CHAP. CV.

coryi.a'cete. que'rcus.

1919

wild state, and are often denticulatedeven on old trees. The acorns are ofan elongated oval form, nearly black,and are contained in greyish pedun-culated cups. The fruit is sometimesvery abundant, and it germinates withsuch ease, that, if the weather is rainyat the season of its maturity, manyacorns are found on the trees withthe radicle unfolded. In British gar-dens, this tree is no where foundhigher than a large shrub, it requiringrather a warmer climate to attain atimber-like size. There is a tree atKew, between 40 ft. and 50 ft. high ;and a handsome small tree at theDuke of Devonshire’s, and some inthe Hackney arboretum. In theneighbourhood of Paris, the live oak and Q. aquatica, Bose informs us, arethe only two American species that are found to be tender.

Geography and History. The live oak is confined to the maritime partsof the southern states of North America, where it is known by the name ofthe live oak. Its most northern boundary is Norfolk, in Virginia. “ FromNorfolk it spreads along the coast for a distance of 1500 or 1800 miles, ex-tending beyond the mouth of the Mississippi. The sea air seems essential toits existence; for it is rarely found in forests upon the mainland, and nevermore than 15 or 20 miles from the sea.” ( Micha:.) It is most abundant, andof the best quality, on the shores of the bays and creeks of the southernstates; and on the fertile islands, which lie in great numbers scattered alongthe coasts for several hundreds of miles. “ I frequently saw it,” says Michaux,“ upon the beach, or half-buried in the movable sands upon the downs, whereit had preserved its freshness and vigour, though exposed during a long lapseof time to the fury of the wintry tempest, and to the ardour of the summer'ssun.” (N. Amer. Syl., i. p. 58.) The live oak was one of those discoveredby Banister, and it was by him called Q. sempervirens. Catesby, in hisNatural History of Carolina, p. 17., describes it as a pyramidal tree, 40 ft. high,in the salt marshes of Carolina. He adds that the acorns are remarkablysweet, and were used by the Indians to thicken their venison soup, and forexpressing an oil, which was very much like the oil of sweet almonds. Thefirst record of this tree that we have in England is, that it was in cultivationby Miller in 1739 ; but it does not appear to have been much planted, as wehave not received an account of any old trees of this species now existing inEngland. In America, there is said to be a very large live oak at GooseCreek, near Charleston, which measures 45 ft. in circumference close to theground, and 18 ft. 6 in. at its smallest part: its largest limb is 12 ft. 6 in. ingirt. A modern traveller, Mr. Stuart, in his Three Years in North America,published in 1833, thus speaks of the live oak, whilst describing his journeyfrom Georgetown to Charleston : — “ On this day’s journey, I first saw, andin great numbers, the most valuable of the American trees, the Quercusvirens, the most durable of oaks. It flourishes most on lands adjacent to saltwater. It is almost as heavy as lignum vitae (Guaiacum officinale). Its trunkis generally not long; but its crooked branches frequently spread over morethan a quarter of an acre of ground. The wood of this tree is almost incor-ruptible. It was on account of the abundance of this tree in Florida, fit foibuilding ships of war, that the Americans showed the great anxiety, whichwas at last gratified in 1819, to add Florida to their extensive territories, andwhich has led the general government, since its acquirement, to lay out verylarge sums in the preservation and establishment of live oak plantations inFlorida. Indeed, I have heard of the formation of plantations on a large scale