AND GARDE INEil'S JOURNAL. 



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\ OI« XV. 



BOSTON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, MAY 17, 1837- 



NO. 45. 



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(From the Ncfth American Review.) 

 AMERICAN FOREST TREES. 



(Continued ) 



The next of our )irincipal forest trees, which we 

 shall notice, is the White Oak. The general ap- 

 pearance of oaks is more familiar to us of this 

 region, than that of any other class of forest trees, 

 except the elm aiul the plane tree. The oak is 

 far less lofty than than the pine, and has no pre- 

 tensions to the elegance of the elm ; but as an em- 

 blem of robust vigor, it stand.s, both in the old ami 

 new world, at the head of all the sons of the for- 

 est. In short, a full-grown oak can be considered 

 as occupying the same place among fine trees, 

 which the Hercules does among fine statutes, and 

 may be described in the terms applied to that mag- 

 nificent work of art by an English poet, as "strength 

 enibodie.l." Such has been its character in all 

 ag^s. It is also supposed to be a tree of slower 

 growth and longer life than any other, though its 

 superiority in tliis last respect over the chestnut, 

 is far from incontestable. The useful qualities of 

 its wood have alsj) been appreciated from time 

 immemorial, in every country in the temperate 

 zone. For these reasons probably, the oak has 

 been regarded with a degree of veneration, from 

 the earlie.st ages of mankind. The first funereal 

 monument on record was an oak tree. But in no 

 country has it been more valued, more honored 

 or cherished, than in tltat of our forefathers, and 

 with abundant reason, as forming the chief mate- 

 rial of those wooden walls, to which they have 

 more than once owed their national existence. — 

 Hence it has long been recommended to us by 

 many historical and poetical association.s, and the 

 achievements of our gallant navy, as well as the 

 vast benefits which we have derived from our 

 commerce, have given it a new and far stronger 

 claim to our veneration. 



Of all the species of this genus, which grow in 

 the latitmle of New England, the most valued is 

 the white oak, (Quercus J}lba.) This is easily 

 distinguished from every other tree of the same 

 kind in our vicinity by the whiteness of its bark, 

 and by the persisting, or holding on, of a few of 

 the dried leaves, in the winter season. Its leaves 

 are also without prickles or bristles at the end of 

 their lobes, a quality in which it agrees with no 

 large oak in this State, except the white swamp 

 oak, {quercus prinus discolor.) It bears a greater 

 analogy than any other oaks, to the celebraied 

 oak of England, European white oak, or Q,utrcus 

 pedunculala. 



Which of the two trees furnishes the finest lim- 

 ber, is a question which has been investigated 

 with great care. It is stated by high authority, 

 that the wood of the American white oak is light- 

 er, more elastic, and more flexible, than that of 

 the English, but that it is on the whole weaker 

 and less durable ; and this opinion is sanctioned 

 by a large number of English writers. We are 



inclined, however, to doubt, whether the qucstmn 

 has been fully settled by facts ; for some of tli ise 

 who have expressed such an opinion in strong 

 terms, conclude by admitting that, after all, Amer- 

 ican vessels might be no less durable than Eng- 

 lish, were their timber equally well season -d. — 

 The white oak was largely employed in the frame 

 of oar favorite frigate,\vhich was built 40 years 

 ago. In the course of thft very thorough repair 

 to which the vessel was lately subjected, many of 

 the white oak timbers of her frame were found in 

 excellent condition ; and it was stated jn the best 

 authority, that in s;veral instances, tindiers of this 

 description were sound, while others by their side, 

 of the southern live oak, had decayed. Now the 

 superiority of the live oak in jmint of durabdity, 

 has never yet been questioned. The English oak, 

 however, if really superior, could be easily nmlti- 

 plied in our Northern and Middle States. It has 

 been already introduced, and some fiue specimens 

 of more than twenty years' growth may he seen 

 in our neigldiorhood. 



The timber generally selected for ship-buildmg 

 is what is called the vesture oak. This is gicat- 

 ly preferred to that which grows iu crowde.l for- 

 ests, where the trees, from their vicinity to each 

 other, are robbed of much of the nutriment which 

 they derive from the soil, as well as of the genial 

 influence of the sun and air. Hence the building 

 of a single large vessel requires the timber of ma- 

 ny acres, and as the white oak is constantly fel- 

 led in great quantities, both for home consump- 

 tion and for exportation, the period cannot be 

 distant when serious difticulty will be experien- 

 ced in procuring a supidy of this valuable wood. 

