THE WATER OAK AS A SHADE TREE 663 



cleared for a nursery, and already a beginning has been made in starting the 

 seed beds. There is ample room for growing garden truck, small fruit and an 

 orchard, which, in addition to supplying the workmen with fresh and wholesome 

 food, will also keep up public interest until the slower and less striking 

 silvicultural experiments are well under way. The prospective agriculturist 

 in this locality is anxious to know what crops may be raised, and it is quite 

 likely that what little garden and held crops are raised will show how 

 unprofitable it is to farm on most of the jack pine sand lands. That typical 

 jack pine lands are unsuited to agricultural purposes has often been shown by 

 the starving out of settlers on them, but careful experiments here are expected 

 to give more exact information on the reasons for these failures. 



In a beautiful grove of large Norway pine a two-story log building has 

 been erected for the accommodation of the foreman of the forest. An additional 

 log dwelling will be constructed for the technical superintendent, who in the 

 summer time will be on the ground in charge of the experimental work. The 

 I)lace is about three miles from the city of Cloquet, on a good and well-traveled 

 road. It would be hard indeed for one to find a more favorable and interesting 

 place for free and uninterrupted research and study. 



THE WATER OAK AS A SHADE TREE 



By C. D. MELL. 



^^ci^REES in every respect desirable as shade trees in towns and cities are 

 ^ J rare. Unfavorable soil and atmospheric conditions, insect and fungous 

 enemies and other injurious factors characteristic of the city street, 

 limit the number of shade tree species to a very few; but wiien one does find 

 a good tree for street purposes and a hardy oak at that, it becomes a matter 

 of no little interest. The water or spotted oak of southeastern United States 

 is that kind of a tree. It is undoubtedly one of iie best street trees of the 

 southeast, and as such it is used in practically e\ery town in the states of 

 Georgia and Florida, and is now rapidly replacing a good many other less 

 desirable species in towns as far north as North Carolina. When young the 

 tree stands transplanting very well, grows quite rapidly, and has beautiful 

 foliage which is never too heavy to allow free circulation of air. It loves soil 

 moisture, but, nevertheless, stands seasons of drought better than any other 

 oak suitable for shade. It usually attains its most magnificent proportions 

 as a street or park tree and seldom needs trimming. The water oak is free 

 from injurious insects. 



In the southeast it is the most commonly distributed of all the oaks, and 

 is found as far north as Delaware and extends westward through the Gulf 

 states to the valley of the Colorado River in Texas. This oak obtains its 

 common name from the fact that it is generally found growing on the borders 

 of swamps and streams and on rich bottomlands of rivers. ()ld trees of this 

 species are often hollow at the center, forming hiding places for opossums, and 

 for this reason the tree is alsd known as possum oak in Alabama and Texas. 



The scientific name is Quercus nigra Linn. {Q. aquati<ca Walt.). The 

 technical name of oak, Quercus, is taken from the Latin, but is derived from 

 the Celtic words quer, meaning "fine," and cues, "tree," in reference to the 



