178 IOWA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 



The oak has been looked upon as the peer of forest trees; 

 aye, even taken as the symbol of strength. Its close, 

 strong fibers enable the tree to resist a thousand storms. 

 Its vitality readily causing a new growth to be rapidly 

 spread over the narrow path riven by the lightning. Some 

 of the species live several hundred years ere storms, fungi, 

 accidents, and natural old age have at last consumed the 

 the tree's vitality and death results. 



Let us pass through a native oak grove of eastern Iowa. 

 At first we shall be struck by the remarkable paucity of 

 large trees, though here and there fine ones are seen. 

 Further observation, however, reveals many decaying 

 stumps, clearly indicating the cause of the scarcity. In 

 place of the primeval there are numerous young trees 

 which collectively constitute the so-called second growth. 

 On noticing species we find they bear a rather general 

 numerical relation to each other. Sometimes one species 

 predominating, and again another, so as to receive the dis- 

 tinctive names of white oak, bur oak, or the so-called black 

 oak groves. One particular grove on the uplands is com- 

 posed largely of scarlet oak [Q. cocciiiea Wang.); the trees 

 are thick set, limby or not, as is convenient for them; 

 stately, thriving or passive as the seasons of average moist- 

 ure or drought appear. Here and there may be seen a 

 solitary red oak {Q. rubra L.), or at best but few individ- 

 uals, for they seem not to thrive in numbers where the 

 scarlet oak abounds. The bur oak {Q. niacrocarpa Mx.) 

 fares better, though not many individuals may be counted 

 in close proximity with the scarlet oak, yet passing in cer- 

 tain directions we find the number increasing until we are 

 in a typical bur oak grove. We said we were on the 

 uplands, but we find on passing to the lowlands that the 

 bur oak is there. The trees are large, but the quality of 

 the timber is comparatively poor. The white oak {Q. alba 

 L.) has much the same habit as the bur oak. Solitary 

 individuals occurring among the scarlet oaks and in cer- 

 tain places predominating, though as we pass from point to 

 point we may find white oaks mixed with bur oaks along 

 with scarlet oaks, until differentiated by natural causes. 



