848 ARBORETUM ET FRUTICETUM BRITANNICUM. 



roots i and if from the shoots one is selected to form the future tree, and the 

 others carefully rubbed off, the tree will advance at as rapid a rate as if it had 

 been sown where it was intended finally to remain ; and, in cases where the 

 subsoil .is bad, much more so. 



In the future culture of the oak, the trees generally require side-pruning 

 when the object is a straight clean trunk. As most of the species grow erect, 

 the hardier deciduous kinds are well adapted for hedgerows ; but, as many 

 of the American kinds are comparatively tender, they are most advantageously 

 cultivated in masses. The group /"lex forms excellent evergreen hedges, and 

 most of the species belonging to it endure the sea breeze. The Nepal species, 

 as far as they have hitherto been introduced, require, even in the climate of 

 London, the protection of a wall. 



We have arranged the species in the following groups : 



A. Leaves deciduous. 

 A. Natives of Europe. 



i. RO^BUR. British Oaks. Leaves lobed and sinuated ; dying off of a 



yellowish or russet brown. Bark rough. Buds ovate. Fructification annual. 



Cups imbricate. 

 ii. CE'RRIS. Turkey Oaks. Leaves lobed and sinuated, or dentated ; in 



some varieties sub-evergreen ; always dying off of a dirty white. Bark rough. 



Buds furnished with linear stipules. Fructification biennial. Cups echi- 



nate, ramentaceous, or scaly-squarrose. 



B. Natives of North America. 



iii. A'LBJE. White Oaks. Leaves lobed and sinuated ; dying off more or 

 less shaded with a violet colour. Bark white, and scaling off in thin laminae. 

 Fructification annual. Cup imbricate or echinate. Nut oblong, generally large. 



5) iv. PRI V NUS. Chestnut Oaks. Leaves dentate ; dying off of a dirty white, 

 or of a rich yellowish orange. Bark white, rough, and scaling off. Fructifi- 

 cation annual. Cup imbricate. Nut ovate, rather large. 



v. RU V BR^. Red Oaks. Leaves lobed, sinuated, and deeply cut, mucro- 

 nated ; dying off of a deep red, scarlet, or purple. Bark blackish ; smooth 

 or furrowed, but never scaly. Fructification biennial. Nut ovate, and with 

 a persistent style. Cup imbricate, large in proportion to the nut. 



vi. NI N GR;E. Black Oaks. Leaves obtusely and very slightly lobed ; with 

 mucros, which generally drop off when the leaves have attained their full 

 size ; leaves dying off of a blackish green, or very dark purplish red, and 

 in America frequently persistent. Bark quite black, smooth, or furrowed ; 

 but never scaly. Fructification biennial. Cup imbricate. Nut with a per- 

 sistent style, and sometimes marked with dark lines. 



vii. PHE'I.LOS. Willow Oaks. Leaves quite entire ; dying off without 

 much change of colour ; but in America sometimes persisting during two 

 or three years. Young shoots straight and wand-like. Bark very smooth, 

 black, and never cracked. Fructification biennial. Cup imbricate and 

 shallow. Nut roundish and very small. 



B. Leaves evergreen. 

 A. Natives of Europe. 



viii. / X LEX. Holm, or Holly, Oaks. Leaves ovate or oval, entire or ser- 

 rated, with or without prickly mucros. Bark smooth and black, or rough 

 and corky. Fructification biennial. Cup imbricate. Nut ovate, acumi- 

 nate ; sometimes very long in proportion to the cup. 



B. Natives of North America. 



ix. VIRE / NTES. Live Oaks. Leaves oblong-lanceolate; dentate and vari- 

 ously cut when young, but on full-grown trees quite entire. Bark smooth, 

 black. Fructification biennial. Cup imbricate. Nut long. 



