CHAFIER VI 



BROAD-LEAVED TREES: THE OAKS 



Our American trees may be divided roughly into two 

 classes: (1) those which keep their leaves the year 

 round, known as evergreens ; (2) those whose leaves 

 drop off in the fall, called broad-leaved, or deciduous 

 trees, in distinction from the evergreens, whose leaves 

 are usually needle-shaped. 



Among the broad-leaved family are such trees as the 

 oak, chestnut, hickory, maples, elms, etc. ; and among 

 the evergreens or cone-bearing trees are the pines, 

 spruces, hemlocks, firs, and cedars. 



The oak family is a very important one, the wood 

 being hard and strong and the tree a sturdy, healthy, 

 and well-known specimen of tree life. 



White oak is perhaps the most common member of 

 the oak family. It grows to a very large size and has 

 a leaf of the form shown in Fig. 79. Observe carefully 

 the outline of the leaf and compare it with the sketch 

 of the next form. 



The white oak, like all oaks, bears acorns, and its 

 timber is used as a standard when comparing different 



