Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1892-09-01

SLOW GROWTH or THE OAK.
yixty Years Old Before Good Seed IL Pro-
duced-Activity of the Roots.

sixty Years Old Before Good seed Is Pro-
duced-Activity of the Roots.
The extreme limit of the age OF the
)ak is not exactly known, but sound
living specimens are at least one thou
sand years old. The tree thrives best
in deep, tenacious loan with rocks in
it. Stagnant water is one of its aver
sions. 1t grows better on a compara-
lively poor sandy soil than on rich
ground imperfectly drained. The trunk,
at first inclined to be irregular in shape,
straightens at maturity into a grand
cylindrical shaft.
The oak does not produce good seed
until it is more than sixty years old.
The acorn is the fruit of the
oak; tho seed-germ is a very small
object at the pointed end of the acorn,
drops, and its contents doubtless un-
dergo important molecular and chemi-
cal changes while it lies under its
winter covering of leaves or snow. In
the mild warmth of spring the acorn
swells, the little root elongates, energies
from the end of the shell, and, no mat
ter what the position of the acorn,
turns downward. The root penetrates
the soil two or three inches before the
stalk begins TO show itself and grow
upward. The "meat Of the acorn
nourishes both root and stalk, and two
years may pass before its store of food
is entirely exhausted At the end of a
year the young oak has root twelve to
eighteen inches long, with numerous
shorter rootlets, the stalk being from
six to eight inches high. In this stage
1t differs from the sapling, and again
the sapling differs from the tree. To
watch these transformations under the
lens is fascinating occupation.
If an oak could be suspended in the
air with all its roots and rootless per.
feet and unobscured the sight would be
considered wonderful The activity ot
the roots represents great deal o1
power. They bore into the soil and
hatten themselves to penetrate a cracl
in rock. Invariably the tips turr
away from the light The growing
point of tiny outer root is the back o.
the tip a small distance The tip il
driven on by the force behind it ant
searches the soil for the easiest point
of entrance. When the tips are dc
stroyed by distractions, cold, heat o
other causes, new growth starts il
varying directions. The first root
thicken and become girders t.
support the tree, no longer feed
ing it directly, but serving as con
duits for the moisture and nourish
ment gathered by the other rootlets
which are constantly boring their wa.
into fresh territory. These absorb wa
ter charged with soluble earth, salts
sulphates, nitrates, phosphates of lime
magnesia and potash, etc, which passe
through the larger roots, stem ant
branches to the leaves, the laborator.
of new growth. An oak tree may hav
seven hundred thousand leaYes, an
from June to October evaporates tw
hundred and twenty-siX times its owl
weight of water. Taking account G
the new woods grown, 1--WE obtai
some idea of the enormous gain of mat
ter and energy from the outside un
verse which goes on each summer.
Oak timber is not the heaviest
toughest nor most beautiful, but
combines more good qualities than an
other kind. It's fruit is valuable foo
and its bark useful in certain industries
An oak pile submerged for six hundre
and fifty years in London bridge cam
up in sound condition, and there al
specimens from the Tower of Londo
which date from the time of Williar
Rufus. TO produce good oak grow
requires from one hundred and forty t
two hundred years. 1t seems Ion
time to an American, but forestry is
perpetual branch of economics whe
once established. Ohio State Journa