From these aud various accounts, as wel! as our own observation
we consider ourselves justified m recommending to
nurserymen and others, who gather acorns for seeds, to take
effectual precautions tliat only the stalked sort be gathered.
6101. 2'/ic Turkey Oak (Q. Cérris) (Du Roi, 2. t. 5. f. I.), a
native of the south of Europe, introduced in 1735, is distinguished
by oblong, pointed, and freaueiitly lyrate leaves,
Tagged, and a little hoary on the under side. The acorns
aro small, and have rough prickly cups. The tree grows with
great rapidity from 40 ft. to 60 ft. high ; assuming a very
handsome shape. There are several varieties, h ut the best is
that callod the Devonshire, or Lucomho, from tlie name of the
nurseryman who raised it from socds saved from a tree of tlie
Turkov oak grown in Devonshire, (See Oam. Mag., vol. x.
p. 330.) The Fulham oak is also a most beautiful sub-ever-
^6L02y*Oiic>- oaks. There are ahout fifty species of exotic
oaks introduced into thiscountry, which may be considered as
timber trees, and are such, in effect, in their native countries.
Of these the greater part are natives of America, and
trees of groat beauty, particularly in autumn. The Scarlet
Oak (Q. coccinca) attains as large a size as the Q. pedunculàta,
and in as short a time. Its foliage in autumu is of a brau-
liful scarlet colour, and the colour of its timber, which is
hard, approaches that of mahogany. (Gard. Mag., vol. ix.
'4., and vol. x. p. o56.)
6103. Use. The oak cannot be considered so valuable a
tree for general purposes as the common pino and larch ;
but its great strengtli aud durability will probably long maintain
its superiority, in Europe and the other temperate regions
of the globe, as aniaterial for naval architecture. The tmiber
is useful at every age, and more durable when of small diameter
than that of any other of the hard woods ; the value of
the bark of tyung trees for tanning is greater than that of
6104. Soil and site. Most species of oak grow best In a deep
clayey loam, not beyond a moderate elevation above the sea;
hut they will grow iu any soil not.marshy, not attaining,
however, a large j size in poor sands, or a t a considcrahlc
elevation,
6105. Insects. The egger moOi (Phal®'na quércus i . , La-
sìocàmpa Leaek, Gastrópacha quereifòlia Br.) (fig. 97o.) inliabits
all tho species, and its larvas sometimes denude entire
branches. A small gnat (Cynips quércus fòUi L., Diplólciiis
Leach) (fig. 976.) pierces the leaves
ro, with its sting, aud deposits its eggs in
the wound; the extravasatcd juices
rise round it, and form a gall, which
becomes hard, and in this the larva
lives and feeds, and changes toa pupa.
The oak-galls of commerce are so
formed; the best are imported from
Turkey and Greece. The Tórtrix vi-
ridàna L. is very destructive to the leaves of oaks, and in 1829
frcatly ravaged those of many trees in Surrey and Middlesex.
See Mag. Nat. Hist., vol. v. p. 671.) The D'niuis livida L.
lives upon other insects, but is not particularly fond of those
moths which infest the oak. The swallow tribe of birds aro
the most effective of the natural agents for destroying them.
6106. The Ash is the I'rdxinusL., Polygam. Dice'c. L. ; and
the OViius Pers., Didnd. Monog. L., and (Miince B. P. J ’rSnc,
Ft. ; Esche, Ger. ; Essche, Dutoli ; and .Frassino, Ital. There
6107. ■.e Common j h ÍF. e:
out late ill spring, generally from April 22d to May I5th, and
fall early in autumn ; it flowers in April and IMay, and the
female and hermaphrodite plants ripen their seeds or keys in
November. Of this there is a variety, tho simple-leaved
(simplicifòUa), possessing no advantages as a timber tree, and
rather to be avoided by the profltable planter, as it is generally
propagated in the nurseries by layers. Raised from
seeds, It produces pinnate leaves. There is a weeping variety
considered curious, or ornamental.
