Box 22, Folder 8: Trees of Wisconsin 1859, 1867

232. Wisconsin Agriculture.

4th. C. olivoeiformis-The Pecan Nut, which is found in the southern part of Illinois.

Order IX. Cupuliferae.-The Oak Family.

29. Quercus macrocarpa, of Michaux.-Bur Oak.

The Bur Oak is readily known from all other species in the State by the mossy fringe around the border of the acorn cup. The leaves much resemble those of the next species, though usually narrower, and of a much brighter and more silvery color below. A very common tree in the woods, and forming most of the "openings". When growing separate from other trees, the branches spread in every direction, forming large rounded heads, and giving these openings the appearance of an overgrown orchard. It is the best of the oak family for fuel.

30. Quercus obtusiloba, of Michaux.-Post Oak.

The leaves of the Post Oak are downy below, pale and rough above, sinuately cut into five to seven roundish divergent lobes, the upper lobes much the largest, and often with one, two, or three notches. The acorn is ovoid, about twice the length of the hemispherical cup. This tree is rare in Wisconsin.

Its durability, when used for posts, has given it the name of Post Oak. The wood is valuable-almost equal, in some respects, to the White Oak.

233. Communications.

31. Quercus alba, of Linnaeus.-White Oak.

This species is known from the others by its light colored bark, (whence the name;) the leaves are smooth, pale or glaucus below, bright green above, obliquely and deeply cut into (from three to five) oblong linear entire obtuse lobes. The acorns are oblong, and much longer than the hemispherical cup. This is the most valuable of our oaks, and at the same time one of the most abundant.-Next to the White Pine it may be regarded as the most useful of our native forest trees. The hardness, strength and durability of the wood make it the most suitable for ship building, and for all structures where strength is required.

32. Quercus prinos, of Linnaeus.-Swamp Chestnut Oak.

The leaves resemble those of the Chestnut tree, (whence the name,) being obovate, acute, downy beneath, coarsely serrate, with nearly uniform rounded teeth; not lobed. The acorn is large, in a somewhat top shaped cup. This is quite a rare tree in Wisconsin.

33. Quercus bicolor, of Willdenow.-Swamp White Oak.

Resembles the White Oak, but is only found along the borders of marshes or wet grounds. It may always be known by its oblong or obovate leaves, coarsely and irregularly sinuate-toothed, but not lobed; they are wedge shaped below, and on short

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234. Wisconsin Agriculture.

stalks. This species is not very abundant in the State. For many purposes the wood is equal to that of the White Oak.

34. Quercus coccinea, of Wangenheim.-Scarlet Oak.

So named on account of the beautiful scarlet color the leaves assume in autumn. The general outline of the leaf is oval, deeply sinuate-pinnatifid, with broad and open sinuses, reaching two thirds the depth to the mid-rib, smooth, bright green and shining on both sides, broad and truncate at the base. The acorn is globular-ovoid, about one third hid in the very scaly cup. This fine tree is rare in Wisconsin. It was first detected near the farm of Mr. Huntington, in the eastern part of Dane county. The wood of the Scarlet Oak is inferior to that of most of the species. As an ornamental tree it has few superiors.

35. Quercus rubra, of Linnaeus.-Red Oak.

The leaves of the Red Oak are obovate in outline, smooth, pale below, sinuately cut, with rather narrow sinuses into short, acute, spreading lobes. The acorn is oblong-ovoid, much longer than the flat, saucer shaped cup. It is probably the most abundant species, especially in the thickly wooded districts of our State.

It is the least valuable of our native oaks, for the purposes of timber, or of fuel. For ornamental purposes it is deserving of some attention. It grows readily and rapidly, in almost any situation, and assumes a form of much beauty.

235. Communications.

36. Quercus palustris, of Du Roy.-Pin Oak.

This is our most beautiful and graceful oak tree. The leaves are oblong, smooth, shining, bright green on both sides, standing on long petioles, so that they are wafted about by every wind that blows. The sinuses of the leaves are very broad, deep, and rounded, the lobes divergent, acute, cut-lobed, and often toothed. The acorns are small, nearly globular, about half covered by the cups. The bark is black, and much cracked into little irregular squares. The Pin Oak (often improperly called Black Oak) is quite common, especially in the borders of prairie openings.

The following species of oak are found in neighboring States, and some of them may, therefore, be looked for in Wisconsin:

Quercus olivarformis, Michx.-Mossy over cup Oak. Q. castanea, Willd.-Chestnut Oak. Q. prinoides, Willd.-Dwarf Oak. Q. imbricaria, Michx.-Laurel Oak. Q. nigra, Linn.-Black Jack Oak. Q. tinctoria, Bart.-Black Oak. Q. leana, Nuttall,-Lea's Oak.

The oaks are not only among the most useful, but they are also among the most ornamental of the native forest trees. In their young state they have the properties of lightness and elegance; at greater maturity they possess majesty and even grandeur. In the close woods they do not naturally show their full and proper development, on account of their crowded condition. But in the oak openings we see them with spreading arms, shading a large extent of ground and presenting beautifully rounded forms to the eye. The foliage of the pin oak is peculiarly light,

236 Wisconsin Agriculture.

beautiful, and ever moving. The silvery under surface of the large leaves of the burr-oak is turned up by a gentle wind, and gives its brilliant hues to the landscape.

It has been recently stated (with how much truth I know not) that acorns should be planted on the surface of the ground. They should be covered with leaves, held down by small stones. The oak trees cannot be transplanted without great care and skill; but their growth from the seed is quite rapid. They spring up naturally whenever the annual fires are kept from spreading over our prairies and openings, and soon form dense woods.

The illustrations of the oaks are one half the natural size.

37. Fagus ferruginea, of Aiton.-American Beech.

Like many other species of plant, the American Beech tree has been supposed to be only a variety of the European kind; but later botanists have decided that the two are distinct. Michaux describes two varieties, and makes them different species-the white and the red. The first is nearly all sap-wood, which is white; the last nearly all heart-wood, which is red. But these peculiarities are found to be owing to something in the soil or exposure; there being no sufficient botanical differences to enable us to distinguish the two kinds as separate species.

In our State, the Beech is confined to certain districts along the shores of Lake Michigan, where it is often found constituting almost the entire forest. I am not informed in regard to the occurrence of this tree in the northern part of the State.