CHAPTER XVIII.
THE AMERICAN WHITE OAK TREE (Quercus alba).
This tree derives its name from the pale ash colour of its bark, and is said to flourish in every variety of soil, but best upon open ground at a moderate elevation, some of the finest specimens being found in Maryland. It is abundantly spread over a very large tract of country, and, according to Michaux, it extends from the 28° to the 46° of North latitude, and towards the west to the State of Illinois.
In the open grounds the trunk of this tree is of only moderate length, but in the forests it frequently attains the height of from 40 to 60 feet, clear of branches, with a circumference of from 7 to 8 feet, and very noble logs of timber are produced from it. Those which I have seen imported into this country have invariably been straight, and hewn to correspond in appearance with our English Oak "sided" timber; some of the logs were very large, but generally they varied from 25 to 40 feet in length, and from 12 to 28 inches in the siding or thickness.
Thick-stuff of from 10 to 4½ inches, and plank of 4 to 2 inches, of very superior lengths, fair growth, and free from knots, have usually formed part of the shipments. There is, however, scarcely any compass timber to be found beyond the little that can be obtained from
