QUERCUS ALBA 



dence. Slowly but surely Quercus 

 Alba was outstripping his darker 

 and his spotted brothers. Slowly 

 but surely his crown arose above 

 other crowns. His blighting, deadly 

 shade fell upon them. Meanwhile 

 the process of natural pruning was 

 going steadily on. Branches at the 

 side, one by one, were strangled and 

 died, and newer layers of cambium 

 the annual ring growth cov- 

 ered smoothly the wounds which 



they had left. But at last, as to 



39 



