The wood of the mossy cup oak is even more valuable than that of the white oak. It is heavy, strong, hard, tough, close-grained, and durable in contact with the soil. It is used for the same purposes as that of the white oak. One can easily trace the family resemblance between the mossy cup oak and the cork tree of Southern Europe, which yields the cork of commerce. The specific name, _macrocarpa_, comes from two Greek words meaning large fruit, and refers to the cups and acorns. The mossy cup oak is found in the West and in certain localities in New England. It is found on the banks of the Penobscot River in Maine, on the shores of Lake Champlain in Vermont, and among the Berkshire Hills, near Stockbridge, and on the banks of the Ware River in Massachusetts. [Sidenote: Chestnut or Rock Chestnut Oak _Quercus prinus_] _A middle-sized or small tree usually, although it is sometimes 100 feet high. The bark does not flake. The buds are pointed,—an exception for the white oaks. The buds are long in proportion to their width. There is no pubescence on the bud, the edges of the scales are bleached and have turned gray, the centres remaining a rich reddish brown. Smooth, glossy twigs, move apt to be ridged than those of the white oak. Alternate leaf-scars. The acorn is covered nearly halfway with a thick cup. The kernel is sweetish and edible._ The chestnut oak is distinguished in winter by its beautiful smooth bark and by its pointed buds, entirely unlike those of the other white oaks. It sometimes grows to be a large tree, but in New England it is usually middle-sized or small. The wood is heavy, hard, strong, and close-grained, and is used for making fences, railway ties, and for fuel. The bark is rich in tannin, and is used for tanning leather. The specific name was derived from the Greek, and was the ancient name for an oak tree. The chestnut oak is found on the banks of the Saco River and near Mount Agamenticus in Southern Maine, among the Blue Hills and in rich woods in Massachusetts, and it becomes more common as one goes south. [Illustration: A YOUNG POST OAK _Quercus minor_ Page 91 ] The dwarf chestnut, or chinquapin oak (_Quercus prinoides_), is the smallest member of the oak family in New England, and seldom grows to be more than two or three feet high. It is found in Massachusetts and in the South and West. It is a small shrub of no commercial value, although its little branches are rich in tannin. The specific name, _prinoides_, means prinus-like, the name of the chestnut oak, and refers to the general resemblance between the two species. [Sidenote: Post or Rough Oak _Quercus minor_] _A medium-sized tree, 40 to 50 feet high. Buds and twigs stumpy and thick set with short branching. Buds very round and rusty. Twig persistently rough, alternate leaf-scars, the bark is hard and rough. Acorn enclosed in a deep, saucer-shaped cup._