QUEECUS 



OAK, BEECH, AND BIBGH OBDEB qubrcus 799 



kinds which shed their leaves at the 

 approach of winter are remarkable for the 

 brilliant colour tints of their foliage during 

 the autumn months, and such kinds 

 should always iind a place in the park or 

 garden. But for winter effect among the 

 Oaks the evergreen and semi-evergreen 

 kinds are useful, not only in appearance, 

 but as sheltering breaks for more tender 

 plants. Our British Oak, famous in many 

 ways, is too well known to need a mere 

 botanical description here. The kinds 

 mentioned below are from other coun- 

 tries, and are useful for growing in the 

 British Islands. 



Culture and Propagation. — Oaks en- 

 joy a rich loamy soil to attain luxuriant 

 proportions, and as long as there is a fair 

 amount of moisture available, their far- 

 reaching roots will find it. 



The propagation of the Oak is usually 

 effected by means of seeds — the ' acorns.' 

 As these do not retain their vitality for a 

 very long period, it is best to sow them 

 as soon as ripe. Where any rare or 

 choice variety exists it must be increased 

 by grafting on to stocks of the Common 

 Oak (Quercus Bobur). As the seedlings 

 produce a long and strong tap root, which 

 is easily broken, great care should be 

 exercised in transplanting, so as not to do 

 too much injury. The following is a short 

 list of the best evergreen and a few 

 deciduous Oaks grown. 



Q. acuta. {Q. Buergeri). — A beautiful 

 .Japanese evergreen tree or shrub with 

 elliptic or oblong entire or undulate- 

 orenate leaves 2-4 in. long, smooth when 

 old, but covered with rusty down in a 

 young state. There is a variety called 

 albo-nervis with white veins, and another 

 called rubro-nervis with red veins. Fruit- 

 cup hemispherical with concentric rings ; 

 nut ovoid or elliptic, three times longer 

 than the cup. 



Culture Sc. as above. 



Q. .£gilops (Q. Ungeri). — Vallonea 

 OaTc. — A more or less evergreen tree 20- 

 50 ft. high, native of the Grecian Archi- 

 pelago. Leaves ovate oblong with bristle- 

 pointed tooth-like lobes, hoary beneath. 

 Fruit-cup very large hemispherical, with 

 long lance-shaped spreading scales; nut 

 brown, handsome. The variety latifolia 

 has broader leaves than the type, and 

 pendula is recognised by its more or less 

 drooping habit. 



Culture dc. as above. 



Q. agrifolia (Enceno Oak). — A Cali- 

 fornian evergreen about 20 ft. high, having 

 downy young branches, and broadly ovate 

 or oval leaves about 2 in. long, with 

 remote spiny teeth. Fruit-cup turbinate 

 with more or less ciliated adpressed 

 scales ; nut f -IJ in. long, more or less 

 ovoid oblong in shape. 



Culture do. as above. 



Q. Cerris (Bitter, Moss-cupped, or 

 Turkey Oak). — A handsome deciduous 

 Oak 40-60 ft. high, native of S. Europe, 

 having downy young branches and oblong 

 or obovate sinuate-toothed or often pin- 

 nately out leaves, somewhat hairy on both 

 sides, and turning soft brown in autumn. 

 Fruit-cup hemispherical, bristly with 

 long downy scales; nut brown, cylin- 

 drical, f-lj in. long. This grows more 

 rapidly and makes amore symmetrical tree 

 than our native Oak. There are several 

 varieties, one with variegated leaves, and 

 another known as ful}iam,ensis has almost 

 evergreen leaves more deeply incised than 

 those of the type. 



Culture do. as above. 



Q. chrysolepis (Ltue Oak). — ^A hand- 

 some Californian evergreen tree attaining 

 a good size in its native country, the 

 trunk often having a diameter of 3-5 ft. 

 Leaves dark green spiny-toothed, covered 

 with a golden down or fur beneath. 



Culture do. as above. 



Q. coccifera [Kermes Oak).-, — An ever- 

 green species native of S. Europe and 

 the Levant, where it forms a good-sized 

 tree, but in this country a, dense bush 

 with downy branchlets and elliptic oblong 

 spiny-toothed rigid leaves. Fruit-cup 

 hemispherical with velvety scales; the 

 nut being more or less protruding. 



The Kermes insect which feeds on 

 this species in its native habitat yields 

 a scarlet dye almost equal to cochineal. 



Culture do. as above. 



Q. coccinea {Scarlet Oak). — A hand- 

 some deciduous N. American Oak about 

 50 ft. high in a wUd state, having bright 

 shining green pinnately cut leaves 3-8 in. 

 long, and remarkable for assuming more 

 or less deep tints of red or scarlet in 

 autumn, which renders it a very effective 

 plant on the landscape. Fruit-cup top- 

 shaped or hemispherical with a conical 

 scaly base ; nut ^f in. long, half covered 

 by the cup. 



Culture do. as above. 



