284 AMERICAN FOREST TREES 



extends to Peace Creek, Florida. It is found westward to Louisiana 

 where fair-sized timber grows, but in small quantities. It is usually 

 considered that its best development is in South Carolina and Georgia, 

 but good trees are likely to be found in any part of its range. It is 

 distinctly a tree of the South. It was named by Michaux, the well- 

 known French botanist who visited the southern states early in the nine- 

 teenth century, and he named it in honor of Mark Catesby who explored 

 the region much earlier and wrote concerning its trees and other natural 

 history. 



Turkey oak is one of the little-known trees of the South, as far as 

 lumbermen are concerned. They know it well enough in the woods, but 

 not at sawmills. When cut into logs it ceases to be turkey oak and 

 becomes red oak, and under that name it goes to the lumber yard, and 

 later to market. Users of red oak lumber do not object to the occasional 

 piece of turkey oak mixed with it if they ever find it out, which few of 

 them do. Nevertheless, the consensus of opinion among sawmill men is 

 that turkey oak ought to rate below red oak. 



Tests of the wood to determine its character and qualities do not 

 justify so low an estimate of turkey oak. Sargent found it stronger and 

 more elastic than white oak, while a little lighter in weight. It is nearly 

 equal to white oak in fuel value. It is hard, compact, and the rings of 

 annual growth are marked by several rows of large, open ducts. The 

 medullary rays are broad and conspicuous. The color is light brown, 

 tinged with red, the sapwood somewhat lighter. 



A special investigation of the uses of turkey oak in one of the 

 southern states brought out the fact that it meets requirements well and 

 fills a place in several wooj-using industries in that region. Vehicle 

 makers find it satisfactory hi a number of places. It is made into 

 bottoms of wagon beds, felloes, bolsters, axles, hubs, hounds, tongues, 

 spokes, standards, sandboards, and reaches. These constitute nearly all 

 parts of heavy vehicles. The wood is made into telegraph brackets, but 

 apparently not in large quantities. Car builders employ it for frames 

 and floors. It is made into ordinary matched flooring and goes in with 

 other oaks. It is used as a general furniture wood, both as outside 

 material, and inside frames. It may be quarter-sawed to advantage. 

 It is employed also as interior finish, which demands lumber of practical- 

 ly the same grades as go into furniture. Mantels of this wood compare 

 favorably with those of red oak. Chair makers cut stock from turkey 

 oak. It is not abundant anywhere, otherwise it would be of much im- 

 portance. 



The forests of the United States contain so many valuable oaks that 

 a scarce and geographically restricted species like turkey oak cannot be 



