10 
THE NATIVE TREES OF RHODE ISLAND. 
The demand for white oak timber in wood shipbuilding* days 
took most of the salable trees from our forests. Later, other uses 
have increased the demand. Still, some good timber trees are left, 
and others will rapidly grow if protected. Of good white oak 
there is never enough to make it cheap. The qualities which it 
combines to a remarkable degree are strength, toughness, elas- 
ticity, durability, and, in its dressed state, uncommon beauty. 
Hence its great usefulness for carriage work, agricultural imple- 
ments, furniture, bridge work, and many other purposes. 
In its scenic effect, the white oak, grown in open ground, is an 
object of grandeur and sturdy strength. Its head is a mighty 
dome of most refreshing shade. In its youth it is lithe and grace- 
ful in form, but early shows its imperial qualities, and, at last, is a 
majestic ruin. 
THE SWAMP WHITE OAK. 
The swamp white oak is common in some parts of this State. It 
prefers moist, or springy ground, but grows well on any ground 
not excessively dry. The tree has striking features, and, in open 
ground, is an attractive element of the scenery. It takes a more 
columnar form than the white oak, both in body and head. The 
body is usually fringed with numerous, scraggy branches, which, 
in leaf, quite conceal the wood. One of these trees in an open, 
wind-swept situation appears as little else than a mass of short, 
bushy, branches. The tree appears unthrifty, but it grows rapidly, 
and delights in cornery, out-of-the-way places. Its foliage is 
abundant, and the tree forms a fine shade. The wood of this tree 
is a fairly good substitute for the real white oak, but is coarser, 
and not as firm. The sap-wood and the heart-wood have two 
distinct colors, hence the descriptive term “licolor” There are 
fine trees of this species in Providence and vicinity, notably 
on Neutakonkenut Hill, and Fruit Hill; also, in Warren and 
Bristol. This kind of oak should be propagated, as it will flourish 
in waste places where other trees of equal value would not 
grow. 
