CHAPTER XVII. 



EUROPEAN TIMBERS — {Continued). 



THE OAK [Quercus). 



The foregoing are the principal European Oaks at 

 present employed in this country; others have occa- 

 sionally been brought in, and there are many new and 

 extensive sources of supply open to us whenever it may 

 be necessary to draw upon them. 



A few years since I surveyed several fine forests of 

 Oak in Belgium, consisting chiefly of trees of straight 

 growth and superior dimensions. The wood of these 

 was less hard and horny, and of slightly inferior quality 

 to the English and French Oaks, but otherwise it was 

 quite suitable for architectural and other works. There 

 is, therefore, reason to believe that much good timber 

 might be drawn thence. Very good samples of Oak 

 timber have been imported from Piedmont. The quality 

 closely resembles that of the Oak found in the west of 

 France. 



Oak timber has also been imported from Spain in 

 considerable quantities, for ship-building and other 

 purposes. The logs were generally small, or, at the 

 best, of only medium dimensions, curved or crooked at 

 the butt-end, and tapering rather quickly towards the 



