52 



THE OAK. 



of Partridges, at a certain season of the year, 

 which gives them a preparation far exceeding all 

 the art of cookery." 



The acorns of the Balonia Oak {Quercus JE-gi- 

 lops) are annually brought to England from the 

 Levant and the Morea, and are in great demand 

 for tanning ; being said to contain more tannin in 

 a given bulk of vegetable than any other sub- 

 stance,^ The cups of this acorn are much larger 

 than those of our British species, and are covered 

 externally with long reflexed scales. 



I have not yet spoken of the application of the 

 various parts of the Oak to the arts of civilized 

 life, it having been my object to devote as much 

 of my space as possible to the tree in its natural 

 state. But inasmuch as a notice of any tree, and 

 especially this king of trees, would be of necessity 

 considered imperfect without at least some few^ 

 remarks on this head, I will proceed to give a 

 brief history of the general uses to which the 

 wood and other parts of the Oak may be applied. 



The particular and most valued qualities of the 

 Oak are hardness and toughness. Shakspeare uses 

 two epithets to express these qualities, which are 

 perhaps stronger than any we can find. 



" Thou rather with thy sharp and sulphTous bolt 

 Split 'st the univedgahle and gnarled Oak 

 Than the soft ^MTrtle." 



Many kinds of wood are harder, as Box and 

 Ebony ; many kinds are tougher, as Yew and Ash ; 

 but it is supposed that no species of wood, at least 

 no species of timber, is possessed of both these 

 qualities together in so great a degree as British 



* The Clips of this Oak, called " valonia," are now so extensively 

 usad, that Oak-bark has materially deteriorated in value. 



