122 



8 The Trees of Great Britain and Ireland 



of a species to get a good tree. If three or more are planted in the space 

 which one will eventually fill, we get to some extent the same power of 

 selection which always operates on seedlings in nature, in the struggle for 



existence. 



As regards soil I have observed that most oaks grow better on red sandstone 

 than on any other soil, and though some of the oriental and Mediterranean oaks 

 naturally grow on limestone, they do not seem to need lime here. 



From an economic point of view, I say without hesitation that there is no 

 exotic species capable of competing either on heavy or light soil with our 

 native oaks, and though the timber of the Ilex, the Lucombe, or the cork oak 

 may be very valuable for decorative purposes when large enough, it can rarely 

 be grown to a profit in this country. 



Injourn. Hort. Soc. ix. 207 (1855) there is a long list of plants describing the 

 effect of the winter of 1853-54, which was more destructive than any since 1838, 

 the temperature registered at Chiswick having been 8° on 28th December, and 4° 

 on 2nd January; near Nottingham, -4°; at Chatsworth, -6°; at Bicton, 15°; and 

 at Dropmore on 3rd January, 4°. In the list of oaks we give the names as printed : — 

 Qtiercus, Mexican, all killed, Chiswick. Quercus sclerophylla^ killed, Acton Green ; 

 injured, Bagshot; killed, Bicton. Quercus Ilex, much injured in 1838, Kew ; not 

 injured, Chiswick ; large tree very much injured, Shifnal ; some plants fifty years 

 old dead, Nottingham. Quercus Gramuntia^ killed, Rolleston, Oulton ; untouched, 

 Chiswick. Quercus Suber, injured, Bromley ; much injured, Nottingham. Quercus 

 Brantii^ and other Kurdistan oaks, not injured by the winter, but very much injured 

 by the frost on 24th April, Chiswick ; injured, Oulton ; quite safe, Congleton. 

 Quercus dealbata* uninjured, Bicton. Quercus australis^ not injured, Chiswick. 

 Quercus Cookii,^ leaves injured only, Chiswick. Qtiercus glabra, not affected, 

 Bagshot ; not hurt, Exeter or Bicton. Quercus mongolica^ uninjured, Shifnal. 



(H. J. E.) 



QUERCUS PHELLOS, Willow Oak 



Quercus Fhellos, LiniiEeus, S^. PI. 994 (excluding vars.) (1753); Loudon, Arb. ei Frut. Brit. iii. 

 1894 (1838); Sargent, Silva N. Amer. viii. 179, t. 435 (1895), and Trees N. Amer. 247 

 (i9°5)- 



A tree, attaining in America 80 ft. in height and 12 ft. in girth. Bark about 

 \ in. thick, smooth, except on old trunks, which are roughened by longitudinal 



1 A Chinese species, introduced by Fortune in 1846, not now in cultivation, so far as we know. 



2 A variety of Q. Ilex. Cf. p. 1282. 



3 Q. Brantii, Lindley, in Bot. Reg. xxvi., app. 74 (1840), and Card. Chron., 1853, p. 263, was introduced from 

 Kurdistan by Sir A. H. Layard about the year 1853 ; but, so far as we know, is not now in cultivation. The Earl of Ducie 

 informed me that Lord Somers raised a tree at Eastnor Castle from Sir A. H. Layard's acorns, which had borne fruit before it 

 was blown down. 



4 Q dealbata, WalUch, List 2769, is now identified with Q. incana, Roxburgh. Cf. p. 1298. 

 * A form of 2. lusitanica. Cf. p. 1322. 



8 Identified with Q. Ilex, var. Gramuntia. Cf. p. 1282. 7 p^bably incorrectly named. Cf. p. 1328, note I. 



