| Notes |
Lawson gives good descriptions of various oaks and their uses, good description of Indians use of acorns to produce meal and oil. A number of oak specimens collected by Lawson in eastern NC in 1701-1711 are available in the Sloane Herbarium. Acorns were eaten by Carolina Indians: roasted, ground into meal, as a thickener for soups and stews, to produce oil used in food preparation and to treat burns. Acorns were an important food source for colonists pigs as well as ‘wild’ hogs and Passenger Pigeons. Lawson provided specimens of several Oaks in his 1711 packet of plants sent to Petiver in England. This specimens exists today in the Sloane Herbarium (H.S.159). Oak species in the herbarium include: Q. phellos (willow oak), Q. virginiana (live oak), Q. marylandica (black jack oak), Q. michauxii (chestnut oak), Q. velutina (black oak), Q. falcata? (Southern Red Oak), Q. alba (white oak). [NB VJB – a number of these specimens bear notes containing information not included in Lawson’s book.] Chestnut Oak- clear timber, grow in low land, fairest planks, called Chestnut oak because of the largeness and sweetness of the acorns. [NB VJB – the leaves also greatly resemble chestnut leaves.] White, scaly-bark Oak- building sloops and ships, grows on dry land, called white oak because of white bark, never grows as large as chestnut oak. {Notes attached to this specimen read: “White Oak pag.91, Line 39 April 1711. Virg. JLawson?? Aug. The page reference is to the description of this tree in the 1709 edition of ‘A New Voyage . . . “ Lefler ed. Of Lawson, ‘A New Voyage . . . “} Red Oak- porous wood, used for rails for fences, not very durable, clap b oards, pipe and barrel staves. Spanish Oak- clapboards, durable, vessels fit for sea, good mast for swine. Bastard-Spanish Oak- fencing and clapboards, good acorns. Black Oak- durable wood under water, used in house work, good mast for hogs. White Iron or Ring Oak- durability and lasting quality, plentiful acorns, best Oak for Ship-work. Turkey Oak- small acorn fed on by wild turkeys Live Oak- grows on dry sandy knolls, evergreen, most durable Oak in all America, cured limbs serve as knees, timbers for vessels, not good for planks as too hard to cut and short trunk. “The Acorns therof are as sweet as Chestnuts, and the Indians draw an Oil from them, as sweet as that from the Olive, tho’ of an Amber-Color. With these Nuts, or Acorns, some have counterfeited the Cocoa, whereof they have made Chocolate, not to be distinguish’d by a good Palate. Window-Frames, Mallets, and Pins for Blocks, are made therof . . . Acorns make a very fine Pork.” Willow Oak- is a sort of water oak, grows in ponds and branches, leaf resembles willow. Freshwater Oak- The live oak grows in freshwater ponds and swamps, in low ground, is perennial green. ; |
