HARDWOOD RECORD 



22, 



This spcfies is distinetly au oak of the 

 "West and is grouped botaaically and in com 

 jneree as white oalt. It is considered the most 

 important timber oak of the Pacific coast, 

 where it attains considerable commercial 

 value. The best growth is found in the val- 

 leys of the northern section of its range; it 

 becomes small and shrubby in the south and 

 (in the mountain elevations, usually 

 preferring dry, gra%-elly slopes. It is 

 conceded to be the best substitute for 

 true eastern white oak that grows on 

 the Pacific. 



Specifically the range of growth of 

 this oak extends from Sonoma county, 

 ralifornia, northward through Wash 

 iugton and Oregon and into Britisli 

 Columbia. The tree is most frequent 

 a,long the coast and up the river val 

 leys. In British Columbia it is con- 

 fined almost exclusively to Vancouver. 



Sudworth gives it the following 

 aiames: White oak in California and 

 Oregon; Oregon white oak in Cali- 

 fornia; Pacific post oak, Oregon oak 

 and western white oak in Oregon. 



The tree resembles eastern post 

 oak to an appreciable extent, and 

 ranges in height from sixty to a hun- 

 dred feet. It sometimes attains a 

 <liameter of three and one-half feet. 

 The tree carries a broad and compact 

 crown, especially when it is sur- 

 rounded by a young, coniferous 

 growth, which is its most favorable 

 habitat, when natural pruning gets 

 rid of the lower limbs and causes an 

 ■outward, and later a pendulous growth 

 ■of the upper part. The limbs are 

 strong and heavy, as are the brandies 

 and twigs, the latter being pubescent 

 and orange-color the first season, 

 later becoming smooth. The bark is 

 grayish-brown, with shallow fissures, 

 the broad ridges being sometimes 

 broken across, forming square plates 

 which are covered with the grayish 

 flakes or scales. As compared with 

 those of eastern post oak, the buds 

 :are long and acute. They are coated 

 with a red fuzz. The leaves show the 

 typical post oak outline; are four to 

 six inches long and are bilaterally 

 <leveloped, having seven to nine coarse 

 round lobes; the sinuses are rounded 

 and rather shallow. The color is dark, 

 lustrous green and the texture leathery. 



With the other oaks this tr«e is grouped 

 under monoecious plants, the staminate flow- 

 ers growing in the form of hirsute aments, 

 the pistillate ones 'being sessile and tomen- 

 tose. The acorn is rather large, being about 

 .an inch and a quarter in length, and usually 



AMERICAN FOREST TREES 



EIGHTY-THIRD PAPER 

 Pacific Post Oak 



Qticrrits Gar; intiia- -liouglas.. 



about half as broad as long; it has a shallow 

 luji covered with pointed, sometimes elon- 

 gated, scales. 



The wood is heavy, hard, compact and 

 brittle, the heartwood dark brown and the 

 si])wood thin and buff white, turning brown 

 after cutting. A peculiar characteristic is 

 si'on in the lines of open ducts parallel to 



group and has very distinct and, rather broad 

 annular rings. While it is extensively used 

 in the West, it is very diflSeult to season, 

 checking badly in the process, and sometimes 

 taking two years to dry out properly. The 

 young growth yields wood of great toughness, 

 which is used in special industries. Wagon 

 and carriage makers, ship builders, furniture 

 manufacturers and coopers use the 

 wood extensively, while it is also well 

 suited to cabinet work and interior 

 finish. As a fuel it is in great de- 

 mand. One cubic foot of the wood, 

 thoroughly dry, weighs .51 Vi: pounds. 

 It has a specific gravity of .8253. 

 Using kilograms and square centime- 

 ters as units, the coeflScieut of elas- 

 ticity is 95276; modulus of rupture, 

 935; longitudinal resistance, 463. 



This species was named by Douglas 

 in honor of Robert Garry, secretary 

 of the Hudson Bay Company, who 

 materially assisted scientific investi- 

 gation in the Northwest. 



FOREST GROWTH OP PACIFIC POST 0.\K 



and between the medullary rays, which are 

 heavy and unbroken, and in one direction of 

 the light give the wood the only luster which 

 it shows. In the tangential section especially, 

 the medullary rays have a distinctive appear- 

 ance. 



This wood comes under the ring-porous 



Barn Built around an Elm Tree 

 The proverbial veneration which 

 yew England people held for many 

 of the noble trees in and about the 

 yards surrounding their homes is 

 strikingl^v demonstrated in the case 

 of a man in Kennebunk, Maine, who, 

 in selecting the site for his barn, 

 found that a large elm tree was in 

 the way. Eeluctant to cut it down, 

 he proceeded with the erection of his 

 barn, building it around the tree, 

 but leaving an open lattice work 

 from the ground to the eaves so 

 thnt the tree might have plenty of 

 light and air. The base of the elm is 

 sTid to be very nearly 6 ft. in 

 diameter, but its age is uncertain. 

 It is, however, conceded that when 

 the British were in Kennebunk dur- 

 ing the Revolutionary War this tree 

 and its mate were large, well-grown 

 shade trees. These were so highly 

 prized by the owner that, as above 

 stated, instead of cutting down one 

 of them which happened to be in the 

 way, he constructed his barn 

 around it. 



Another remarkable thing about 



this barn is the door at the end of 



the building, which is said to be an 



almost perfect representation of the stars 



and stripes. 



It is to be hoped that the Kennebunk man 

 in trying to extend the life of his big tree was 

 successful. However, such attempts usually 

 result disastrously. Trees are savages — they 

 will not stand confinement. 



