Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1886-01-29

Treatise on the Commerce Of Europe, says
that in the English docl-yards the White
Oak from British America is esteemed
excellent timber. The opinion. simply
considered. is correct; but that which
come from Baltimore and Philadelphia
must still he superior.
Before conclude this article, | must
be allowed to hazard "A conjecture on the
consequences of the neglect of all means
of preserving and multiplying this tree in
the United States, Consequences which
neither the Federal government nor the
States have taken any measure toprevent.
From the increase of population, and
from the impoverishment of the soil pro-
duced by gradual changein the climate,
the White Oak will probably, in less than
fifty years, be the most rare in the Mid
die States. where it is now the most album
dant. and in Tennessee, Kentucky, Cen
esee, and further north, where it is the
least multiplied, it will be the most COM
mon, and will replace the species which
now compose the forests, but which the soil
will then be too feeble to sustain. Thus,
near the river kennebeck, in the midst of
the primitive forests, composed OF the
Beeches, the Canoe Birch, the Sugar Ma
pie, and the Hemlock Spruce, have OBJ
served small tracts, formerly cleared and
since abandoned, which are naturally re-
peopled with the White and Gray Oaks ;
and, in the lower part of Virginia, poor
Red Oaks, yellow Pines, and Loblolly
Pines, are extensively replacing trees of
Il better quality. East of the mountains,
the valleys that lie along the rivers are,
with few exceptions. the only places
where the Oak could be advantageously
reared but these fertile lands are more
profitably devoted to husbandry.
The American White Oak cannot, in
my opinion, be regarded as Il useful ac-
QUESTION to the forests of Europe. Its
elasticity which renders the young stocks
proper for hoops. is doubtless valuable
superior for this purpose, because it is
more durable.
The White Oak is used in the royal
dock-yards of England, probably because
it has been found impossible to procure
supplies of European Oak. Perhaps il
is employed only for the lower part OF
the frame, while the European Oak is re-
served for the upper timbers.
If the advantage of this comparison
be allowed to be on the side of the Euro
pean species. the Americans should lost
no time in introducing it into thei
forests. TO corporations particularly
whose property is less frequently alien
ated, | take the liberty of addressing thi
advice. which if allowed. would be pro
and to the public. The analogy of tn
climates leaves no doubt of the perfec
success of this tree in the United States
an example of which is found in the gar
den of Messrs. j. Il w. Bartram, tire
miles from Philadelphia, where there i
large stock which has yielded seed 70
several years and which continues to eX
pand with vigor.
In ornamental planting. the Whit
Oak should have abundant space aroun
it for spreading; under such circumstar
ces ii will throw out long limbs and lal
eral branches of the most picturesqu
beauty.
This tree extends much farther to tn
= west than is stated by our author. MI
Douglas considers Lake Winnipeg it
northern limit. where it is rarely owe
ten or twenty feet high. The White Ga
everywhere shrinks from the sea-breezC
: \ tree of this species near Boston
Mass, measured in 1910 twenty-five fee
and nine inches in circumference.