Gulf states to Texas and .\r- 

 kansas. 



Quercus plieltos — Willow oak. peach oak, water oak, swamp willow 

 oak : range from New Jersey to Florida, west to Texas and Arkansas, 

 north to Kentucky. 



Quercus imbricaria — Shingle oak, laurel oak, jack oak, water oak; 

 range from Pennsylvania to Wisconsin, south to Georgia, west to Ar- 

 kansas. 



Quercus chrysolepsis — Canyon live oak. maul oak. iron oak, black live 

 oak, golden cup oak ; range from Oregon, through California and .Arizona 

 *to New Mexico. 

 . Quercus densifloru — Tanbark oak. California chestnut oak, peach oak, 

 live oak ; range, Oregon and California. 



The foregoing lists include eleven white oaks and thirteen red or 

 black oaks. They constitute less than half of the whole number, but 

 those omitted are not generally important. Some are scarce, others 



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