28 



THE yOUNG NATURALIST 



tian era. In White's history of Sel- 

 borne mention is made of a grove of 

 oaks which suppKed twenty trees 60ft. 

 long, 1 ft. diameter at top, and clear 

 of boughs throughout : they were sold 

 for £20 apiece. One of these trees 

 famished the pathetic story of the 

 maternal affection of a raven which sat 

 on her eggs in her nest whilst the 

 surrounding trees were demolished, 

 and remained unmoved whilst her own 

 tree was being cut down, and was 

 killed by the crash of the twigs as it 

 fell. In economic value the oak far 

 excells all our native trees. Its com- 

 bination of qualities for strength, elas- 

 ticity, hardness, soundness, and endur- 

 ance renders it unique. Under water 

 it is practically imperisherable. The 

 oaken stakes driven into the Thames 

 by the original Britons to repel the 

 Roman invaders, although ineffectual, 

 stiU. remain. Those relics of primeval 

 forests which are now dug out of our 

 mosses as bog oak, is highly valued in 

 ornamental work from its indestructible 

 qualities, its immersion having render- 

 ed it as black and hard as jet. All 

 the most antique furniture and wood- 

 work of our most ancient and venerable 

 buildings are of oak, and much that 

 was thought at one time to be chestnut 

 wood has proved to be native oak. 

 The peculiar markings giving the curi- 

 ously characteristic appearance to oak- 

 wood are caused by the medullary rays 

 which run from the centre to the cir- 



cumference of all our British trees and 

 are particularly well developed in the 

 oak. There is no part of the oak-tree 

 but may be utilized : even its very ex- 

 cresences, the galls, form an important 

 article of commerce, being largely used 

 in dyeing, tanning, and inkmaking, and 

 as an astringent medicine. The galls 

 and bark are exceedingly rich in tannin, 

 a substance essential in the preparation 

 of leather. So great became the con- 

 sumption that, had not chemistry dis- 

 covered other products as substitutes, 

 our oak forests would have been utterly 

 inadequate to supply the demand. The 

 universally-used material cork is the 

 bark of a species of oak (Q, suher) 

 indigenous and plentiful in Spain. It 

 will grow in this country, but only 

 produces cork in warmer climates. 

 The corky bark grows very quickly 

 and to a great thickness. It is re- 

 moved without injuring the tree ; 

 indeed, if skilfully performed the tree 

 thrives the better for being peeled. A.t 

 the age of fifteen years the tree is 

 ready for its first barking, and at 

 intervals of about ten years for perhaps 

 eight successive strippings, when the 

 tree becomes exhausted and decays 

 The operation has to be performed in 

 the months of July and August. It 

 is generally admitted that to the ab- 

 original inhabitants of these islands 

 the acorns of the oak furnished a most 

 important food supply. In Saxon 

 times they were extensively used in 



