CHAPTER VIII. 



THE OAK TREE (Qliercus). 



THE Oak is found to be more widely spread than 

 perhaps any other tree. It has been met with in 

 Europe in about 35 N., and is known to extend to 

 60, or over 25 of North latitude. It is also found in 

 the north of Asia, North America, and in Africa. 



The Oak exists in very great variety, and England 

 produces two, if not three, distinct species, in addition 

 to numerous others, not native, but which are cultivated 

 for ornamental purposes. The botanical names of those 

 which are indigenous to this country are the Quercus 

 Robur pedunculate, the Quercus Robur sessiliflora, and 

 the Quercus pubescens, or Durmast Oak. 



In the former, which is our best species, the foot- 

 stalks of the flowers and acorns are long, while those 

 of the leaves are short. In the Quercus sessiliflora this 

 order is reversed, the footstalks of the fruit being short 

 and those of the leaves long ; while the distinguishing 

 character of the Quercus pubescens consists in its having 

 the under sides of the leaves somewhat downy, the 

 footstalks of the fruit and leaves nearly resembling those 

 of the sessiliflora variety. It is also peculiar to the 

 leaves of the Durmast or pubescent species that they 

 hang longer on the tree than those of either of the 

 others. 



It is the prevailing opinion that the wood of the 

 Quercus Robur pedunculate is the best in quality, and 

 that the Quercus Robiir sessiliflora .is slightly inferior to 



