1886 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III. 
lowish brown, beginning with 
the petiole. This oak is nearly 
as extensively distributed in 
North America as the white 
oak ; and, except in the district 
of Maine, and the northern 
part of New Hampshire, Ver- 
mont, and Tennessee, this spe- 
cies is found throughout the 
United States, on both sides 
ot the Alleghanies; and it is 
everywhere called the black 
oak, except in, some parts of 
New England, where, according to Dr. Brown (Syl. Amer.), it is called the 
yellow oak. It flourishes in Maryland, and in some parts of Virginia, where 
the soil is lean, gravelly, and uneven ; and it generally will growin a poorer soil 
than the white oak. This oak was one of those enumerated by the elder 
Michaux, as being advisable to introduce into France, and of which he sent 
seeds to that country in 1786 (see p. 142.); notwithstanding which, it does 
not appear that there are any large specimens in France; and the plants 
raised by Michaux were probably lost during the revolution of 1789, when 
a great part of the plantations of Rambouillet were destroyed. It was in- 
troduced into England in 1800, by the Messrs. Fraser, but has been but very 
little cultivated, though it is a tree of great regularity and beauty, and, even in 
this country, might possibly become of use for its bark. 
Properties and Uses. The wood, though coarse-grained and porous, is 
much more esteemed for strength and durability than that of any other Ame- 
rican oak of biennial fructification. In Philadelphia, it is employed in building ; 
and, in most parts of the northern states, it is used as a substitute for the 
white oak, whenever that tree is scarce; and a large proportion of what are 
called the best red oak staves, which are used, in Canada and the West Indies, 
to form casks for flour, salted provisions, and molasses, are made of the wood 
of this tree. The bark is extensively used in tanning; for which it is well 
adapted, as it is produced in great abundance, and is rich in tannin. The only 
inconvenience is, that shoes made of leather tanned with it are apt to impart 
a yellow tinge to the stockings. This colour, however, may be discharged by 
subjecting the leather to a particular process, when it is thought worth while 
to incur the expense. The most useful product of this oak is the quercitron, 
which is much used in both America and England for dyeing ; and which is 
not only equal to woad in the brilliancy of the yellow produced, but is so much 
stronger, that Dr. Bancroft states that one part of quercitron yields as much 
colouring matter as 8 or 10 parts of woad. The colouring matter is con- 
tained in the inner bark, a decoction of which forms a brownish yellow dye, 
which may be rendered deeper by alkalies, and lighter by acids. A solution of 
alum causes a small portion of the colouring matter to fall in a deep yellow 
precipitate; and solutions of tin afford a more abundant precipitate, of a 
brighter hue. To dye wool, it is sufficient to boil the quercitron with an equal 
