12 THE OAK. 



direction is most conspicuous in a full-grown tree, owing 

 to the greater size of the object. But the peculiarity has 

 not escaped the curious eye of the artist, even in the 

 smallest twigs. " In the spray of trees," Gilpin remarks, 

 " Nature seems to observe one simple principle ; which 

 is, that the mode of growth in the spvay corresponds 

 exactly with that of the larger branches, of which, indeed, 

 the spray is the origin. Thus the Oak divides his boughs 

 from the stem more horizontally than most other decid- 

 uous trees ; the spray makes exactly, in miniature, the 

 same appearance, it breaks out in right- angles, or in 

 angles that are nearly so, forming its shoots commonly in 

 short lines, the second year's shoots usually taking some 

 direction contrary to that of the first. Thus the rudi- 

 ments are laid of that abrupt mode of ramification for 

 which the Oak is so remarkable. When two shoots 

 spring from the same knot, they are commonly of unequal 

 length; and one with large strides generally takes the 

 lead. Very often, also, three shoots, and sometimes four, 

 spring from the same knot. Hence the spray of this tree 

 becomes thick, close, and interwoven ; so that at a little 

 distance it has a full, rich appearance, and more of the 

 picturesque roughness than we observe in the spray of 

 any other tree. The spray of the Oak generally springs 

 from the upper, or the lateral parts of the bough ; and it 

 is this which gives its branches that horizontal appearance 

 which they generally assume." 



This characteristic, which renders the Oak so great a 

 favourite with the painter, makes it no less serviceable to 

 the shipbuilder, who selects the crooked limbs, and applies 

 them, under the designation of knee-timber, to the purpose 

 of supporting the decks of ships. Trees which grow at a 

 considerable distance from each other are the most produc- 

 tive of this kind of timber ; for, thus situated, the branches 

 have ample room to follow the direction of the straggling 

 roots, to which they naturally incline. In some parts of 

 France, it is said, young trees are forced to assume this 



