THE POST OAK The post oak, a small, rugged tree, is noticeable in winter, because its leaves usually hang on until the open buds in spring push them off. The colour of this winter foliage is yellowish brown, and not at all striking nor beautiful. The bark is brown and deeply furrowed. The twigs wear a yellow fuzz. The leaves are coarse, stiff and rough, four to five inches long, tapering from three broad, squarish lobes to a narrow base, and a short leaf stalk. They are lined with brownish wool, and are dark green and shining above in summer.
The acorns of the post oak are borne in a plentiful annual crop. Each is dainty and trim, in a shallow cup of loose, blunt-pointed scales.
The kernel is sweet. In the days when wild game roamed the woods, wild turkeys fattened on these acorns, and some people call the tree the "turkey oak." Another name for this tree is " iron oak," for its wood is hard, and heavy, and close-grained. It makes admirable posts and railroad ties, be cause it does not rot in contact with water. It is used in boat-building, and for barrel staves. " Knees " of post oak (the angles between trunk and branch) form most admirable timbers to be used in the framework of boats.