YELLOW OAK. 
27 
In the Monography of American Oaks, my father takes notice of its' exis- 
tence in the country of the Illinois. 
Near Lancaster this tree is called Yellow Oak, from the complexion of 
its wood ; but in other parts of the United States it is confounded with the 
Chesnut White Oak and Rock Chesnut Oak, to which it bears some resem- 
blance in its foliage. 
The leaves are lanceolate, acuminate, regularly toothed, of a light green 
above and whitish beneath. The small acorns are contained in slightly 
scaly cups, and are sweeter than those of any other species in the United 
States. 
The Yellow Oak is a fine tree, 70 or 80 feet high and 2 feet in diameter, 
with branches tending rather to close round the trunk than to diffuse 
themselves horizontally. I invariably found it in valleys where the soil 
was loose, deep and fertile. The bark upon the trunk is whitish, very 
slightly furrowed, and sometimes divided into plates, like that of the 
Swamp White Oak. The wood is yellowish, though the tint is not bright 
enough to fit it for peculiar uses. Its pores are partly obliterated, irregu- 
larly disposed, and more numerous than those of any other American Oak : 
this organization must impair its strength and render it less durable than 
the Chesnut White Oak and the Rock Chesnut Oak. 
As this tree is so thinly disseminated, it will not appear surprising that 
I should not have witnessed the application of its wood in the arts, or have 
found occasions of accurately appreciating its qualities. Its agreeable 
form and beautiful foliage render it proper for the embellishment of pic- 
turesque gardens. 
PLATE X. 
A branch with leaves and fruit of the natural size. 
