such as railroad ties and fencing. The tree grows naturally 

 from New York to Alabama and westward. It is common 

 in the Hudson Valley particularly in the Highlands. 



Alexander's Oak Quercus Alexanderi 



This oak is rare in the Hudson Valley. Trees have been 

 observed at West Point and Hyde Park, but it is doubtful 

 if it is found south of these points. It is otherwise known 

 from Vermont to Michigan and Iowa. From the yellow 

 oak, to which it is botanically allied, it can be distinguished 

 by its leaf-blades which are broadest above the middle, and 

 have shallow lobes or teeth. The cup of its acorn encloses 

 only the base of the nut, in contrast to the yellow oak where 

 the nut is half enveloped by the cup; its bark is somewhat 

 flaky. 



Rock Chestnut Oak Quercus Prinus 



As in the two preceding kinds this oak has leaves that 

 strongly resemble the leaf of a chestnut. The trunk often 

 becomes forked a short distance above the ground and the 

 tree is often as high as 70 feet. The exceedingly coarse 

 deeply-fissured bark is used in tanning leather. The oblong 

 or lance-shaped leaves are from 6 to 8 inches from the narrow 

 base to the equally narrowed apex. Neither the tip of the 

 blade nor the numerous, rounded marginal teeth are bristle- 

 tipped. When the leaves are about one third unfolded the 

 flowers appear, followed subsequently by the acorns. From 

 the other chestnut oaks this sort differs in having its acorns 

 at the end of a stout stalk. The nut is ovoid or oblong and 

 from 1-1 J/2 inches long; its lower half is enclosed by the 

 hairy cup. 



The hard, close-grained wood is hard to cure and is used 

 mostly for railroad ties, fencing and so forth. The tree is 

 confined to a wide belt ranging from central New York to 

 Georgia, and as its name implies prefers rocky situations; it 

 is common in the Hudson Valley. 



