The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1883-04-11

economy.
England, perhaps, esteems the oak
yet. more highly than other nations,
and well she may, for where were
her great navies but for the "hearts
of oak" which is their pride and
strength? Not only so, but as tar
back as history records, the oak has
played an important part in the well
fare of Great Britain.
Although the fruit OF the British
oak has never been used as TODD for
man, it has yet contributed almost as
directly tohis sustenance. F
The Saxons, coming as they did
from the thick oak forests of Germany
introduced into England the custom
of fattening hogs upon the acorns,
which until then had been allowed to
lie idle upon the ground, rotting
year after year. As the herds OF
swine then formed the chief wealth
of the mobiles and land owners, the
value this hitherto neglected nut IN
stantly assumed may we'll be imagin-
ed. So important, indeed, became
this new branch of domestic econo.
my, that at the close OF the seventh
century King Ina enacted the
"pd,sage LascS" for it's regulation, and
to guard against it's abuse.
Even royalty itself disdained not
to invest its wealth in vast herds OF
swine, and so it came to pass that
the acorns, their principal food, be-
came favorite gift to kings, and
formed an important part of the
dowries of queens.
Occasionally the acorn crop failed,
and at these times we find it re corded
as a great cause OF famine throughout
the land.
When William the Conqaeror
seized upon whole forests, and turn
ed them into huuting grounds, the
maddened popnlace well nigh rose in
rebellion, because they were thus re>
stricted from fattening their hogs
upon the falling acorns. Glance over
the pages OF the Magma Charta and
you will find this very restriction cit
ed as one Of the wrongs which King
John was called upon to redress
Coming down to our own time we
fnd that until very recently vast
herds of hogs We're fattened upon
acorns in the New Forest of Hamp
shire, England-being called together
each night at the sound of horn.
The hogs of Estamadura SO highly
esteemed for the delicacy OF their
flesh are even inathes-raaxa.o 3. nlep.o
S. l-s:siSss. xslles q East Zssti
wholly upon the acorns OF the HAg1ata
oak.
We have often heard the query:
Why is the fruit Of the oak tree
called an ACORN" and here is the
answer. .Ma
We have seen how the Saxons not
only feasted their beasts upon this
little "cup and ball." bat themselves
depended upon it tor food, hence the
fruit OF this moDarch of the wood
came to be called the corn" OF the
oak, or in the old Saxon for oak
acc corn.
Coax apple gals" are we'll known
articles of commerce, aud by many
are enormously supposed to be the
natural production of the oak. Their
true origin is simply This;
ltis well'known fact that am ong
the all,wise provisions of the Crea~
tor is one which leads even the hum.
blest insect to deposit it's eggs upon
that substance only which is best
suited to the proper growth and de.
velopement of its larvae.
3 Not upon all oak trees are the
"oak gals" found in sufficient pro-
fusion for commercial purposes, but
chiefly upon one which is therefore
called the Dyer's oak--its. botanical
name being ''querous ietectoriap
This species Is scarcely more than a !
shrub in height, rarely exceeding six
feet. 1t is principally found in ASA
Minor. The gall itself is an excre.
scence produced by the sting of an
and is of globular form with !
a rough. unequal surface.
The oak tree has It's feelings as we'll
as human beings, and they too, can
be hurt by a singing remark, even
thou Oh only made by an insect, Just
as a noble mind and heart may be
stung by one ofthe numerous human
wasps.
so then when the Diplolepis GaUae
TGactorice wounds the oak it protests
in the only manner in which it can
manifest its displeasuse. 1t tries TO
get rid OF the eggs. SO impudently
lett in its care, the cellular tissue
sWells tho fihres which Xua,.o ,o,,.ol