Wood and Forest Part 22

[Ill.u.s.tration: Habitat.]

HABITAT: (See map); best in western North Carolina, and eastern Tennessee.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Leaf.]

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE TREE: Height, 75'-100'; diameter, 3'-4', and even 12'; branches, low; bark, thick, shallow, irregular, fissures, broad, grayish brown ridges; leaves, lanceolate, coa.r.s.ely serrate, midribs and veins prominent; fruit, nuts, thin-sh.e.l.led, sweet, enclosed in p.r.i.c.kly burrs.

APPEARANCE OF WOOD: Color, reddish brown, sap-wood lighter; ring-porous; rings, plain, pores large; grain, straight; rays, numerous, obscure.

PHYSICAL QUALITIES: Weight, light (50th in this list); 28 lbs. per cu.

ft.; sp. gr., 0.4504; medium strong (46th in this list); elasticity, medium (46th in this list); medium hard (44th in this list); shrinkage, 6 per cent.; warps badly; very durable, especially in contact with soil, fairly easy to plane, chisel and saw; splits easily.

COMMON USES: Railway ties, fence posts, interior finish.

REMARKS: Grows rapidly, and lives to great age. Wood contains much tannic acid. Uses depend largely upon its durability. Lately whole regions depleted by fungous pest.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Radial Section, life size.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Cross-section, magnified 37-1/2 diameters.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Tangential Section, life size.]

41

RED OAK.

_Quercus rubra_ Linnaeus.

_Quercus_, the cla.s.sical Latin name; _rubra_, refers to red color of wood.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Habitat.]

HABITAT: (See map); best in Ma.s.sachusetts and north of the Ohio river.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Leaf.]

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE TREE: Height, 70'-100', even 150'; diameter, 3'-6'; a tall, handsome tree, branches rather low; bark, brownish gray, broad, thin, rounded ridges, rather smooth; leaves, 7 to 9 triangular pointed lobes, with rounded sinuses; acorns, characteristically large, in flat shallow cups.

APPEARANCE OF WOOD: Color, reddish brown, sap-wood darker; ring-porous; rings, marked by several rows of very large open ducts; grain, crooked, coa.r.s.e; rays, few, but broad, conspicuous.

PHYSICAL QUALITIES: Heavy (23d in this list); 45 lbs. per cu. ft.; sp.

gr., 0.6540; strong (21st in this list); elastic (18th in this list); hard (26th in this list); shrinkage 6 to 10 per cent.; warps and checks badly; moderately durable; easier to work than white oak; splits readily, nails badly.

COMMON USES: Cooperage, interior finish, furniture.

REMARKS: Grows rapidly. An inferior subst.i.tute for white oak. Bark used in tanning.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Radial Section, life size.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Cross-section, magnified 37-1/2 diameters.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Tangential Section, life size.]

42

BLACK OAK. YELLOW BARK OAK.

Black refers to color of outer bark; yellow bark, refers to the inner bark, which is orange yellow.

_Quercus velutina_ Lamarck. _Quercus tinctoria_ Michaux.

_Quercus_, the cla.s.sical Latin name; _velutina_, refers to the velvety surface of the young leaf; _tinctoria_, refers to dye obtained from inner bark.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Habitat.]

HABITAT: (See map); best in lower Ohio valley.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Leaf.]

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE TREE: Height, 70'-80', even 150'; diameter 3'-4'; branches, low; bark, dark gray to black, deep fissures, broad, rounded, firm ridges, inner bark, yellow, yielding dye; leaves, large, l.u.s.trous, leathery, of varied forms; acorns, small; kernel, yellow, bitter.

APPEARANCE OF WOOD: Color, reddish brown, sap-wood lighter; ring-porous; rings, marked by several rows of very large open ducts; grain, crooked; rays, thin.

PHYSICAL QUALITIES: Heavy (17th in this list); 45 lbs. per cu. ft.; sp. gr., 0.7045; very strong (17th in this list); elastic (25th in this list); hard (18th in this list); shrinkage, 4 per cent. or more; warps and checks in drying; durable; rather hard to work; splits readily, nails badly.

COMMON USES: Furniture, interior trim, cooperage, construction.

REMARKS: Foliage handsome in fall; persists thru winter.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Radial Section, life size.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Cross-section, magnified 37-1/2 diameters.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Tangential Section, life size.]

43

BASKET OAK. COW OAK.

Cow refers to the fact that its acorns are eaten by cattle.

_Quercus michauxii_ Nuttall.

_Quercus_, the cla.s.sical Latin name; _michauxii_, named for the botanist Michaux.