 In this connexion, it may be jiroper to make 

 one or two remarks on the felling of trees. It is 

 generally agreed, that the durability of timber de- 

 pends materially on the season when this opera- 

 lion is performed ; but what that season is, is a 

 question on which directly ojiposite opinions are 

 held by the ab.est writers. The principal cause 

 of the decay of wood of all descriptions, is thougl.t 

 to be the sap, which remains after felling ; and 

 hence the desired object is, to iirocure timber as 

 free as possible from this ingredient. To this 

 end, it has been recommended to fell the tree in 

 the 'winter season, as it is then deemed to contain 

 the smallest quantity of sap; and such we be- 

 lieve is the general practice. This doctrine how- 

 ever, has been opposed with great ability by the 

 late Col. Pickering, who states, and with truth, 

 that trees are not devoid of sap in winter, but that 

 it exists in abundance, though greatly thickened 

 by the cold. He maintains, therefore, that it is 

 much more difficult to expel than in summer, 

 when in a more liquid form, and that the proper 

 time for felling the tree is, not when it contains 

 least sap, but when the sap which is does contain, 

 may most easily escape or be expelled. 'J'his 

 opinion certainly seems to be the better one, 

 though the wi Iter season is so much more ( on- 

 venient on many accounts than any other for the 

 procuring of timber, that the old practice will 



probably maintain its ground. Rut whatever may 

 be thought of the correctness of Col. Pickering's 

 theory, no one will question the propriety of the 

 suggestion, with which he concludes his remarks, 

 thirthe point should be determined by actual ex- 

 [.erimcnts, under the direction of our Navy board, 

 or some other high scientific authority. Besides 

 the white oak, there are four other species in our 

 vicinity, which grow to a large size. Of these, 

 the most valuable are the Swamp White, and the 

 Black Oak. The swamp white oak is not abun- 

 dant, and grows only in moist soils. It has been 

 less used than the w>ite oak, partly on accouiit 

 of its rarity ; but its timber is heavier, and it is 

 thought that it may be found, on accurate exami- 

 natio'n, to be superior. The black oak is valued 

 not for its timber, which is of an inferior quality, 

 but for its bark, for it is this, which furnishes the 

 quercitron, so much used fur imparting a beautiful 

 yellow die to wool, paper, &c.* 



Next to tHe pines and oaks, there seems to be 

 no tree in tiie country, of more excellent celeb- 

 rity than the Sugar Maple. The extraordinary 

 neatness of its appear»"'"<?' a'"' '''« beauty of its 

 foliage, which in summer is of the liveliest green, 

 and hi autumn assumes the richest and most glow- 

 ing red, are siiflicient to recommend it as a beau- 

 tiful ornament in our gardens and avenues. The 

 bark is remarkably smooth, and the tree is infes- 

 te<l, we believe, by no insect, nor subject to any 

 maladies. The branches are disposed with much 

 regularity ; though without stiffness, and so ar- 

 rangeil, that their usual outline is an elegant oval. 

 It is to this tree v.e are chiefly indebted for the 

 beautiful curled and bird's-eye maple, employed 

 in cabinet work, which rivals, if it be not admit- 

 ted to surpass in brilliancy and richness, the fi- 

 nest woods of tropical climates. But the sugar 



*In a communication in the 4th volume of the 

 " New England Farmer," made several years ago 

 by one of our most distinguished fellow-citizen.o, 

 mention is maile of the trunks of several large 

 oaks in Dorchester, in one of which he had count- 

 ed upwards of two hundreil annual rings. The 

 largest oak, and indeed the largest tree which we 

 have ever seen in this country, is a white oak, on , 

 the estate of James Wadsworth, Esq. of Genesee. 

 This tree is from twentyfour to twentyseven feet 

 in circumference at the smallest part of the trunk. 

 Its age cannot be less than five hundred years, 

 and i" must, therefore, have been a majestic tree 

 at the time when C(dumhus discovered the west- 

 ern world. It appears to be still in a vigorous 

 and healthy condition, and bears in its exterior 

 no marks whatever of decay. It is by no means 

 imi.robable, that this tree exceeds in size, many 

 both in Europe and elsewhere, which are recor- 

 ded as of greater diameter. For in the measure- 

 ment of large trees, it is of great importance to 

 ascertain at what ].art of the trunk the measure- 

 ment was taken. Every one must have remarked 

 the difterence between the hulk of such trees at 

 the surface of the ground, and at a few feet above. 



