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


Middle States and in Virginia, particularly
in that part of Pennsylvania and Virginia
which lies between the Aleghanies and
the Ohio, distance of about $50 miles,
beginning at Brownsville on the Monon-
gahela. Near Greensburg, Macconels-
vile, Unionvile and Washington Court
house, have seen large forests, nine
enths of which consisted of White Oaks,
whose healthful appearance evinced the
favorable nature of the soil though in
general they were not more than fifteen
inches in diameter. East of the noun
tains this tree is found in every exposure,
and in every soil which is not extremely
dry or subject to long foundations; but
the largest stocks grow in humid places.
In the Western districts, where it COM
poses entire forests, the face of the coun-
try is undulated. and the yellow soil,
consisting partly of clay with a mixture
of calcareous stones, yields abundant
crops of wheat.
By the foregoing observations, it APP
pears that the severity of the climate,
the fertility of the soil, its dryness or
humidity, are the causes which render
the White Oak so rare over three-quarters
of the United States that it is inadequate
to supply the local demand though the
country does not contain a fourth of the
population which it is capable of support
ing.
Among the American Oaks this species
bears tle greatest analogy to the Euro
pean Oak, especially to the variety called
European White Oak (QuercuS pedancu-
'otd) which it resembles in foliage and
in the qualities of its wood The Anne AN
White Oak is seventy or eighty feet high,
and six or seven feet in diameter: but its
proportions vary with the soil and climate.
The leaves are regularly and obliqucly
divided into oblOng, rounded lobeS. desti-
tute of points: the sections appeared to
be the deepest in the most humid soils.
Soon after their unfolding, they are red
dish above and white and dOwny beneath ;
when fully grown, they are smooth and
of a light green on the upper surface and
glaucous underneath. In the fall they
change to a bright violet color, and form
an agreeable contrast with the surround
ing foliage which has not yet suffered by
frost.
This is the only Oak on which a few of
the dried leaves persist till the circulation
is renewed in the spring. BY this pecu-
liarity and by the wilderness of the bark,
from which it derives its name, it is east
ly distinguished in the winter. The
acorns are of an oval form, large, very
sweet, contained in rough. shallow, gray
ish cups, and borne singly or in pairs,
by peduncles eight or ten lines in length
attached, as in all the species with am
nual fructiication. to the shoots of the
season.
The fruit of the White Oak is rarely
abundant. and frequently for several
years in succession few handfuls OF
large forest where the tree is multiplied
Some stocks produce acorns of deel
blue color: but | have found only two
indications of this variety, one Il flour
ishing tree in the garden of Mr.. W. Ham
ilton now the Woodlands cemetery J
near Philadelphia. and the other in Nir
ginia.
The trunk is clad in white bark. va
riegated frequently with large blacl
spots. On stocks less than sixteen niche
in diameter the epidermiS is divided int
squares; on old trees, growing in mois
grounds, it is in the form of plates later
ally attached. The wood is reddish. an,
very similar to that of the EurOpeal
Oak. though lighter and less compact, II
may be proved by splitting bilets o
each of the same size; in the America
species the vessels which occupy the in
tervals of the cOncentrical circles ar
visibly less replete. But of all the Amer
lean Oaks which shall describe, this
the best and most generally used. bein
strong, durable, and of large dimension,
1t is less employed than formerly i
building only because it is more scare
and costly.
At Philadelphia, Baltimore and in til
smaller towns of the Middle States. til
frame of all well-built houses, whethe
of brick or wood. is of White Oak. We,
of the Alleghanies. where pine board
are not easily procured. the White Ga
is substituted for the floors and for I'll
exterior covering of the frame, notwitl
standing its liability to warp and split.
1t is much used in the construction
mills and dams. particularly for sue
parts as are expected to be altcrnatel
wet and dry.
The wooden bridge, nearly 1900 fee
feet long. that unites Boston with Can
bridge, is supported by posts of Viii
Oaks from fourteen to fifty feet in lengtl
which replace those of White Pine {
which it originally stood,
Tho pNrpllpnt nrnnprtipS Df this Wnf