812 



THE PRACTICAL GARDENER. 



lity of its timber may have been the cause of its almost extir- 

 pation. Few trees of any considerable size are now to be met 

 with compared with the Qut reus robur. The roof of West- 

 minster-Hall, long supposed to have been of chestnut, is of this 

 timber, and has stood undecayed for ages, and is supposed 

 to have been brought from Ireland. 



The evergreen oak, Q. ilexy and its varieties, add con- 

 siderably to the beauty and elegance of our shrubberies and 

 pleasure-grounds. 



The Cork Oak, Q. suber, besides being an ornamental 

 tree on our lawns, is of much real utility ; the exterior bark 

 is imported by us from the south of Europe, to be manufac- 

 tured into corks and other useful purposes. The bark of the 

 cork-tree, as well as the acorn, is of some use in medicine, 

 being botii reputed astringents. The Spaniards burn the bark 

 to make that kind of light black which painters call Spanish 

 black. The Egyptians made coffins of cork, which being 

 lined with a resinous substance, preserved dead bodies un- 

 corrupted. The Spaniards often line the walls of their houfies 

 with it, which renders them warm, and corrects the moisture 

 of tlie air. 



The Turkey Oak, Q. cerris, and its varieties, is now 

 found to be an extremely useful timber tree, and in many si- 

 tuations would be more profitable, if planted, than those of 

 our own country. 



Next to the oak family, in point of general utility, may be 

 ranked the pine, or fir. Of this family, few arrive in this 

 country of a size to be of general utility, excepting the Scotch 

 Pinus sylvcstris and larch P. larix ; however, the timber of 

 several other species are imported by us both from America 

 and the north of Europe, which are well known for their du- 

 rability and usefulness in building: some of the Norway 

 houses, built of entire trees of the red fir or pine, are sup- 

 posed to have stood upwards of four hundred years. In 

 Guldbransdale, the house is said to be still standing in which 

 King Olaf lodged five nights above seven hundred years ago. 

 As ornaments to the park, the lawn, and pleasure-ground, 

 the whole of this family become exceedingly interesting. Of 



