40 
House & Garden 
The live-oak is the only evergreen of the genus, but it is the largest and in 
many ways the most beautiful. One famous specimen shades an area of more 
than an acre. It is a tree of the South and will not succeed north of Virginia 
OAKS AND THE LAWN 
A Summing Up of the Oak Family and a Plea for Its More Extensive 
Use in Landscaping Work—The Twelve Best American Species 
ARCHIBALD RUTLEDGE 
O F the three hundred species of oaks known 
to science, some fifty-five are native to 
America, and a few European species have 
been successfully introduced. Whether con¬ 
sidered from the artistic standpoint of its 
beauty, or from the economic side of its timber 
value, the genus Oak is unsurpassed in the 
great family of trees. In the constant struggle 
for ascendancy which is continually going on 
in the forest, the oak is an aggressive competi¬ 
tor. Oaks are admirable, too, in that they will 
grow in practically any situation and on any 
kind of soil. Whether the conditions be moist 
or dry, cold, temperate or tropical, fertile or 
sterile, at low altitudes or as high up as the 
timber line extends, oaks will grow. 
Every lawn whose extent will permit of the 
planting of large trees should have its oaks. 
Some lovers of trees have selected the sites of 
their country homes in groves of virgin oak, 
which naturally form one of the chief glories 
of their estates. But oaks can be transplanted 
without difficulty, and every man can grow his 
own grove. Moreover, to its natural beauty 
will be added the pleasure of watching the 
grove develop year by year. 
Transplanting 
While the nature of the oak’s rooting system 
makes transplanting somewhat uncertain, it 
can safely be done with the proper exercise of 
care and patience. All oaks have immense 
taproots; a large part of the growth of the first 
two years of an oak’s life is concentrated in the 
development of its root system. Among the 
most desirable species for the lawn, such as 
the white oak and the pin oak, seedlings more 
than seven years old cannot be transplanted 
with certainty. It is always wiser to plant 
younger trees whose roots have been in no way 
impaired, than to set in older ones whose roots 
have been injured. The great essential to be 
considered is that no time be lost in growth, 
and none is likely if the roots are kept intact. 
When and How to Plant 
Oaks may be transplanted either in the late 
fall or the early spring-—preferably during the 
latter period. There should be no artificial 
fertilizer of any kind placed in the holes in 
which the young trees are set. The soil should 
be well pulverized, but not enriched. The oaks 
should be set at a depth slightly below that 
from which they have been lifted. It is an 
advantage to retain about the roots, if possible, 
some of the soil in which the tree was rooted. 
After setting, a mulch of old manure about the 
tree will conserve valuable moisture. 
Several primary considerations are de¬ 
manded when one considers planting oaks on 
the lawn. The chief of these is the space 
available. Though they take many years to 
attain their growth, oaks will eventually de¬ 
velop to immense size in situations which are 
favorable. The white oak, for example, attains 
a height of 140' and a diameter of 8'; the 
Spanish oak and the bur oak will grow even 
larger; while the live-oak of the South attains 
a diameter of 10' and 12'. The famous Peach¬ 
tree Oak of Charleston County, South Caro¬ 
lina, shades an area of more than an acre of 
land. Oaks in a close stand will, of course, 
develop very tall trunks; those in an open' 
situation extend their growth laterally as well 
as vertically. However, small groups of oaks, 
such as are highly decorative on the lawn, if 
afforded abundant light and air from some 
directions, will develop on the outside the - 
characteristic lateral branches. 
All lateral growth can be controlled by trim¬ 
ming the trees when young and thus forcing 
up their crowns. By this encouragement of 
top growth, the shape of any oak can be some¬ 
what adapted to the extent of the lawn which 
it occupies. But it must be remembered that 
after a certain height has been reached, trim¬ 
ming the lateral branches of an oak will de¬ 
tract from the tree’s natural grace and beauty, 
and probably also from the vigor of its normal 
development. 
In general, unless the trees are set in groups 
or small groves or in a row to border an avenue, 
a distance of from 30' to 40' should separate 
oaks on the lawn. Where the space is avail¬ 
able, a greater distance would be advantageous 
in the case of the larger species. The most 
superb oaks are usually solitary specimens, 
standing at some distance from other trees. 
The Finest American Oaks 
The chief American kinds which are highly 
valuable for lawn planting are the live-oak, 
white oak, pin oak, scarlet oak, black oak, 
post oak, bur oak, yellow oak, chestnut oak, 
(Continued on page 66) 
