TREES GROWING IN SANDY SOIL. 



241 



curve inward. Occurring also in a spatulate form with minute side teeth 

 towards the apex. Dark green and glossy above, lighter and pubescent under- 

 neath; thick; firm; evergreen. Flowers: appearing with the young leaves' 

 the staminate ones growing in long axillary catkins. Acorns ; growing on 

 long stems. Cup-, grey, or light brown; deep; pointed at the base and 

 covered with closely compressed, fine and downy scales; slightly fringed about 

 the top. Nut ; dark brown ; oval ; lustrous, smooth. 



When twilight is gathering its dimness these oaks cast broad 

 shadows upon the earth, and those that have never seen their 

 great forms in the south 

 hung with the swaying 

 Tiilandsia can hardly 

 conceive of the mysti- 

 cal effect they then 

 produce. About their 

 small evergreen leaves 

 there seems to be a 

 firmness of purpose, and ^ 

 the whole appearance 7 

 of the trees is vigourous 

 and powerful. 



Of the fifty species of oaks that are indigenous to America 

 none is more interesting than Quercus Virginiana. A small 

 spray of its foliage, such as is illustrated in the coloured plate, 

 bears hardly any resemblance to that of the red, the scarlet, 

 the white or many of the other oaks so familiar in the north- 

 eastern part of America. It rather suggests the willow oak, 

 with which the tree is often found growing. The acorns of the 

 live oak are small and among the quaintest of the family. 



Quercus Virginiana produces timber which is rather difficult 

 to work, but it is strong and compact and receives readily a 

 high polish. It is much used in ship building. The bark of 

 the tree contains considerable tannin. 



Quercus Virginiana. 