6108. The White or American Ash (O'mus americàna Ph.)
(,1/tc/i. Arb.) is a lofty tree Uke the other, distinguished bythe
whiteness ofits hark, it.s narrow leaves, and smaller seeds, It
is found in .Tersoy and Pennsylvania, where it attains the height
of 80 ft., with ahout 3 ft. in diameter at the base. It is patient
of cold, thrives in deep fresh soil, hy the banks of rivers, and
unites all the good properties of the common ash. There
two varieties, the red and blue; by 0 accounted distinct
species. Thoy are smaller trees, aud present no advantages t'
the profltable planter
over the two sjueies mov ‘
Use. The
ash is unquestionably th
ol09. indigenous timber,
to the oak; and bi
copsewood, is more valuable than that
cially used hy the coachmaker and tho agricultural carpenter.
The wood is useful when the trunk ia only 3 in. in diameter.
Toughness and elasticity seem to be its characteristics, and the
faster the tree grows the bettor. Timber from a tree of slow
growth, and considerable age, is uniformly found to be more
or less brittle, and therefore more or less unfitted for the purposes
to which this tree is applied, especially shafts or poles of
carriages. As underwood, it ,0 cut every seven years for
for those products li ----------- „ ------------------------ ------------------------ , -
periodical cutting. It forms exceUent fuel; burning when
green or new better tban any other tree. “ A few ash pollards,”
Professor Martyn observes, “ will produce many loads
of lop, which makes the sweetest of all fires.” The ashes afford
more potash than those of most trees; and the bark is used
occasionally for tanning, and will dye yellow.
6110. SoilandsUe. It will not thnve on thin soils, where
the bottom is wet, nor in peaty earth or gravel; but in most
others it will do well; and above all, in a hollow, where a
friable loam has accumulated from the debris of surrounding
rocky heights, aud is drained by a rivnlet. Such rooky dells
and dingles abound in Perthshire and Fifeshire, and in them
the ash is lo bo found [in great perfection. It will not thrive
height above the sea, or in any bleak situation.
6111. The Elm is tho VTTl„m us LL..;; fPeenntdnd. Dig. L. and
timber trees.
6112. 2’he English or narrow-leaved Elm (U. campéstris)
~ t. 1886.) (fig. 977. a) is certainly the loftiest of the
native deciduous trees of this country, being often found upwards
of 80 ft. iiigh. It flowers in April and May, and ripens
its seed in a fortnight or three weeks after the decay of the
flower. This siiecies requires a dry soil, rather good than indifferent,
and also a good climate. It does uot thrive in the
north of England, or iu Scotland, unless iu good soils and
moderately sheltered places. Professor Martyn says, it is not
found north of Newark on Trent. It grows to a great size in
ft short time. Evelyn says, in little more than forty years it
will arrive to a load of timber. Marshall says, the largest
narrow-leaved elms lie has seen are in the Vale of Gloucester.
6115. The Dutch Elm (introduced with King William),
U. màjor (E. B. 2161.), Ù. suberDsa W. It is chiefly i
markable for Its fungous rough bark, largo rugose leaves, and
rapid growth. The timber is of little use. The Cornish elm
_. OT. ifaly a variety of this species; the tree attains a great
height, and in the neighbourhood of London produces its
leaves from ten days to a fortnight earlier than the common
elm. There arc some fine spocimens In Bagshot Park. (See
Gard. Mag., voi ix. p. 445.)
6114. The Scotch or smooth-barked Elm (U. glàbra) E. B.
2248.) (fig.927. b.) is readily distinguished by its smooth dark
lead-coloured bark, and by its leaves, which are nearly smooth
on the upper surface. It is the most useful timher tree of the
genus, and is almost the only tree of the elm kind planted in
Scotland, where it also forms stocks for grafting the Dutch and
English elm. A new variety of this species has attractei
notice at Downton, which Sabine (Hort. 7'rans., vol. vi. p. 146.
proposed calling the Downton elm. A very rapid-growini
variety, calleil the Scampston elm, is in vogue in Durham atii
Northumberland (Agr. Surv. of Durham, ch. x .); aud tin
weeping elm, or, as it is called by some, tbe horizontal elm
also seems to belong to this species. The latter is a tree a
once singular and beautiful. A kind of elm with a fine brooi
leaf, and of upright gigantic growth, called tho Chichester
elm, is preferred to others in the south of England, and i r
Huntingdonshire.
