OAK 225 



There is, perhaps, greater difference between the woods of 

 Q. Eobur imported from various parts of the Continent than there 

 is between these home-grown varieties. French Oak, largely 

 Q. RobuT fedunculdta grown in Brittany and Normandy, is generally 

 smaller, shorter, and more tapering than Enghsh ; but with S.G. 

 992—720, e' 1-39— 1-41, p^ 1-01— 1-06, c 8,102, & 1-071, v' 1-04, 

 and shrinking and sphtting less in seasoning than Enghsh, it 

 would appear, in spite of some former prejudice, to be better all 

 round, always presuming that a good sample be selected. Dantzic 

 Oak, shipped partly from Memel and Stettin, mostly brought 

 down the Vistula from Poland, but also from Odessa, which comes 

 to market as staves, in logs 18 — 30 ft. long and 10 — 22 in. square, 

 or in planks about 32 ft. long, 9 — 15 in. wide, and 2 — 8 in. thick, 

 is brown, straight, and clean-grained, and free from knots. It 

 would seem to be largely Q, Eobur sessiliflora, and is sometimes so 

 figured as to be classed as " wainscot-oak," this term being the 

 equivalent of the American " quartered." It has S.G. 897 — 768. 

 e' -43. p' -59. c 4,214. c' -556. v^ -99, and is, therefore, decidedly 

 inferior in strength to good Enghsh-grown Oak. It is carefully 

 sorted or " bracked " for market, the planks of best, or " crown," 

 quality being marked W, those of second-best, or " crown brack," 

 quahty WW. Biga Oak, a very similar wood, also probably 

 sessiliflora, only comes to market in " wainscot logs " of moderate 

 dimensions, for furniture or veneers, for which purposes it is the 

 finest quahty in the trade. 



Oak, Holm. From Italy and Spain a variety of Oak timbers 

 were formerly imported to our dockyards, partly the produce of 

 varieties of Q. JRobur, but partly apparently from the evergreen 

 Cork and Holm Oaks {Q. Suber L., and Q. flex L.). Most of this 

 wood was comparatively small, curved, brown, hard, homy, tough, 

 difficult to saw or work, and very liable to shakes, and, therefore, 

 xmsuitable for boards. The Holm Oak abounds in Algeria, where it 

 is much used in joinery and carriage-building and for fuel. Its 

 wood, which has a density of 900 — 1,180, becomes with age a 

 deep brown or jet-black. 



Oak, Kermes {Quercus coccifem L.). South Europe and JSTorth 

 Africa. Heavy, hard, and compact. Used for building and for 

 charcoal. 



Oak, Turkey {Quercus Oerris L.). Middle and Southern Europe 

 and South- West Asia. Khown also as " Adriatic, Iron, Wainscot," 

 or '' Mossy-cupped Oak." Oerm, " Zerreiche." A tall species, 

 with straight, clean stems, hard- wooded in the south and in plains, 

 softer in the north or on hills, very liable to ring- and star-shakes. 

 Sapwood broader than in Q. Eobur ; heart a redder brown ; broad 

 pith-rays more numerous. On the whole inferior, not standing 



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