Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1915-11-05
king OF ALL OAKS
Largest Tree of This Species Is
in California.
% Bears . Ton Of Aeorns Ever Year
and 70 Nearly Twice the Size OF
Hooker oak-sycamore Big.
oest Non-Nutter.

Washington.-The American Ge-
netic association has announced the
award Of two prizes of 500 each for
the location of the largest nut-bear.
ing and non-nutbearing trees in the
country.
The largest nut-bearing tree 10 q
valley oak on the ranch Of B. F.
0suver, San Benito county, Cal
1fornia, in the foothills of the Sierra
Nevada mountains. This lordly tree
measures 81 feet 6 inches in circum-
ference. It 10 near the city Of Stock
ton, and the natives, who declare that
Il produces ton Of acorns every
year. take great pride In 1t.
Il 10 expected that the discovery"
Of this tree viii be at once q surprise
and . disappointment to the friends
Of the famous Hooker oak Of Chico.
Cal. named for the English botanist.
Sir Joseph Hooker. who. In 1872. de-
clared that. 20 far ~ encyclopedia
knowledge went, It was the largest
oak In the world. Several persons
sent in photographs Of the Hooker
oak, which. however, IL only 81 feet
8 inches In circumference. although 1t
rises to . height Of los feet.
The largest tree in the non-nut-bear.
ing class Of hardwoods disclosed by
the contest IL q sycamore near Worth
ington, Ind. This tree II $50 feet high.
after having had its height consider
ably reduced BY lightning and wind
Il has . spread Of 100 feet and its
trunk one foot above the ground IL Is
feet 3 inches ID circumference. while
IL east branch measures q feet
inches around and its west branch %
fest 2 inches.
This Indiana tree II the largest
known tree In all the eastern country
10 does not compare. Of course. with
the giant redwoods Of California and
some other big conifers. none of which
we're entered in the contest fer tina,
treason. Some Of the giants of Cali
fornia measure more in diameter thar
the Hoosier sycamore in circumfer
ence.
The Genetic association received
5S7 tree photographs in this contest
which started In October last yea
and closed July this year. Thes'
pictures covered trees in all sections
of tie country. from q two hundred
and Afty-year-old Connecticut elm
which ID the pride Of al the country
Uide. to . persimmon tree. which rise'
20 height Of 1870 feet and has bas,
seven feet thick. establishing Q new
record Tor its species. The persim
mon tree II near Luxora, Ark.
The second largest nut-bearing tire,
disclosed BY the contest IL q chestnu
three miles from Crestmont, NJ c.. OF
Tie main range Of the Big Smok.
mountains which divide North Caro-
lins and Tennessee. This tree is Il
foek high and has . circumference o
- fset inches.
An article giving the details of tn
contest. In the Journal of Heredity
o6Bcial organ OF the Genetic associa
ton. says:
1T q impossible even to mention al
2 Of the valuable records sent to tn,
American Genetic association. Man,
porDons. entering into the spirit o
the contest. said they knew the tree
Of which they sent In photograph
were not prize winners. but the.
wanted them recorded In the interes
OF science Others sent large spec
mems of species that ordinarily reacl
only q small size. realizing that tn
prise would 60 to some larger spe
Giles, but desiring to aid the associs
ton In getting q record of all spt
cies Thus excellent specimens Q
sassafras. chinquapin. catalpa an
white birch were submitted. and max
highly valued additions to availabl
information on large trees in tn
United States. ~"
Il 10 announced that the contes
confirms the fact that the sycamor
q the largest hardwood tree In Mort
America. yellow poplar ranks mel
% sycamore in point OF size anon
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