CHAPTER XVIII. 



THE AMERICAN WHITE OAK TREE (QuerC2lS alba). 



THIS tree derives its name from' the pale ash colour of 

 its bark, and is said to flourish in every variety of soil, 

 but best upon open ground at a moderate elevation, 

 some of the finest specimens being found in Maryland. 

 It is abundantly spread over a very large tract of country, 

 and, according to Michaux, it extends from the 28 to 

 the 46 of North latitude, and towards the west to the 

 State of Illinois. 



In the open grounds the trunk of this tree is of only 

 moderate length, but in the forests it frequently attains 

 the height of from 40 to 60 feet, clear of branches, with 

 a circumference of from 7 to 8 feet, and very noble logs 

 of timber are produced from it Those which I have 

 seen imported into this country have invariably been 

 straight, and hewn to correspond in appearance with our 

 English Oak " sided " timber ; some of the logs were 

 very large, but generally they varied from 25 to 40 feet 

 in length, and from 12 to 28 inches in the siding or 

 thickness. 



Thick-stuff of from 10 to 4j inches, and plank of 

 4 to 2 inches, of very superior lengths, fair growth, and 

 free from knots, have usually formed part of the ship- 

 ments. There is, however, scarcely any compass timber 

 to be found beyond the little that can be obtained from 