6115. Other species. The genus U’lmus, like S'âlix, isonco
those whose species are so nearly related as to he often confounded.
Linnæus considered all the European elms a»
forming only one species. At present botanists make fiv«
British species, besides an equal number from America. The
U. campéstris and glibra, however, are the only sorts worth
cultivating for thcir timber. (Don, in Neill’s Hort. Tour,
p. 539.)
6116. Use. Elm timber is used in all works where it may
be continually dry or wet ; as, for water-pipes, pumps, water-
wheels, ütc. It is also very generally used for weather,
boarding, and for common cabinet-work. The knotty parts,
like those of the asli, are used for naves. The lop and top
make good fuel an<l charcoal.
6117. SoU and site. The narrow-leaved elm requires a
-- _ very hardy tree, and will grow in thin clayey soil on
retentive substrata better than most others. It will also thrive
in situations elevated and exposed on all sides.
6118. Tke Beech is the Fàgussylvâlica L. (Eng. Bot. 1846.) :
Monce'c. Polydn. L. aud Anienlclcece J. Hêtre, Fr. ; Büche,
Gor. ; Beuke, Dutch : and Faggio, Ital. It is a native of
England, and grows in its natural soil and situation 60ft.
or 8 0 ft high. It is found congregated in forests, in chalky
flinty soils, thrives well in sheltered bottoms ; but not where it
is exposed to the west. It is not so long-lived as the elm, nor
vfiU It grow in situations so much elevated as will the Scotch
elm. The varieties with red and purple leaves, of whieh
there are several, form striking objects in ornamental plantations.
Tliere is also an American species (F. ferruginea)
with rusty leaves, which is easily known from the others by its
flowering a month later. (See Encyc. of Trees and Shrubs.)
6119. Use. The timber is brittle, and decays soon in the
air ; but under water it is more durable, and is therefore much
used as piles in bridge-building. It is used by the millwright,
turner, carver, last and wheel maker, chair and cabinet maker,
and more or less in other branches. It is much used by bakers
and In glass-houses as billet-wood; and the stack-wood forms
an excellent charcoal.
6120. SoU and site. Dryness and some degree of calcareous
matter are the characteristics of the soil in which the beech
delights ; and the declivities of hills facing the east or south
arc Its favourite situations.
6121. The Common Hornbeam is the Cdrpinus Fftulus L.
(Eng. Bot. 2052.) ; Monce'c. Polydn. L. and Amentàceoe J. It
is a native tree, nearly allied in habits and appearance to the
beech, but is less lofty, and thrives In colder stifler soils, and in
rather more elevated situations. It flowers in April, and ripens
its seeds in November.
6122. Use. Chiefly in turnery, being white and tough, as
the name imports. It is frequently used as a substitute for the
beech ; and as, like that tree, it retains it8 decayed, shrivelled,
pale russet leaves during winter, it forms a valuable shelter
when planted in heilges.
6123. SoU and situation. A dry soil is essential, wliether
cold or chalky. It is a social tree, and found in natural copsewoods,
as in Hertfordshire; b ut never at any great height above
the level ofthe sea.
6124. The Sweet or Spanish Chestnut is the Castànea vésca
W., FàgtM Castànea L. (Eng. Bot. 886.) ; Monce'c. Polydn. L.
and Amentàceoe J. It is the Châtaignier of the French ; Cas-
tanienbaum of the Germans; tìie Karslengeboomoi the Dutcli;
and the Castagno of the Italians. It is one of the most magnificent
of European trees, exceeding the oak in height, and
equalling it in bulk and extent Itis doubtful whether it bea
native of Britain, though it ripens its fruit in sheltered valleys
even in Scotland. It is a long-lived treo. The shade of the
chestnut, like that of the ash, is said to be injurious to othor
Élants. The leaves, which continue late in autumn, are not
ablo to be eaten by insects, like those of the oak.
