ON SOILS-AND SUBSOILS SUITABLE FOR PLANTING. 73 



texture, tougb, hard, and heavy. It is the strongest and most durable 

 timber grown in large quantities in Europe, and is indispensable in 

 ship building, in the construction of mills, and structures in or near 

 water, and when submerged is indestructible. The Q. sessilifolia does 

 not grow so quickly but has a longer life, is more disposed to form 

 branches, but may under favorable circumstances grow to equal size. 

 The roots do not penetrate so deep, the wood is less tongh and elastic, 

 is more easily split, and therefore more prized by coopers. Being of 

 coarser texture it is not so well suited for carving and cabinet work, 

 and being heavier it forms better firewood, the proportion being as 12 

 to 11. As a building timber it is little inferior to the Q. jpedunculata. 

 The latter prefers plains, warm, sunny valleys, and outlying hills of 

 mountain ranges, while the former is at home on the mountains them- 

 selves. They often grow together, but the Q. sessilifolia ascends the 

 slopes to a greater height, although it does not grow so far north and 

 prefers the south and west slopes. 



The oak is not by nature intended to form extensive and unmixed 

 forests, but requires the aid of a shade-enduiing and soil-improving tree; 

 for the growth of oak depends less on the kind of soil than on its quality, 

 depth, and freshness. No tree is better qualified to perform these func- 

 tions than the beech. In coppice wood with standards or reserved trees, 

 the oak enjoys the sunlight, and does not throw much shade on the 

 coppice below — acquires moderate thickness, but at the expense of its 

 branches, and comes to greatest maturity at 200 to 240 years, but when 

 well exposed to the sun may be felled much sooner. In order to obtain 

 valuable timber in such cases, the trees must, ere they grow too old, be 

 stri|)ped of their lower branches, as far as practicable. 



Oak reproduces itself from stools, and is suitable for coppices, the 

 wood (generally at the period of 16 years) being cut and peeled for tan- 

 ners' use. The bark is most prized when grown on strong mineral soil 

 on hill-sides in sunny exposures, where the trees have not been too 

 closely planted, and have room for development. It is best before it 

 begins to split. In higher situations the Q. sessilifolia is said to yield 

 bark in greater quantity and of better quality than the Q. pedunctdata. 



The growth of oak depends less on the kind of soil than on its quality, 

 the amount of humus, and, above all, of moisture contained in it. The 

 best growth occurs in a deep, somewhat loose loamy sand, or sandy loam, 

 but it thrives well on loam or sand. Although it prefers moisture, it 

 will not grow in marshes unless drained. 



The oak thrives exceedingly well when mingled with beech, because 

 its penetrating roots draw their support more from the subsoil, while 

 the beech spreads its roots near the surface. This association does not 

 prosper, however, in exposed situations or on shallow soils. 



The Ash {Fraxinus excelsior), Maple {Acer platanoides), Sycamoee 

 (Acer pseudoplatanus), and Elm {Ulmus) have much in common, are 

 found on similar soils, and may be classed together as regards their 

 treatment. 



The ash must not be reared in pure forests, and must have plenty of 

 light. Its thin foliage does not sufiflciently shade the ground, and hence 

 it does well in beech forests. Even among coppices, it yields a good 

 return if not too much shaded by the standards. It grows readily from 

 stools, and may be grown with oak, maple, hazel, linden, sycamore, 

 elm, hornbeam, and beech, with good results. It is most liable to injury 

 from the rapid growth of grass. Dry, poor soils are not suitable, and 

 it desires a moist and even wet Foil. Its true home is on rich, loose, 

 strong, mineral soils, abounding in humus, and even on binding ones, if 



