352 BROADLEAF TREES OF THE PACIFIC SLOPE 



few of them elsewhere. Some are magnificent trees, in an 

 aesthetic sense, with immense short stems and large crooked 

 branches and picturesque crowns ; but the wood is very in- 

 ferior in most of them, decaying quickly, splitting badly in 

 drying, and is not even first-class fuel. This is especially so 

 with the Valley White Oak ( Quercus lobata), which may 

 be seen nearly the entire length of California, growing far 

 apart and, in some sections, with moss drooping from its 

 limbs somewhat similar to the moss on some of the trees of 

 the South Atlantic and Gulf States. Only two of them can 

 be considered of enough importance to warrant attempts at 

 cultivation. 



Garry Oak. This is sometimes called White Oak. Its 

 botanical name is Quercus garryana. It grows on elevations 

 from near sea level to three thousand or four thousand feet 

 above, from Vancouver Island to central California. It is 

 the most valuable timber Oak in the Northern Pacific Coast 

 region. In its best development it grows from seventy-five 

 to ninety feet high, but usually from fifty to sixty feet, and 

 from eighteen to thirty inches in diameter, with a short, 

 clean stem and a broad, round crown ; but on high moun- 

 tain-slopes it dwindles to a shrubby tree. The wood is hard, 

 fine-grained, tough, strong, and stiff, heartwood light yel- 

 lowish brown with thin, nearly white sapwood, and suitable 

 for nearly the same general purposes for which standard 

 grades of Eastern White Oak are employed. It belongs to 

 the White Oak Class, and matures its seed in one year. 

 It is a prolific seeder every two years. Having a tap-root, 

 it is probable that planting acorns will be the best method 

 of reproduction. It cannot be learned that any attempt 

 has been made to cultivate it. It is light-demanding but 

 will endure a slight shade in early life. Germination of 

 naturally sown seeds does not appear to occur readily, es- 

 pecially on grassy surfaces where the seeds generally fall. 

 Seedlings are rarely seen there. They are most frequent 

 on moist humus soil and litter. Being the most important 



