=Distribution.=--Maine, southern Ontario, Michigan, south to Delaware
and in the mountains to Alabama, and west to Arkansas. In Indiana it is
found locally in the south central counties. The most northern station
where I have seen trees that are native to a certainty is in Morgan
County a short distance north of Martinsville. There are a few trees on
the south bank of White River in Mound Park about 2 miles east of
Anderson. This site was formerly an Indian village, and the trees may
have been introduced here. The late A. C. Benedict formerly of the State
Geological Survey, told me he saw a colony in 1878 in Fayette County on
the farm of Dr. B. Ball, about 3 miles west of Connersville on the east
side of Little Williams Creek. The trees were at least 6 dm. in
diameter. The western line of distribution would be a line drawn from
Martinsville to a point a few miles west of Shoals and south to Tell
City.
=Remarks.=--The greatest numbers of this species are found on the
outcrops of the knobstone in Clark, Floyd, Harrison, Jackson, Lawrence,
Martin, Orange and Washington Counties. It grows on high ground,
associated with white and black oak, beech, etc. The species in all of
our area grows to be a large tree. In the Ind. Geol. Rept. 1874:70:1875
there is a reference to a "stump in Jackson County that was 9 ft. and 2
in. in diameter." This species is rather gregarious in habit, and rarely
are isolated trees found. It is quite local in its distribution, but
where found it is usually a common tree. The bark was much used in
tanning, and the timber for poles, ties and posts. The demand for this
species has led to heavy cutting, so that the present supply is
practically limited to inferior or small trees. The nut crop in this
State is usually badly infested by the weevil.
This species is easily propagated by seed or seedlings. It is
recommended for forest planting in all parts of its natural range and
other parts of the State where the soil is very sandy and free from
limestone. This species never attains to an old age when growing close
to the limestone. It grows rapidly and requires little pruning. The only
objection to planting it for forestry purposes is that it might be
infested by the chestnut bark disease which is fatal to this tree. This
disease is far to the east of us, and there are wide barriers to its
western migration. Since a chestnut grove would soon grow into post and
pole size, in the event the grove would be killed by the bark disease,
the crop could be harvested and the loss would be more of the nature of
a disappointment than a financial one. If planted in a cleared area the
seedlings should be spaced about 5 × 5 feet if no cultivation can be done.
If the trees can be cultivated, plant 7 × 7 or 8 × 8 feet and grow corn for
one or two years between the rows.
=3. QUÉRCUS.= The Oaks.
The leaves of Indiana oaks are deciduous; flowers appear in April or
May, very small, the staminate on slender pendulous catkins, the
pistillate solitary or in clusters in scaly bud-like cups; fruit an
acorn which takes one or two years to mature, ripening in September or
October. The species that mature their fruit the first year are
popularly and commercially classed as "white oaks." Those that mature
their fruit the second year are classed as "red, black or bristle-tipped
oaks."
The oaks are the largest genus of Indiana trees, and commercially are
the most important of all trees of the State. They are the longest lived
of all the trees that occur in the State, and while they have numerous
insect enemies none of them prove fatal to it, except a certain gall
insect.
Note:--In collecting leaf specimens of oaks for identification it should
be borne in mind that the foliage is quite variable. The leaves of
seedlings, coppice shoots and of vigorous shoots of old trees sometimes
vary considerably in size, form and leaf-margins. Also leaves of old
trees that grow in the shade usually have the margins more nearly entire
than the typical leaves. For example leaves may be found on the lower
and interior branches of a pin oak which are not lobed to beyond the
middle, which throws them into the red oak group.
Bark gray, (except in No. 5) more or less scaly; mature leaves
never with bristle tips; fruit maturing the first year.
Mature leaves smooth beneath. 1 Q. alba.
Mature leaves pubescent beneath.
Primary veins beneath show regular pinnate venation.
Some of the primary veins beneath end in a
sinus. 2 Q. bicolor.
All primary veins beneath end in teeth of the margin.
Tips of leaves of fruiting branches sharp-pointed,
usually forming an acute angle; fruit
sessile or nearly so. 3 Q. Muhlenbergii.
Tips of leaves of fruiting branches rounded or if
sharp-pointed, it rarely forms an acute angle;
fruit peduncled.
Petioles green and woolly pubescent beneath
(rarely almost glabrous); under surface
of leaves velvety to the touch; bark gray,
scaly, of the white oak type; trees of low
ground. 4 Q. Michauxii.
Petioles yellowish and smooth beneath, or rarely
somewhat pubescent; under surface of leaves
not velvety to the touch; bark dark, and
tight, of the red oak type; trees of high
ground (in Indiana confined to the
"knobstone" area). 5 Q. Prinus.
Primary veins beneath show irregular venation.
Last year's growth pubescent; acorns generally
less than 12 mm. in diameter. 6 Q. stellata.
Last year's growth glabrous or nearly so; acorns more
than 12 mm. in diameter.
Leaves sinuate dentate, sometimes lobed near the
base, velvety to the touch beneath; peduncles
of fruit longer than the petioles. 2 Q. bicolor.
Leaves irregularly lobed, harsh or rarely velvety
or smooth to the touch beneath; peduncles of
fruit shorter than the petioles.
