56 DISTRIBUTION OF 



that the greater part of the New Forest in Eng- 

 land is composed of the Qiierciis sessiliflora. It is 

 certainly worthy of the attention of Government to 

 have properly experienced men appointed, in order 

 to point out and collect the seed of the Quercus 

 robur, and have it decidedly introduced instead of 

 the other bad sort which, it is evident, is gaining 

 ground in our forests every year. 



Even every landed proprietor in Britain, who 

 has occasion to plant oaks, should be particular in 

 having his plants reared from acorns of the true 

 species, either by raising them upon his own 

 grounds, or giving a good price to a respectable 

 nurseryman in whom he can place confidence. By 

 such careful means of going to work, the true 

 species could very soon be introduced into every 

 part of the country. It is often remarked that 

 "the oak used to be a wood almost indestructible 

 by time when put into the building of a house ; and 

 now, oak is no better than almost any other Avood, 

 whatever purpose it may be used for." There is 

 no doubt that this assertion is to a great extent 

 well founded ; as we see, on the one hand, from 

 many instances of old oak beams still remaining in 

 several old buildings in the country, and on the 

 other, from the short period that the greater part 

 of the oak now used is known to keep in a sound 

 state when used for any purpose whatever; and 

 the superiority of the old oak beams is to be 



