Chap. 7. 



BOTANY OF VERMONT. 



213 



THE CHESTNUT. 



THE OAKS. 



THE LARGE WHITE BIRCH. 



ishable, while in the Red Beech the sap 

 wood is thin, and the heart, or perfect 

 wood exceedingly compact and durable. 

 The White Beech also grows to a greater 

 height, and its trunk is freer from limbs 

 than that of the Red Beech. 



CHESTNUT. 



Caslanea vpsca, var. Jlmerixana. 

 The Chestnut in Vermont is confined 

 mostly to the south western parts, and 

 to the towns- lying along the bank of Con- 

 necticut river in the counties of Wind- 

 ham and Windsor. The basis of the soil 

 in which it there flourishes is an argilla- 

 ceous slate. According to the journal of 

 Samuel Champlain, he found this tree 

 growing on the shore of the lake which 

 bears his name, in 1609. The wood is 

 durable, and where it exists in sufficient 

 quantities, it is used for posts and rails for 

 fences, for shingles, and for staves of dry 

 casks. For posts, trees from six to ten 

 inches in diameter are employed, and 

 they are generally charred on their sur- 

 face before they are set in the ground. 

 Chestnut rails are said to last more than 

 50 years. The wood being filled with air 

 snaps as it burns, and on that account is 

 not much esteemed for fuel ; but coal 

 made of it is excellent. 



THE WHITE OAK- 



Quercus alba. 

 The growth of the White Oak is con- 

 fined principally to the southern and 

 western parts of the state, and even there 

 was never very much multiplied. Tlie 

 original growth sometimes attained the 

 height of 70 feet, with a diameter of three 

 or iour feet, but the old trees Imve been 

 nearly all cut down, and only a second 

 growth, which has sprung up since the 

 country was settled, now remains. The 

 wood of this tree is more valuable than 

 that of any other of the American oaks. 

 It is of a reddish white color, and is very 

 strong and durable. When perfectly sea- 

 eoned it is much used by carriage makers, 



and is preferred to any other v/ood for 

 the frames of coaches, waggons, and 

 sleighs, and also for the felloes, spokes 

 and naves of wheels. The wood of the 

 stocks of young trees is very tough and 

 elastic, and is susceptible of minute divis- 

 ion ; and hence it is much used for bas- 

 kets, the hoops of sieves, and for whip, 

 pail and axe liandles. It also makes the 

 best of staves for casks, and is the most 

 valuable wood for ship-building. Tlie 

 bark of the White Oak is much used in 

 medicine on account of its astringent prop- 

 erties. It is taken internally in the form 

 of a decoction, or powder, for intermittent 

 fevers, and is applied externally to wounds 

 and ulcers as a styptic and antiseptic. 

 Inlialed in the form of an impalpable 

 powder, it is said to cure the phthisic in 

 its advanced stages. For medical pur- 

 poses the inner bark on small branches is 

 to be chosen. 



RED OAK. 



Qiicrcus rubra. 



This oak, though not very abundant 

 in Vermont, is more plentiful and widely 

 diffused in the state than the preceding 

 species. The wood is reddish and very 

 coarse grained, and is of little value com- 

 pared with that of the White Oak. It is 

 used principally for staves and heads of 

 casks. The bark is used in tanning leath- 

 er. 



The other species of oak, mentioned 

 on pages 173 and 174, are found in Ver- 

 mont only in small quantities. 



LARGE WHITE BIRCH. 



Bdula papyracca. 



This tree is quite common, and often 

 attains the height of 60 or 70 feet. It is 

 often called Canne Birch., from the circum- 

 stance of its bark often being employed 

 by the Indians in the construction of ca- 

 noes. They also manufacture the bark 

 into baskets and bo.xes. Divided into thin 

 sheets it has been used as a substitute for 

 paper. In new settlements large plates 

 of the bark of this tree were sometimes 

 used for covering the roofs of houses. 

 The wood of this tree is lighter, whea 

 seasoned, and less valuable than that of 

 the Yellov/ Birch and Black Birch. 



