IOWA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 191 



pheric or top-shaped, scales triangular-lanceolate, appressed 

 or the upper slightly squarrose, glabrate. 



In eastern Iowa this oak is one of the principal trees of 

 the young upland woods. The trees usually run from six 

 to eighteen inches in diameter and twenty-five to forty 

 feet high. Large trees are infrequent, owing to the fact 

 that they have been removed and the time is too short 

 since the prairie fires have been stopped or since the pri- 

 meval trees have been destroyed for the new trees or the 

 second growth ones to attain any considerable size. The 

 wood is as heavy as the vv^hite oak, but not so strong or 

 durable, and is coarse-grained. This oak makes up the 

 bulk of the cord wood on the market in those portions o 

 the state where coal is not a local output. The farmers 

 also draw their supplies of firewood from the young groves 

 of this species, especially since much has been winter- 

 killed during the uiiseasonable winter of 189S-'99 and was 

 seasoned standing. For the w^ood market the long, slen- 

 der trees, the prevailing form in the groves, readily yields 

 to the woodman's ax to form the conventional market 

 wood. For the best results, the tree, if growing, should be 

 felled about a year before market time, cut into four-foot 

 lengths, and if necessary, split to convenient sizes and 

 corded. When the wood is dry it is then delivered on the 

 market to the consumers. The final preparation consists 

 in sawing the cord sticks twice and splitting to convenient 

 sizes. When dry the wood readily burns and gives much 

 heat, but is not reckoned as a lasting wood. In those por- 

 tions of the state where coal is an output this oak is much 

 used for coal props. The young trees are selected and 

 prepared in the same manner as in making cord wood, 

 except the length of the pieces is about three and a half 

 feet, but varies according to the thickness of the coal vein. 

 These pieces having the ends sawed transversely are placed 

 upright in the coal mines as the coal is removed to prevent 

 the falling of the roof of the mine. In the rural districts 

 a limited use of the oak for fencing may be observed, but 

 such fences are short lived. The scarlet oak is sometimes 

 used for foundation piling. 



