CALIFORNIA EVERGREEN CHESTNUT OAK. 87 



deep irregular chinks not much disturbing the surface, 

 except in greal age. The wood Is straight-grained, rather 



soft and brash, too porous for staves, except for dry use ; great 

 or high artificial heat wonderfully toughens this timber, but 

 if left to itself, when cut in the sap. in the long days of June 

 and July, and the four-foot jacketed pieces of bark peeled off 

 for tanning, then it decays in four to six years. Like the 

 redwood it sprouts up vigorously, and rallies from the stump 

 to repair or reinstate the forest in the wake of the fire or the 

 ax. as well as the best. These pieces of bark spread on their 

 back exposed to the sun soon coil or quill up and dry, are 

 corded and shipped. The general forms, with a few details, 

 have been already dwelt upon, but still among so many uses 

 and beauties it seems a pity to pass unnoticed one of the 

 chief charms of the California Chestnut Oak, lest, freezing the 

 genial current of the soul, her song-birds seek other climes — 

 we allude to the softened lights and shadows that follow with 

 the bending and upturning foliage moved by the wind — a 

 soothing sight eminently tranquillizing the mind, with 

 naught of the grand flash, nor the restless rustle of petty 

 individual leaves furtively vacillating on their own account, 

 but noble, quiet, unanimous masses, moving obedient to 

 becoming grace and dignity. These apparently ever-vernal 

 oaks have also their successive seasons of leafage, Spring, 

 Summer, and Autumn, similar to deciduous trees; they too, 

 cast off those antiquated and verdant emblems of transient 

 truths, for such leaves have already subserved their day and 

 use, so do they return again into their rest, their Winter 

 vigil, though it be less hearty, even less profound than their 

 totally dismantled kindred. 



The oak, like the vine, lingers longer in the lap of the 

 mother than most other trees, tardily the buds expand, 

 coyly the tender leaves open their wings to the warm sun ; 

 precocity here, as elsewhere, would be no index to final 

 strength nor to lasting vigor. Striking contrasts are less 

 manifest in most monotonous evergreens than in this species, 

 and therefore yield less heightened pleasure in their con- 

 templation. 



Most acorns, in their bitter state, are apt to prove injurious 

 to stock. Fortunately, when such fruit first falls, few animals, 

 save bear, hog, and deer, eat them sparingly, and not even 

 hogs, with impunity ; but later on they sweeten and are freely 

 eaten even by cattle, beast, and bird. Continuous rains and 

 melting snows abstract the soluble bitter and injurious prin- 

 ciples and leave the farinaceous or starchy — in some cases 

 incipient germination supervenes and sugar is developed; 

 other appetizing changes take place. The Indian leaches 

 his in tiny sand cups or on mounds made for the purpose, 

 or he places his buckeyes, acorns, or any nauseous nuts, in 



