April 30, 1913 | 43 
more feet in diameter, soon dividing into several heavy branches. 
The gray bark of old trees is often 4 inches thick, broken into 
small plates an inch or two across with deep fissures between. 
The leaves are 3 or 4 inches long, 2 or 3 inches wide, green 
above, pale beneath with a close, short pubescence, deeply 
lobed, the lobes broad and rounded. The cup of the acorn is 
a half to nearly an inch deep, gray-brown, the scales very prom- 
inent, the acorn 1% ro 2% inches long, % to 34 inch in diam- 
eter, brown when mature. 
This oak is found in California only, and as indicated by 
the common name, is especially a tree of the valleys, although 
it may occur at considerable elevations, being found as high as 
4500 feet in the southern part of its range. Its northern limit 
is in the neighborhood of Redding, at the head of the Sacra- 
mento valley, and in the Coast Range vallevs-west of that point. 
Southward its interior limit is Fort Tejon, at the head of the 
San Joaquin valley, and in the coast region it is found as far 
south as Saugus, between Santa Barbara and Los Angeles. 
It favors valleys protected from the cold ocean winds, and 
in these, in rich soil, reaches its best development. Some very 
fine examples may be seen in the Santa Clara valiey between 
San Mateo and San Jose, as well as farther south in the vicinity 
of Gilroy. These localities are all within the fog belt. 
Fine trees are also found in the Sacramento valley, and in 
fact everywhere within its range many magnificent examples 
occur. Young trees which are growing vigorously are usually 
of more erect habit, the branches ascending, the drooping ten- 
dency but little developed, while trees which have reached ma- 
turity are characterized by spreading and drooping branches. 
They reach maturity in from 125 to 300 years. 
An abundance of fruit is produced, but little of it germi- 
nates as a rule, owing te the fact that the trees are usually found 
in pastures or cultivated fields, where conditions are not favor- 
able for growth. The acorns are sweet and palatables and were 
an important article of food for the Indians, who ground them 
and made a sort of bread from the flour. Squirrels and other 
rodents consume large quantities of them. 
