The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-07-29
So Called White Oak on the
Market Is a Mixture of
Various Species.
REPORT By GOVERNMENT
SHOWS THERE - AN UNDER SUP.
PLY or THE GENUINE ARTICLE,
WHICH 10 USED so MUCH IN
DUILolN0.
palladium Specially

Washington. ID. c., July 2s.--It will
surprise most persons who know
something about oak to be told that
the socalied white oak timber of our
markets Is often mixture not only OF
various species Of the white oak group
but also OF other species. such as the
red oak. This generally unknown fact
n reported by the United States de-
partment Of agriculture. which as
part Of It's forestry work, is frequently
called upon to pass judgment upon
the identity Of market woods in dis
pute.
Foresters divide all the oaks into
two distinct groups-the white oak
group and the black oak group. One
way Of distinguishing the two is by
the fact that the black oaks require
two years to mature their acorns,
while the white oak takes but one.
The woods of the two groups of oaks
are also structurally different. The
true white oak known to botanists as
Quarcus alba, Is merely one of the spe-
cies which make up the white oak
group. Red oak, on the other hand, be-
longs to the black oak group. Red oak
has q number OF other common names,
among them mountain oak, black oak
and Spanish oak.
10 Much Confusion.
There In so much confusion In the
ordinary use Of names OF the oaks that
It is almost impossible to keep them
straight without resorting to the sci
entific names. but the marketing OF
wood of the black oak group as white
oak il hardly fair to the consumer
He'd oak for instance. ID now much
more abundant than white, oak. grows
faster, and is generally regarded AZ In.
ferior. The two species often grow To-
gSther and occupy the same general re.
gton. d.
In the early days OF its abundance,
market white oak was derived almost
entirely II IL safe to say. from quar-
Gus alba, the true white oak. This spe.
cies combines approximately the ut
most strength and toughness Of any Of
the timber oaks, excepting possibly
the southern live oak which in the COL
Onial days was SO highly priced for
ship building that 1t was protected
by special laws. The immense inroads
made upon the then apparently mex
haustible white oak forests. which
stretched from the Atlantic seaboard
ID about Missouri. gradually 80 re-
duced the supply that the use Of the
Other species became inevitable.
AT the present time II IL almost i'm.
possible to obtain a consignment OF
white oak that does not contain
pieces of other species. or the white
oak group those most used. in addition
to the true white oak are burr oak.
chestnut oak, chinquapin oak, post oak
swamp white oak. COW oak. and over
cup oak; Of the black oak group. Texas
red oak. and spotted or water oak.
Real white oak timber OF number
one quality IL very largely cut into
quarter-sawed boards. while combin-
alton Of one or more white oaks and
red oak may constitute other cuts OF
white oaks" In many markets the
term cabinet white oak" Is now un-
derstood to include a mixture of white
oak and red oak. while 1t often sign.
1ies red oak only. IS
The question what Ia white oak p
IA now coming up among consumers
and manufacturers Of commercial oak
timber. The above named white oaks
are distinct but closely related species
which together must be depended upon
for the future supply. For the ordin'
airy purposes for which true white oak
II used. practically all trees Of this
group yield woods that can be inter-
changed and will serve equally well.