80 JOURNAL OF THE ARNOLD ARBORETUM [vol. iv 



and in every instance the trees are of exotic origin and the probability of 

 any of tbem growing into specimens of even moderate size is very remote. 

 The common European Oak figures prominently in this avenue but is 

 fore-doomed. In southeastern Australia this Oak has been much planted 

 for ornamental purposes in parks, gardens and streets. A few good speci- 

 mens may be seen, notably in Melbourne, but these are the exception and 

 the usual trees are stunted in growth and liable to disease. A scale insect 

 is a great scourge killing the trees outright in three years I was told. In 

 Tasmania the same is true except that the scale pest is only just beginning 

 its devastations there. In New Zealand, especially the South Island, 



Q 



broad-leaf trees 



merchantable timber are an obvious failure. In many places it grows 

 rapidly at first but after a few years becomes almost stationary. In South 

 Africa as far north as Pretoria the Oak has been planted. Around Cape Town , 

 there are quite extensive groves and the acorns are a marketable commodity 

 as feed for pigs. In some of the suburbs of Cape Town there are large 

 trees and the town of Stellenbosch, thirty -one miles from Cape Town and 

 the second oldest settlement in South Africa, is famous for its Oaks. This 

 town was founded by Simon van der Stel in 1680 and the Oaks were 

 planted by his order soon afterward. Francis Masson, the first plant 

 collector sent out from Kew, visited Stellenbosch in December, 1772, and 

 commented on the row of fine Oaks on either side of the solitary street. 

 In 1922 I found that Stellenbosch now boasted more than a solitary street 

 and that the Oaks are still in excellent health and a credit to the town. The 

 largest trees are less than a hundred feet tall and about ten feet in girth 

 of trunk. The climate evidently suits them but considering their age, 

 well over two hundred years, their size cannot be considered remarkable. 

 Both in South Africa and Australia for forest planting it is folly to plant 

 this Oak since Eucalpytus yielding a timber equally useful, will attain 

 the dimensions of the famous Stellenbosch Oaks in twenty-five years. In 

 the South Island of New Zealand where Eucalyptus is scarcely happy 

 there is good excuse for experimenting with the Oak but I saw nothing 

 to warrant optimism about it. 



The Turkey Oak (Q. Cerris L. ) is better suited to the climates of South 

 Africa and southeastern Australasia but is very little grown, and its wood 

 is of inferior quality. In the Melbourne Botanic Gardens there is quite 

 a good collection of species of Oaks. It includes a number of American 

 species and I noted fair trees of Swamp White Oak (Q. bicolor Willd.), Red 

 Oak (Q. borealis var. maxima Ashe), Scarlet Oak (Q. coccinea Muench.), 

 Black Oak (Q. velutina Lam.), Pin Oak (Q. palustris Muench.), White 

 Oak (Q. alba L.) and others including the Bur Oak (Q. macrocarpa Mich.). 

 On the whole they were a creditable lot of trees and the presence of healthy 

 specimens of the White Oak surprised me but there was nothing to indicate 

 that they have value as trees for forest planting. At Hobart I saw good 



