CHAPTER VI 
BROAD-LEAVED TREES: THE OAKS 
Our American trees may be divided roughly into two 
classes: (1) those which keep their leaves the year 
round, known as evergreens ; (2) those whose leaves 
drop off in the fall, called broad-leaved, or deciduous 
trees, in distinction from the evergreens, whose leaves 
are usually needle-shaped. 
Among the broad-leaved family are such trees as the 
oak, chestnut, hickory, maples, elms, etc. ; and among 
the evergreens or cone-bearing trees are the pines, 
spruces, hemlocks, firs, and cedars. 
The oak family is a very important one, the wood 
being hard and strong and the tree a sturdy, healthy, 
and well-known specimen of tree life. 
White oak is perhaps the most common member of 
the oak family. It grows to a very large size and has 
a leaf of the form shown in Fig. 79. Observe carefully 
the outline of the leaf and compare it with the sketch 
of the next form. 
The. white oak, like all oaks, bears acorns, and its 
timber is used as a standard when comparing different 
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