6125. £7««. The sweet chestnut has been already described
as a fruit tree (4661.). As a timber tree it is used for the same
purposes as the oak; though hy some considered as more
brittle when old. It is used oy the cabinet-maker and cooper;
makes an excellent coppice tree for jioles and hoops; the bark
is equal in astringency to that of the larch and mountain ash
for tanning ; and the leaves aud nuts afford food both for men
and deer.
6126. Soil and situation. The soil in which it thrives best is
a deep sandy loam, and the situation one somewhat sheltered.
In Calabria, and on the Apennines between Florence and
Bologna, where we have seen it in abundance, it does not attain
a great size on the higher and more exposed parts of those
mountains, but is, as Sang observes, a surprisingly magnificent
tree in the hollows. Pontey says, “ on sandy soils, wnere the
oak would make but slow progress, I have seen the chestnut
m-ow extremely quick, and therefore, in such cases, the latter
should be used instead ofthe former.
6127. The Walnut (Jùglans règia) has been already treated
of as a fruit tree (4650.). Its timber, when of mature - ' ' ’
valuable as a cabinet-wood, and for gun-stocks,
hard, and durable.
6128. The Common Sycamore is the A'cer Pseùdo-Vldtanus
L. (Eng. Bot. 303.) ; Polyg. Monce'c. L. and Acéreoe J. It is
one of our hardiest native trees, and equal in magnitude with,
though more tame in its outline and form than, the oak. It
flowers in April and May, and ripens its keys or seeds in November.
Its foliation is earlier than that of most trees, and its
decadence is next to that of the ash. It is a quick grower,
will endure the sea-breeze better than most trees, and is not
liable to grow to one side when exposed to winds that blow
chiefly in one direction.
6129. Use. The timber is chiefly used by the turner and
millwTight, and formerly, when earthenware was less common,
it was in great request for trenchers and other table and household
utensils. It affords a saccharine juice. like the sugar aud
other American maples, from which a wine may be made.
6130. Other species. The Norway Maple ( J . platanüides)
is a tree common in the native woods of Lithuania; and in
Norway it clothes the hills from the sea-shore to their summits.
It grows to a large size, and its leaves dye to a golden colour.
Its timber does. .n...o..t. .d..i..f.f.e rm—aterially f«•r-—om t-hat of the sycamore.
-4. rùbrum forms a splendid tree in autumn (Oard. Mag.,
vol. ix. p. 481.), as do all the American species, and those from
tlie Levant. (SeeEncjfc. of Trees and Shrubs.)
6131. Soil and situation. The a-OT.- ........ -votv »ot,.
similar to that preferred by the ash, but will grow in all inferior
soils, and exposed to the sea-breeze, as well as a t a great
(Eng. Bot. 337.) ; Icos. Di-Pentag. l"] ^and Roiiceo: J. it is
6153. Use. In profitable planting, it is chiefly valuable as
a nurse-tree, growur
and for other country purposes : the fcark is u Í by
ardent spirit
tolerable poles ana noons.
6134- Soilandsite. Itwill grow in any soil, dry or wet; and
as to situation, it ia found on the sea-shore, and near the tops
of the highest mountains. It seems to thrive best on the sides
of the n
swung veiy fast when young, and enduring the
e exposures. The timber is used by wheelwrights,
isk'ria) (E
those of the mountain ash, Its white leaves, and coral
berries, mealy to the taste, like those of Pyrus toiuninàU»
"•‘''14.), have a fine effect in autumn.
-156. The False Acacia or Locust Tree, Poéinia-Piehd-
kcàcia L. (Schmidt Arb. 1. t. 32.) ; Diadélph. Decdn. L.,
Leguminbscel. Tliisisathomy fast-growing tree, of middling
stature, a native of America, ot no great beauty as a tree, but
ornamental when yom^, and very well adapted for copsewood
■ I June and July, and ripens its
locust (GÌed'itschia) is a more slow-growing tree than the Ro-
into, b\
it its trunk attains a much larger size.
6137.
Use. The timber is much valued in North Ainerica,
and said to be superior to that of the laburnum ; “ heing close-
grained, hard, and finely veined ; and in America more valued
by the cabinet-maker than any other native timber whatever.”
