The Oaks 



is there that the tree is leafy to its central shaft, but the head is 

 still open. 



The shingle oak has a fashion of crossing with related species, 

 and thus producing hybrids from seed. The black oak and this 

 one are believed to be the parents of a rather widely distributed 

 form, now called Quercus Leana. Crosses with the pin oak and 

 the jack oak also occur. 



The summer beauty of this tree is quite sufficient to commend 

 it to all planters. It is covered in spring with pink and silver, the 

 leaves before they expand are curled in tight little tubes. In sum- 

 mer they are leathery and shining. In autumn they change to 

 rich reds, and the veins and midrib are touched with a more fiery 

 hue. Truly, there is no season when the shingle oak is not hand- 

 some in any congregation of trees. 



Another Laurel Oak {Quercus laurifolia, Michx.), with 

 leathery leaves like laurel, grows to large size in swamp borders, 

 and along streams in the coast regions, from Virginia to Louisiana. 

 It is the common "water oak" of streets and yards, adorning them 

 with its graceful columnar trunks and lustrous dark green, almost 

 evergreen, foliage. Only the live oak, its near associate, exceeds 

 it in beauty. It is commonest in eastern Florida, and here it 

 reaches its greatest height. Unfortunately, it is not hardy in the 

 North. 



THE HISTORY OF OAKS 



The oak was held sacred by the Greeks, Romans, Teutons 

 and Celts. They venerated the living tree for its fruit which fed 

 them, and for its lumber which housed them and served as their 

 defence against their enemies. " Hearts of oak" were built into the 

 Norsemen's ships that storms could not wrench apart. The 

 triremes of the great navies of Greece and Rome were of oak tim- 

 ber. So were their great bridges, aqueducts and buildings 

 triumphs of architectural art and engineering skill. The very 

 columns, with their flaring bases and capitals, were modelled 

 from the trunks of oaks. The curves of the branches suggested 

 their arches, and the leaves and acorns gave them designs for 

 ornamentation. 



The Druids held their most solemn rites under the sacred 

 shade of their oak groves. The mistletoe was gathered on the 



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