THE OAKS 61 



The leaves match the slender twigs in delicacy of pat- 

 tern. Thin, deeply cut, shining, with pale linings, they 

 flutter on slender stems, smaller but often matching the 

 leaves of the scarlet oak in pattern. Sometimes they are 

 more like the red oak in outline. In autumn they turn red 

 and are a glory in the woods. 



One trait has made this tree a favorite for shade and 

 ornament. It has a shock of fibrous roots, and for this 

 reason is easily transplanted. It grows rapidly in any 

 moist, rich soil. It keeps its leaves clean and beautiful 

 throughout the season. Washington, D. C, has its streets 

 planted to native trees, one species lining the sides of a 

 single street or avenue for miles. The pin oaks are superb 

 on the thoroughfare that reaches from the Capitol to the 

 Navy Yard. They retain the beauty of their youth be- 

 cause each tree has been given a chance to grow to its best 

 estate. In spring the opening leaves and pistillate flowers 

 are red, giving the silvery green tree- top a warm flush 

 that cheers the passerby. In European countries this 

 oak is a prime favorite for public and private parks. 



The Red Oak 



Q. rubra, Linn. 



The red oak grows rapidly, like the pin oak, and is a 

 great favorite in parks overseas, where it takes on the rich 

 autumnal red shades that give it its name at home. Such 

 color is unknown in native woods in England. 



The head of this oak is usually narrow and rounded; 

 the branches, short and stout, are inclined to go theh- own 

 way, giving the tree more of picturesqueness tlian of 

 symmetry, as age advances. Sometimes the dome is 