Cup of fruit fringed; apex of lobes of leaves
generally rounded; trees of lowland. 7 Q. macrocarpa.
Cup of fruit not fringed; apex of lobes of
leaves generally acute; trees of swamps
in the extreme southwestern counties of
Indiana. 8 Q. lyrata.
Bark dark, tight and furrowed; leaves with bristle
tips; fruit maturing the second year.
Leaves entire 9 Q. imbricaria.
Leaves more or less deeply lobed, the lobes and teeth
conspicuously bristle pointed.
Mature leaves smooth beneath, except tufts of hairs
in the axils.
Leaves lobed to about the middle, the lateral lobes
broadest at the base; cup saucer-shaped; nut
about 1.5-2 cm. in diameter; terminal buds
reddish. 10 Q. rubra.
Leaves lobed to beyond the middle, frequently those
grown in dense shade not so deeply lobed, some or
all of the lateral lobes broadest toward the apex.
Cup saucer-shaped, rarely enclosing the nut for
more than 1/3 its length; trees of the low
lands and swamps.
Leaves glossy above; blades usually 10-12
cm. long; cups usually 1.5 cm. or less
broad; terminal buds chestnut brown. 11 Q. palustris.
Leaves dull above, usually about 15 cm.
long; cups 1.5-2.5 cm. broad, rarely
as narrow as 1.5 cm.; terminal buds
grayish brown. 12 Q. Schneckii.
Cup hemispheric, generally enclosing the nut
for half its length; trees of the uplands.
Inner bark yellowish or orange; kernel of nut
yellowish or orange, and very bitter.
Terminal buds usually 5 mm. or less in
length, ovoid and generally blunt,
reddish-brown; scales of cup closely
appressed; trees local in the extreme
northwest part of the State. 13 Q.
ellipsoidalis.
Terminal buds usually longer than 6 mm.,
usually angled and sharp-pointed;
scales of cup not closely appressed;
trees of all parts of the State 14 Q. velutina.
Inner bark reddish or gray; kernel white
and not very bitter 15 Q. coccinea.
Mature leaves more or less pubescent on the whole
under surface.
Leaves grayish or yellowish pubescent beneath;
scales of cup with a reddish-brown border;
nut enclosed for about 1/3 its length 16 Q. falcata.
Leaves brownish or rusty pubescent beneath, sometimes
appearing grayish; scales of cup without a dark
border; nut enclosed for about half of its length.
Leaves expanded at the apex, and generally with
three lobes; mature twigs generally
scurvy-pubescent 17 Q. marilandica.
Leaves deeply lobed; mature twigs generally
glabrous. 14 Q. velutina.
=1.= =Quercus álba= Linnæus. White Oak. Plate 40. Large trees with gray,
fissured bark, flaky on the branches, on the upper part of the trunks of
some trees the bark loosens at the fissures and peels back, forming flat
strips which remain attached at one side; twigs at first hairy, becoming
smooth; leaves mostly obovate in outline, generally 8-20 cm. long on
petioles 0.5-2 cm. long, more or less deeply lobed into 5-9 lobes, the
lobes ascending and generally blunt and entire, sometimes the lobes have
one or two secondary lobes, leaves narrowed and oblique at the base,
smooth above, smooth and glaucous beneath; acorns sessile or on stalks
up to 2 cm. long; nuts quite variable on different trees as to size and
shape, ovoid or oblong, 18-30 mm. long; cup flat on the bottom,
tuberculate and encloses about 1/4 of the nut; scales blunt and woolly.
=Distribution.=--Maine, southern Ontario, Minnesota south to Florida and
Texas. Found in all parts of Indiana. In point of number it is exceeded
only by the beech, although it has a more general distribution. It is
adapted to many types of soil, and is found in almost all situations in
Indiana except in very wet soils. It is sparingly found in the sand dune
area. On the clay soils of the northern part of the State it is a
frequent to an abundant tree, and in the southern part of the State it
often forms complete stands on the slopes of the hills.
The white oak is one of the largest and possibly the longest lived tree
of Indiana. While it is able to adapt itself to many situations, it
grows to the largest size in a porous, moist and rich soil.
=Remarks.=--Wood heavy, hard, close-grained, tough, strong and durable.
On account of its abundance, and wide range of uses, it has always been
the most important timber tree of Indiana.
Formerly the woods were full of white oak 1-1.5 meters (3-5 ft.) in
diameter, but today trees of a meter (3 ft.) in diameter with long
straight trunks are rare indeed. Michaux who traveled extensively in
America 1801-1807, while the whole Mississippi Valley was yet a
wilderness, remarks: "The white oak is the most valuable tree in
America." He observed the ruthless destruction of this valuable tree,
and predicted that the supply would soon be depleted, and that America
would be sorry that regulations were not adopted to conserve the supply
of this valuable tree. Michaux's prediction has come true, and yet no
constructive measures have been provided to insure the Nation an
adequate supply of this timber. It should be remembered that it requires
two to three hundred years to grow a white oak a meter in diameter, and
if we are to have white oak of that size in the next generation the
largest of our present stand must be spared for that harvest.
[Illustration: Plate 40.