THE TREES OF NORTH CAROLINA. 71 



texture and weight of the wood, it has a close rela- 

 tion to the Black Jack; and in South Carolina is 

 called Forked-leaf Black Jack. Indeed, when the 

 leaves are fallen, the two are rather difficult to be 

 distinguished. For fuel they hold about the same 

 rank. The bark is said to be valuable for tanning, 

 but is too scanty to be much used. 



19. Bear Oak. (Q. ilicifolia, Wang.)— A shrub, 

 ordinarily about 3 to 5 feet high, extending from 

 New York southward through the mountains of 

 Virginia (where it is common) and North Carolina 

 (very rare), to Georgia. The leaves are 2 to 3 

 inches long, cut about half way to the middle nerve 

 into two divisions on each side, and with a white 

 down on the underside. Worthless in itself, but a 

 good indicator of barren soil. 



HICKORIES.— The general qualities of the wood 

 of these species are so similar, that, to avoid repe- 

 tition, they may as well be indicated here, so far as 

 they belong to the whole genus or to any of its Divis- 

 ions. For weight, strength, and tenacity of fibre, we 

 have no wood superior ; but its value is impaired by 

 a tendency to rapid decay on exposure, and its pecu- 

 liar liability to injury from worms. Hence it cannot 

 be used in buildings. But the wood of the different 

 species is indiscriminately used for axle trees, axe- 

 handles, carpenters' tools, screws, cogs of mill wheels, 

 the frames of chairs, whip handles, musket stocks, 

 rake teeth, flails, etc., etc. For hoops we have noth- 



