WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 



393 



QUERCUS ALBA, L. White Oak. 



"Geographic Distribution. 



Sandy plains and gravelly ridges, rich uplands, intervales, 

 and moist bottom-lands, sometimes forming nearly pure forests; 

 southern Maine to southwestern Quebeck, westward through 

 southern Ontario, the lower peninsula of Michigan, and southern 

 Minnesota to southeastern Nebraska and eastern Kansas, and 

 southward to northern Florida and the valley of the Brazos 

 river, Texas; most abundant and of its largest size on the 

 western slopes of the southern Alleghany mountains, and on 

 the bottom-lands of the lower Ohio basin. 



Distribution in West Virginia. — One of the most widely dis- 

 tributed timber trees of tlie State. Found in every county 

 and in almost every wooded locality except those of the 

 highest elevations. Growing to the largest size and pro- 

 ducing the clearest and most easily worked wood in the 

 Great Kanawha valley and southward, and in the fertile 

 valley of the Ohio. Of smaller size but with tougher wood 

 in the north-central counties, including Gilmer, Calhoun, 

 Braxton, Doddridge, Harrison, Barbour, and others, and in 

 the limestone areas of Greenbrier and Monroe. 



Wood. — Hard, close-grained, heavy, light-colored, durable. 



Uses. — ^Very valuable. "Wood used for furniture, interior finish, 

 staves, boards, cross-ties, vehicles, ship -building, and for 

 many other purposes. 



QUERCUS MINOR, Sarg. Post Oak. Iron Oak. 



Geographic Distribution. 



Cape Cod and islands of southern Massachusetts, Rhode Is- 

 land and Long Island, New York, to northern Florida and 

 southern Alabama and Mississippi, and from New York west- 

 ward to Missouri, eastern Kansas, the Indian Territory and 

 Texas; most abundant and of its largest size on dry gravelly up- 

 lands in the Mississippi basin; the common oak of central Tex- 

 as on limestone hills and sandy plains; usually shrubby and 

 rare and local in southern Massachusetts; more abundant 

 southward from the coast of the south Atlantic and the eastern 

 Gulf states to the lower slopes of the Appalachian mountains. 



Distribution in Ys^est Virginia. — Not abundant in any locality 

 nor widely distributed in the State. Found as follows : 

 Braxton : on dry banks along Elk river near Sutton. 



