52 TREES 



The trunk is brownish, with loosened flakes of gray, sep- 

 arated by shallow fissures. 



The wood is classed with white oak, though darker in 

 color. It has the same ornamental mirrors, dear to the 

 heart of the cabinet-maker. It serves all the purposes for 

 which a tough, strong, durable wood is needed. 



The range of the species is from Nova Scotia to Mon- 

 tana, and it grows in large tracts from Winnipeg to Texas, 

 doing well in the arid soil of western Nebraska and 

 Dakota. Suckers from the roots spread these trees till 

 they form the "oak openings" of the bluffs of the Missouri 

 and other streams of Iowa and Minnesota. In Kansas 

 it is the commonest oak tree. The largest trees of this 

 species grow in rich bottom lands in the Ohio Valley. 



The Post Oak 



Q. minor, Sarg. 



The post oak has wood that is noted for its durability 

 when placed in contact with the soil. It is in demand for 

 fence posts, railroad ties, and for casks and boat timbers. 

 *'Iron oak" is a name that refers to the qualities of the 

 wood. "Knees" of post oak used to be especially in 

 demand. 



In the Mississippi Basin this tree attains its largest 

 size and greatest abundance on gravelly uplands. It is 

 the commonest oak of central Texas, on the sandy plains 

 and limestone hills. Farther north, it is more rare and 

 smaller, becoming an undersized oak in New York and 

 westward to Kansas. 



In winter the post oak keeps its cloak of harsh-feeling, 

 thick, coarse- veined leaves. Tough fibres fasten them to 