It is also, Gobbett informs us, much U8ed there for trenails
in shipbuilding. Pursh, in his valuable Flora, assorts that,
being nearly incorruptible, it is equally useful for posts and
gates: gateposts ofthis timber, on a property near Baltimore,
arc said to have remained fresh for nearly a century. The rag
id growth of this tree, when young, renders it suitable for
op poles and for fuel. Blailtie informs us (Gard. Mag.,
vol. iil. p. 508.) that the tree is very little thought of in France,
except as an ornamental object.
61o8. Soilandsite. It prefers a deep sandy soil, and rather
sheltered situation; being very apt to throw up suckers from
the running roots; and, as it stoles freely, it seems peculiarly
calculated for coppice-woods. Beatson (Com. to Board of Agr. )
has cultivated it in this way to great advantage.
6139. The Birch is the Di'telo L. ; Monce'c. Poly. L.and
Amentàccce J. Bouleau, Fr. ; Birchenbaum, Ger., Birkenboom,
Dutch ; and Betulla, Ital. There are two species which may
be considered valuable as timber trees. The common birch
(B. àlba L.) (Eng. Bot. 2198.) is a middle-sized native forest
tree, dfttinguished by its white bark, fragrant leaves, and graceful
tynsile form. It grows in the coldest regions ofthe north,
and farther up the sides of tho British mountains than any
other timber tree. In the swampy grounds of Sweden and
Russia, it grows to a much greater size tlian in the more
temperate climate of this country. The pendulous variety ts
taller and more rapidly growing, hut a more beautiful tree.
6140. TheAmericanÉirch, Mahogany Birch, MountainMa.
CkerryBirchof Canada, is the B. lènta (Mich.Arb. 2.
' ' " '’i. 978.). This is a more lofty tree than th®
978
hogany, or Cke\
p. 145. t. 4.) (.
common hirch, with a brown-coloured bark spotted with
white. “ I t abounds most in the middle states of Pennsylvania,
New York, and the Jerseys, where it attains a height of 70 fc.;
but disappears altogether in tlie higher latitudes of the
northern states, and is scarcely to be found in Nova Scotia. It
is therefore likely to succeed with us in tho moist aud deeper
soils of our Highland valleys, especially when closely associated
with other trees. The probability of this is heightened by
various facts already ascertained. The value of the timber is
well known to our cabinet-makers; and we have seen tables,
bed-posts, and other articles of ftirniture made of it, equalling
in beauty thoso of mahogany, which it resembles, when some
time exposed to the light, the newly wrought hoards being of a
rose-colo Although of a I, tho
...........................OT______ cabinetwork.
We add to this, that the leaves, which apiiear early in
spring, are said to possess a peculiar fragrance, which they retain
when dried by means of a stove, affording, on infusion of
boiling water, an agreeable diluent.” (Caled. Mem., voL ii.
p. 380.)
6141. Other species. The Poplar-leaved Birch (B. populi-
fdlia) and the Paper Birch (B.papyricea), •with B. excfeisa, and
other American species, are elegant rapid-growing trees, and,
when oncc they are so common as to be propagated from seed,
will deserve culture as timber trees.
6142. Use. The timher of the common birch in England
is chiefly used as fence-wood, fuel, and occasionally for harrows
and other agricultural implements, the tree being most frequently
planted as anurse toothers, for coppice or variety. In
the north of Europe, it is much used for iuel, and in France
and Germany; both native and American birch timber is
eexxtteennssiivveellyy eemmppllooyyeedd hhyy ccaabbiinneett--mmaakkeerrss.. TThhiiss ttrreeee,, lliikkee
the mountain ash, will grow in almost every kind of soil and
situation.
6143. The WUd Cherry is the Cérasus àvium L. (Blackw.
t. 425.) ; Icos. Di-Pcntay. L. and Rosàceo: J. Guigne, Fr. ;
WUd kirschcu, Ger. ; and Cil iegio silvático, Ital. Tt is a
4 F 4
s T
%
Ii
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