AMERICAN FOREST TREES 261 



feet in diameter. Heights of seventy and eighty feet are usual, and 

 diameters of three and four are frequent. The forest grown tree disposes 

 of its lower limbs early in life, and develops a long, smooth trunk, with a 

 narrow crown. The bark on young stems and on the upper parts of 

 limbs of old trees is smooth and light gray. All leaves do not have the 

 same number of lobes, and they are sharp pointed, and fall early in 

 autumn. 



The acorns are bitter, and are regarded as poor mast. Hogs will 

 leave them alone if they can find white oak acorns, and squirrels will do 

 likewise. The best red oak timber grows from acorns, though stumps 

 will send up sprouts. The sprout growth may become trees of fairly 

 large size, but they are apt to decay at the butt. The acorn-grown tree 

 is as free from defects as the average forest tree. Cracks sometimes 

 develop in the trunk, extending up and down many feet. Unless the 

 logs are carefully sawed, a considerable loss occurs where these cracks 

 cross the boards. Trunks are occasionally bored by worms, as all other 

 oaks may be. 



Red oak grows rapidly. It will produce small sawlogs in the life- 

 time of a man. It is a favorite tree for crossties, and railroads have made 

 large plantings for that purpose. The ties do not last well in their 

 natural state, but they are easy to treat with preservatives by which 

 several years are added to their period of service. It has been a favorite 

 tree with European planters for the past two hundred years; but the 

 most of the plantings beyond the sea have been for ornament in parks 

 and private grounds. 



The principal interest in red oak in this country is due to its value 

 for lumber. That interest is of comparatively recent date. Some red 

 oak has always been used for rails, clapboards, slack cooperage, and 

 rough lumber; but while white oak was cheap and plentiful, sawmill men 

 usually let red oak alone. It had a poor reputation, which is now known 

 to have been undeserved. 



Red oak is lighter than white oak, and it is generally regarded as 

 possessing less strength and stiffness. The wide rings of annual growth, 

 and the distinct layers of springwood and summerwood, give the basis 

 for good figure. To this may be added broad and regular medullary 

 rays which are nicely brought out by quarter-sawing. The tone of the 

 wood is red, to which fact the name red oak is due. It has large, open 

 pores. A magnifying glass is not required to see them in the end of a 

 stick. It is said that smoke may be blown through a piece of red oak a 

 foot in length. These open pores disqualify the wood for use in tight 

 cooperage. Liquids will leak through the pores. Statistics of sawmill 

 output in this country do not separate the white and black oaks, and the 



