54 The greater summer-leafing trees 



Varieties and synonyms. From our point of view it is 

 out of the question to consider here the varieties of our 

 noble Oak. If from some high standpoint we look out 

 over any good Oak district, we may see much diversity 

 as regards time of leaf, colour, and even habit, and for 

 hair-splitting students it would not be difficult from these 

 minor differences to establish 'varieties'. But that is 

 futile for our purpose. 



The Durmast Oak. Botanists often class as mere 

 varieties, things that may be distinct from a planter's 

 point of view. They do not always know the living 

 trees, which they see as dried specimens only, and with- 

 out knowledge of the wood, habit, stature, and other 

 characteristics, which are far more essential for us than 

 any technical description of leaves and stamens. This 

 has been the fate of our Durmast Oak, as the result of 

 failing to keep it apart, and the confused writing relating 

 to our Oaks. 



The Durmast Oak is one of the greatest and most 

 stately of European trees. Compared with the Common 

 Oak of our heavy Wealden lands, the stem is more erect, 

 more cylindrical, and while less branching produces a 

 greater proportion of heavy branches, which are freer 

 and less twisted. The foliage is easily known even at 

 a distance by its deeper green colour, more even distri- 

 bution, and greater density, while the entire tree is often 

 more lofty, and with a more regular outline. The leaves 

 are larger and hang more loosely upon their longer foot- 

 stalks ; they also last a little longer than those of the 

 Common Oak ; and saplings (particularly in sheltered 

 places) often keep much of their green foliage until the 

 new leaves come. Even bare the tree may be known 

 by its fuller leaf-buds, its own way of branching, and its 



